KICKOFF
The Portland State football team heads into hostile territory this Saturday as the Vikings travel over to face the Montana Grizzlies at Washington-Grizzly Stadium for a 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT kickoff. The game will be broadcast on Rose City SportsNet within the Portland Designated Market Area.
 
The Vikings can make life easier on themselves in a tough road environment by running the ball. That's been a struggle for the Vikings in their last two games. Against Idaho State and Idaho, they rushed for just 56 and 13 yards, respectively.
 
The recent struggles have come as a bit of a surprise given that the Vikings had seemingly broken through on the ground over their previous three games. They rushed for a season-high 248 yards in their win over Weber State on Sept. 26 – a win that keeps looking better as the Wildcats entered the two national polls this week. The Vikings then followed up with 168 and 182 rushing yards against Utah Tech and Northern Arizona, respectively. What's more, Idaho State and Idaho were two teams that came into their games against the Vikings giving up more than 200 yards per game on the ground.
 
The Vikings could use a strong ground game against the Grizzlies in part to keep the Montana offense off the field. The Grizzlies come into the game leading the Big Sky and ranked fourth nationally in the FCS with 471.7 yards of total offense per game. They have incredible balance within that, as the Montana offense features both a 1,000-yard rusher in Eli Gillman (1,161 yards) and a 1,000-yard receiver in Brooks Davis (1,145 yards).
 
Gillman – the 2025 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week – leads the Big Sky and ranks second nationally with 15 rushing touchdowns this season. He also ranks second in the conference and in the top 10 nationally in rushing yards per carry (6.91) and per game (129.0).
 
Davis, meanwhile, tops the FCS in seemingly everything related to his position. He leads the FCS in receiving touchdowns (12), receiving yards per game (127.2) and receptions per game (8.11). Davis has gone over 100 receiving yards in seven of the team's nine games, including a career-high 231 yards last week against Eastern Washington.
 
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat has gone over 300 yards passing in four straight games entering Saturday. He leads the Big Sky and ranks in the top five nationally for passing yards per game (289.7), passing touchdowns (26) and passing efficiency (168.8).
 
The Vikings will have to move the ball against the Grizzlies to limit those players' impact on the game. The Grizzlies have defended the run well this season. They rank second in the conference and 30th in the FCS with only 127.7 rushing yards allowed per game. But teams have been able to throw the ball on the Grizzlies as they rank 12th in the Big Sky and 120th out of 124 teams in the FCS while giving up 283.6 passing yards per game.
 
The Vikings passed the ball well despite a 38-14 loss to Idaho last Saturday, even as they shuffled in three different quarterbacks into the game. Gabe Downing started the game and went 14-for-21 for 140 yards and a touchdown. Tyrese Smith and John-Keawe Sagapolutele both saw time, as well. Smith finished 9-for-11 for 65 yards, while Sagapolutele went 6-for-8 for 76 yards and a touchdown. Collectively, the three quarterbacks were 29-for-40 for 281 yards and two touchdowns against the Vandals.
 
That would be a pretty good stat line for one quarterback, but the Vikings still struggled moving the ball. Their first eight drives all lasted five players or less, while nine of their first 10 drives didn't result in points.
 
Despite last week's struggles, senior wide receiver Terence Loville produced a good game with nine catches for 114 yards and both Portland State touchdowns. It was Loville's third 100-yard receiving game this season, as well as the first two-touchdown game of his career. Freshman wide receiver Zui Shelton also set career highs for receptions (8), receiving yards (83) and all-purpose yards (174) last week.
 
The Vikings will need more of that, plus a solid ground game, to keep pace with a high-powered Montana offense.
 
Hostile environments become a lot more hospitable, when your offense can move the ball.
 
GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-7, 2-4) vs. MONTANA (6-3, 4-2)
INFO: Saturday, Nov. 7, 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT, Missoula, Mont. (Washington-Grizzly Stadium)
TV: ESPN+/Rose City SportsNet/Scripps TV
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING MONTANA:
·      The Montana Grizzlies moved up to 12th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and 13th in the AFCA Coaches Poll after their 42-33 road win at Eastern Washington last Saturday. The win came after a bye week for the Grizzlies following back-to-back losses to Northern Arizona, 49-44, on Oct. 10, and Idaho, 42-35, on Oct. 17. The Grizzlies' only other loss this season came against Oregon State, 52-17, on Sept. 19.
·      The Grizzlies represent one of the best offenses in the FCS this season. They head into Saturday averaging 471.7 yards of total offense per game, ranking them first in the Big Sky and fourth nationally in the FCS. They also rank second in the Big Sky and eighth nationally with 38.2 points per game.
·      The Montana offense is well balanced, featuring both a 1,000-yard rusher in Eli Gillman (1,161 yards) and a 1,000-yard receiver in Brooks Davis (1,145 yards).
·      Gillman – the 2025 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year – ranks second in the Big Sky and in the top 10 nationally for both rushing yards per carry (6.91) and per game (129.0). His 15 rushing touchdowns this season rank him first in the Big Sky and second nationally. He leads both the conference and FCS with 14.0 points per game. He has rushed for 100+ yards in five of the team's nine games with a season-high 275 yards against UC Davis on Sept. 26.
·      Davis, meanwhile, represents the top wide receiver in the FCS for receiving touchdowns (12), receiving yards per game (127.2) and receptions per game (8.11). Davis has 100+ receiving yards in seven of the Grizzlies' nine games, while he's gone over 200 yards twice, including last week when he had nine catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
·      Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat leads the Big Sky and ranks in the top five nationally in passing yards per game (289.7), passing touchdowns (26) and passing efficiency (168.8). He's passed for 300+ yards in each of the last four games.
·      Defensively, the Grizzlies rank fourth in the Big Sky and 89th in the FCS in total defense, allowing 411.2 yards per game. They rank second in the conference while giving up only 127.7 rushing yards per game. But opposing teams have been able to pass the ball against the Grizzlies. They're giving up 283.6 yards per game through the air, ranking them 12th in the Big Sky and 120th nationally.
·      The Grizzlies' loss to Idaho stands as their only home loss this season. Montana is 245-38 all-time at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
SERIES NOTES:
·      The Grizzlies lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings 36-13, as well as the Big Sky series, 22-4. Saturday's game will be the 50th meeting between Portland State and Montana, which is the most of any opponent.
·      The Vikings are 1-11 all-time in Missoula during their Big Sky era. They are 4-20 in Missoula across all eras of the program.
·      The Vikings' last win over Montana came in dramatic fashion in Missoula. Cody Williams hit a 52-yard field goal with four seconds left that delivered a 22-20 victory over a 14th-ranked Montana team.
·      The Vikings are 4-20 all-time against Montana when the Grizzlies are nationally ranked, as they are entering Saturday.
 
QUICK STORYLINES
•                              LAST WEEK RECAP: The Vikings were out-gained 469-to-294 in a 38-14 loss to Idaho last Saturday. The loss dropped the Vikings to 1-3 at home this season.
•                              LACK OF A RUN GAME: The Vikings rushed for 56 yards at Idaho State on Oct. 24, then just 13 yards this past Saturday against Idaho. What's been puzzling is that Idaho State and Idaho came into their respective games against the Vikings giving up over 200 yards per game on the ground, but the Vikings didn't get anywhere close to that against either of them. What's more, the Vikings had put together three straight strong running games before their recent swoon. They rushed for 248, 168 and 182 yards against Weber State, Utah Tech and Northern Arizona, respectively.
•                              THREE-HEADED QUARTERBACK: The Vikings played three different quarterbacks in their game against Idaho last Saturday. They collectively went 29-for-40 for 281 yards but only led the Vikings to two touchdown drives. Gabe Downing got the start and went 14-for-21 for 140 yards and a touchdown. Tyrese Smith went 9-for-11 for 65 yards, while John-Keawe Sagapolutele went 6-for-8 for 76 yards and a touchdown.  
•                              BEND DON'T BREAK DEFENSE: Six of the Vikings' nine opponents have recorded more than 450 yards of total offense The Vikings allowed 600+ yards of offense in three straight games against North Dakota (627), Oregon (740) and Weber State (703). That said, the Vikings beat Weber State despite giving up that many yards. The Vikings held Utah Tech to 330 yards on Oct. 10, which remains a seasonal best for the defense.
•                              WHAT THE VIKINGS NEED NOW IS LOVE, T-LOVE: Senior wide receiver Terence Loville (nicknamed T-Love) recorded his third 100-yard game of the season with 114 yards on nine catches against Idaho last Saturday. Loville caught two touchdown passes against the Vandals, recording the first multi-touchdown game of his career. Loville now ranks sixth in the Big Sky and 28th nationally in the FCS with 74.1 receiving yards per game.
•                              BACK-TO-BACK DUBS: The Vikings won their first game under head coach Chris Fisk with a 44-41, walk-off victory over Weber State on Sept. 26. After a bye week, they followed with a 30-14 win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. They were the Vikings' first back-to-back conference wins since 2022. The Vikings have lost to NAU (38-25) and Idaho State (38-8) since those two wins, however.
•                              FIRST HOME WIN SINCE 2024: The Vikings snapped a seven-game home losing streak with their win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. The Vikings were 0-5 at home last season and had dropped their opening two home games this season. Saturday's game against Idaho will be the Vikings' first home game since that win over Utah Tech.
•                              STARTING FAST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their nine games this season. In four of those games, they have built as much as a two-touchdown lead on their opponent. Those leads have come over UC Davis (21-0 at halftime), Weber State (28-7 in 2nd Quarter), Utah Tech (23-0 in 2nd Quarter) and Northern Arizona (14-0 in 2nd Quarter). The Vikings are averaging 6.9 points per game in the first quarter this season, which is a significant improvement over what they averaged last season (4.5 points per opening quarter).
•                              DUCSIK IS GOING QB HUNTING: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik recorded two sacks against Idaho State on Oct. 24, including one that resulted in the Vikings' first defensive safety in four years. Ducsik has six sacks, ranking him second in the Big Sky and 25th in the FCS. He's the top-ranked freshman in the country in the category. He needs three more sacks to enter the single-season top 10 at Portland State, something only VJ Malo (10.5 sacks in 2021) has done over the past 20 seasons.
•                              DRAMATIC FIRST WIN: The Vikings made their new head coach sweat out his first win as the Vikings beat Weber State on a 41-yard field goal from Joshua Hossmann Lees as time expired against Weber State. It was the program's first win on a last-second play since Oct. 15, 2005, when the Vikings beat a ninth-ranked Montana State team. The win over the Wildcats has looked better and better as the weeks have gone on, as the Wildcats have won four of their five games since then while rising to 18th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and 25th in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
•                              WHEN IN DOUBT, GIVE IT TO DELON: Junior running back Delon Thompson carried the Vikings to their first victory of the season when he rushed for a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry against Weber State. Thompson also played a big part in the Vikings' win over Utah Tech, gaining 78 yards on the ground and 45 through the air for 123 all-purpose yards. Thompson recorded another 100-yard rushing game with 127 yards on 19 carries against Northern Arizona, including a 63-yard long that stands as the Viking offense's longest play from scrimmage this season.
•                              BALL HAWKS ON DEFENSE: The Vikings have already surpassed their total takeaways from last season with 16 through their nine games. The Vikings rank fourth in the Big Sky and 14th in the FCS for turnovers gained this season. They rank fifth in the conference and 27th nationally in both fumbles recovered (7) and passes intercepted (9). The Vikings forced six turnovers in their win over Weber State – the most by PSU in a single game in 22 years.
•                              YOU JUST GOT JAX'D: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler has four total takeaways this season between three fumble recoveries and an interception. He leads the Big Sky and the FCS with three fumble recoveries.
•                              STARTING IN THE GAUNTLET: The Vikings opened the season with a four-game gauntlet that featured two FCS top 10 teams in UC Davis (Aug. 29) and North Dakota (Sept. 12), and two FBS opponents in San Diego State (Sept. 5) and Oregon (Sept. 18). The Vikings rank sixth in the FCS in terms of strength of schedule according to the Massey Ratings system.
•                              RANKED OPPONENTS: Three of the Vikings' FCS opponents have been ranked in the top 10 at the time of their game against the Vikings. UC Davis, North Dakota and Northern Arizona were ranked sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively, in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll at the time of their game. Additionally, Idaho State had been ranked before falling out of the poll the week before they played the Vikings. Weber State has also entered the rankings several weeks after playing for the Vikings.
•                              NEW JERSEYS: The Vikings will be wearing new uniforms this season designed in collaboration with Van Horne Brands. Founder Todd Van Horne has designed every Oregon Duck uniform since 1997 as well as the 1990s rebrand of the Denver Broncos. He also served as Creative Director for the new Hayward Field in Eugene and led the team for the 2015-20 Nike Campus Expansion which included the creation of the Seb Coe Building, Serena Williams Building, Lebron James Building and Coach K Fitness Center. Van Horne described his work for the Vikings as being "for Chris" in reference to Chris Crawford – the Vikings' quarterback for the 1987 and 1988 NCAA Division II championship games and a PSU Hall of Famer who passed away in 2019 from Leukemia. Van Horne worked with Crawford at Nike.
•                              NEW FACES ON DEFENSE: The Vikings returned only one starter on defense in senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler. Unsurprisingly, Helmstetler is the Vikings' top returning tackler from last season when he ranked third on the team with 71 total tackles. He also ranked second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss a year ago.
•                              OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: The Vikings named their five captains for the season on their second day of fall camp. Tanner Beaman and Terence Loville will captain the offense. Jaxton Helmstetler and Brogan De'Asis will captain the defense, while Brock Fleming will captain the special teams.
•                              MEN OF STEELE: Five Vikings made the Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky teams announced in early August. Cru Newman made the list three different times, earning second-team honors as a kick returner to go with third-team honors as a wideout and all-purpose player. Terence Loville joined Newman on the second team as a wideout, while Delon Thompson, Tanner Beaman and Brock Fleming earned third-team honors at running back, tight end and long snapper, respectively.
•                              THE ROSTER: Portland State returned 41 players from the 2025 roster, including 29 letterwinners… seven starters return on offense and one starter returns on defense… 12 redshirts return, including five with game experience… the new coaching staff has signed 67 newcomers, 34 freshmen and 33 transfers.
•                              STARTING OVER: Portland State will strive to be healthier than it was in 2025. The Vikings have eight returning players on the roster for 2026 who never had a chance to compete in 2025 due to preseason injuries. Included in that group were returning lettermen tight end Tanner Beaman, linebacker Davin Beason and defensive end Elijah Eason, all of whom were projected to start last season.