KICKOFF
The Portland State football team will honor its seniors under the lights Friday night against Southern Utah. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., while the Senior Night ceremony will start sometime before the hour.
 
Those seniors can leave a legacy for the classes that come after them with the final two games of the regular season. While they've already given the Vikings' coaching staff something to build on, upping their win total from a season ago, a 3-6 or 4-5 finish in Big Sky play moves the program another step or two higher up the ladder.
 
Southern Utah will be looking to do the same thing Friday, of course, as they wrap up their first season back in the Big Sky Conference since 2021. Both teams will have similar goals. They'll want to win the line of scrimmage while also winning the turnover battle. Two fundamental things needed to win most football games.
 
For the Vikings, they got better on the ground last week. After two straight games rushing for fewer than 60 yards, they rushed for 152 against Montana Saturday. Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele added over 200 yards passing while the Vikings won the time of possession battle 34:30-to-25:30.
 
The Viking offense also didn't give up a turnover for the second straight game as well as the third time out of their last four games. Among all the improvements in this first season under head coach Chris Fisk, that may be the most remarkable. A season after the Vikings turned the ball over 28 teams, the Vikings have given it up only 14 times this season. And only six of those turnovers have come in Big Sky play.
 
Turnovers have helped spark the Thunderbirds' ball control offense. They come into Friday's game ranked second in the Big Sky and seventh nationally with 19 turnovers forced this season. That's helped them control time of possession in most games. They lead the Big Sky and rank third nationally with an average time of possession of 33:25 this season.
 
A league-best rushing offense has also helped in that regard. The Thunderbirds average 247.0 yards per game on the ground, ranking them first in the Big Sky and third nationally. They nearly have two 1,000-yard rushers between running back Floyd Chalk and quarterback Will Burns. Chalk ranks second in the Big Sky and fifth nationally with 1,289 rushing yards this season. Burns isn't far behind, though, with 948 net rushing yards, ranking him fourth in the Big Sky and 16th nationally. Burns would be over 1,000 yards rushing already if not for 129 yards lost from sacks and other carries.
 
The Viking defense will need to be stronger against the run than they were Saturday at Montana. The Grizzlies rushed for 363 yards against the Vikings, which was a season high for a Viking opponent. They averaged more than 10.7 yards per play, including six plays of 30+ yards.
 
The Vikings had been better against the run before last week. They had averaged 156.3 rushing yards allowed per game over their previous four games. That streak started with a seasonal-best defensive performance against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. The Vikings only allowed 102 yards on the ground as part of 330 total yards for the Trailblazers, which was a season low for a Viking opponent.
 
The Vikings won that game at home, 30-14, for their first home victory since 2024. Win another home game Friday, and the Vikings will have their most home wins in a season in three years.
 
That's another step up the ladder that this senior class can deliver even as they wrap up their careers at Portland State. And the classes four or five years down the line will thank them for it.
 
GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-8, 2-5) vs. SOUTHERN UTAH (4-6, 3-4)
INFO: Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m. PT, Hillsboro, Ore. (Hillsboro Stadium)
TV: ESPN+/Rose City SportsNet
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UTAH:

• The Southern Utah Thunderbirds enter Friday's game against the Vikings having won three of their last five games with their only two losses both coming by a single score. The Thunderbirds opened the stretch with a 46-33 victory over Utah Tech on Oct. 3, then upset a then-14th-ranked UC Davis team 38-17 at home on Oct. 17. They followed with close losses on the road against Idaho, 31-28 on Oct. 24, and at home against then-No. 7 Northern Arizona, 34-27 on Oct. 31. They returned to the win column last week with a 31-24 home victory over Northern Colorado.
• The Thunderbirds also have a win over Weber State this season, as they beat the Wildcats 47-42 at home on Sept. 5. That game didn't count as a Big Sky Conference game, however, since it had already been scheduled before the Thunderbirds rejoined the Big Sky Conference this summer.
• The Thunderbirds have been better at home than on the road this season. They're 3-2 at home but just 1-4 on the road. Their one road victory came at Utah Tech.
• Statistically, the Thunderbirds represent one of the best rushing offenses at the FCS level. They average 247.0 yards per game, ranking them first in the Big Sky and third nationally. They nearly have two 1,000-yard rushers between running back Floyd Chalk and quarterback Will Burns. Chalk ranks second in the Big Sky and fifth nationally with 1,289 rushing yards this season. Burns isn't far behind, though, with 948 net rushing yards, ranking him fourth in the Big Sky and 16th nationally.
• The Thunderbirds' rushing game has allowed them to control the ball this season. They lead the Big Sky and rank third nationally in time of possession (33:25). They also take care of the ball well to that end, as they rank third in the Big Sky and 23rd nationally in turnover margin (+0.60). They've forced 19 turnovers from their opponents, ranking them second in the Big Sky and seventh nationally, while only giving up 13 turnovers themselves.
• Defensively, opposing teams have been able to move the ball on the Thunderbirds. They rank 11th in the Big Sky while giving up 460.7 total yards per game. They rank 10th in both rush defense (200.2 rushing yards allowed per game) and pass defense (260.5 passing yards allowed per game).
• The Thunderbirds are the most penalized team in the Big Sky. They average 6.8 penalties per game, which has cost them an average of 62.4 yards per game.

SERIES NOTES:

• The Vikings and Thunderbirds haven't played since Southern Utah left the Big Sky Conference. Now that they're back in the league, the teams will play each other for the first time since 2021. The Vikings won that last meeting, 20-13, in Cedar City, Utah.
• The Vikings lead the all-time series between the teams, 11-4, while the Big Sky series is tied at 3-3.
• The Vikings are 7-1 all-time at home against Southern Utah. They've only played the Thunderbirds at Hillsboro Stadium once before, however. That was in 2019, when the Vikings won 52-31.
• Southern Utah's last win over the Vikings came in 2016 when they beat Portland State in Cedar City, 45-31.

 
QUICK STORYLINES

• LAST WEEK RECAP: The Vikings fell to No. 12/13 Montana 57-24 on the road last Saturday. The loss was the fourth in a row for the Vikings, after they had won back-to-back games against Weber State (44-41 on Sept. 26) and Utah Tech (30-14 on Oct. 10).
• THERE'S THE RUN GAME WE KNOW AND LOVE: A positive for the Vikings despite the loss to Montana last week was how they were able to move the ball. After back-to-back games rushing for fewer than 60 yards, the Vikings went for 152 on the ground against the Grizzlies. Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele added over 200 yards passing while the Vikings won the time of possession battle 34:30-to-25:30.
• TOO MANY BIG PLAYS FOR THE GRIZ: Montana scored at will against the Vikings last Saturday, scoring touchdowns on eight of their 10 drives, with one of the two stops coming as the Grizzlies ran out the clock at the end of the game. Montana averaged 10.7 yards per play on offense while finishing with 644 total yards between 281 through the air and 363 on the ground.
• JKS AT QB1: Junior John-Keawe Sagapolutele earned his second start of the season Saturday at Montana. He went 21-for-37 for 205 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown pass came on a double move by Tanner Beaman that got the Vikings back within two scores at 22-10 in the second quarter. Sagapolutele's other start this season came in the Vikings' win over Weber State when he went 9-for-24 for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception.  
• DEFENSE WITHIN CONFERENCE: While the Viking defense wasn't able to contain Montana, the squad's numbers are more favorable within Big Sky play. They rank third in the conference with a +0.86 turnover margin within conference play. They're also third in fumbles recovered and fourth in interceptions against Big Sky opponents. They rank fifth in red zone defense, allowing conference opponent to score on 81.5 percent of their trips to the area. The Vikings have also better rush defense numbers within conference play versus overall. They rank ninth in the Big Sky while allowing conference opponents 184.3 yards per game.
• WHAT THE VIKINGS NEED NOW IS LOVE, T-LOVE: Senior wide receiver Terence Loville (nicknamed T-Love) has recorded back-to-back 100-yard game the last two weeks, giving him four total this season. Loville caught nine passes for 114 yards and a career-best two scores against Idaho on Oct. 31. He followed with 10 catches for 109 yards last week at Montana. Loville now ranks fifth in the Big Sky and 14th in the FCS with 776 total receiving yards this season. He also ranks sixth in the conference and 26th nationally with 5.5 receptions 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. A second home win Friday night would give the Vikings their best home record in three seasons, when they went 3-2 at home in 2023.
• STARTING FAST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their 10 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 6.5 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 fourth in the Big Sky and 33rd in the FCS. He's the second-ranked freshman in the country in the category, behind conference rival Devin Murphy at Northern Arizona. Ducsik 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 surpassed their total takeaways from last season just eight games into their 2026 schedule. They now have 16 total takeaways, ranking them fifth in the Big Sky and 34th in the FCS for turnovers gained this season. They rank fifth in the conference in fumbles recovered (7), while they rank sixth in 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 second 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.

 
OFFENSE NOTES

• DEEP QUARTERBACK ROOM: Three different quarterbacks have started for the Vikings this season between Tyrese Smith (four starts), Gabe Downing (four starts) and John-Keawe Sagapolutele (two starts). Out of those three, Downing leads the team in passing yards (927) and touchdowns (5). Smith leads the team in passer rating (118.6) and completion percentage (59.8), while Sagapolutele leads the team in TD-INT ratio (3 to 1).
• RUN, RUN, RUN: It's a simple adage about football, but teams that run the ball well put themselves in position to win. That's been true for the Vikings. They're 2-3 this season when rushing for at least 100 yards versus 0-5 when they fail to hit 100 yards rushing. The Vikings rushed for a season-high 248 yards in their 44-41 win over Weber State on Sept. 26. They also rushed for 168 yards in a 30-14 win over Utah Tech on Oct. 10. The Vikings ran the ball effectively against Northern Arizona on Oct. 17, too – 182 yards on 37 carries – but lost 38-25 to the Lumberjacks. Saturday, they broke out of a slump on the ground to rush for 152 yards on 35 combined carries against Montana.
• EXPLOSIVE VIKS: The Vikings had five or more plays of 20+ yards in their two wins over Weber State and Utah Tech. Meanwhile, they've had three or less in their eight losses. Terence Loville leads the team with 10 explosion plays. Delon Thompson has nine plays of 20 or more yards this season, while Tanner Beaman has seven.
• PROTECTING THE BALL: The Vikings haven't recorded a turnover in three of their last four games, including both of their last two. Their 14 total turnovers – only six of which have come in Big Sky play – mark a significant improvement from last season when the Vikings had 28 total turnovers.
• SCORING FIRST: The Vikings have scored first in five of their 10 games this season. They're 2-3 in those five games. They beat Weber State and Utah Tech but lost after taking early leads against UC Davis, San Diego State and Northern Arizona.
• SPILL THE T AND SPREAD THE LOVE: Senior wide receiver Terence Loville, nicknamed T-Love, has already recorded the most receiving yards (776) by a Viking in five years. Loville is second only to Beau Kelly, who had 981 yards in 2026. If he can reel in 224 more yards over the Vikings' final two games, he'll become the first Viking to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Kasey Closs had 1,167 yards in 2013. Loville has four 100-yard receiving games this season, including two straight entering Friday's game against Southern Utah.
• DELON IN 2K: Delon Thompson hit the 2,000-yard milestone in his Portland State career against Idaho State on Oct. 24. He moved up to 10th all-time in career rushing with 55 yards at Montana last Saturday. He can continue to move up the career rankings. He needs 70 yards to rank ninth all-time…90 yards for eighth…145 yards for seventh…164 yards for sixth.
• DELON IN THE BIG SKY RANKINGS: Delon Thompson ranks sixth in the Big Sky and 39th nationally in the FCS with 73.7 rushing yards per game. He also ranks 11th in the Big Sky with 91.3 all-purpose yards per game. He ranks ninth in the conference with 4.69 rushing yards per carry.
• BEAMAN IS BEAMING: Junior tight end Tanner Beaman proposed to girlfriend Tori Forst – herself a member of the Portland State track & field team – a week before fall camp. Beaman proposed to Forst on the same beach that Forst's parents got engaged in Longboat Key, Florida. The happy home life has translated to the football field where Beaman is making his return from injury this season. He's been a big-play receiver this season, with seven of his 38 receptions going for 20+ yards. He set a career high with 70 receiving yards on five receptions at Idaho State on Oct. 24. He also set a career high for catches with eight for 55 yards and a touchdown against North Dakota on Sept. 12. He ranks 19th in the Big Sky for receptions (3.60) and 25th in receiving yards (43.1) per game.
• NEED TO FINISH: The Vikings have scored on 25 of their 30 red zone trips this season. That's a comparable percentage (83.3%) to their opponents (84.0%, 42-for-50), but opponents are doing a better job at finishing drives in the end zone. The Vikings have scored touchdowns on 19 of their 30 trips (63.3%) versus 39 of 50 trips (78.0%) for Portland State opponents.
• WE ROW WITH CRU: Sophomore all-purpose wideout Cru Newman set career highs for all-purpose yards (177), receptions (7) and receiving yards (66) in the Vikings' season opener against UC Davis. His best game since that season opener came in the Vikings' win over Weber State on Sept. 26, when he totaled 46 yards rushing on five carries, to go with 25 yards in kickoff return. Newman totaled over 1,000 all-purpose yards last year as a freshman when he received freshman All-American honors from FCS Football Central and Stats Perform.
• RABY, RABY, RABY, OH: Junior running back Niall Raby scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, finding the end zone against Utah Tech and Northern Arizona on Oc. 10 and 17, respectively. Raby added a third touchdown to his season total last Saturday, when he rushed for 49 yards on 12 carries against the Grizzlies.
• MERRY CHRISTMAS, YA OL' BUILDING AND LOAN: Junior transfer wide receiver Darius Bailey was a 1,000-yard receiver for NCAA Division III Puget Sound last season. He caught 64 passes for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Loggers. He caught his first touchdown pass for the Vikings against North Dakota, reeling in a 39-yard bomb from Gabe Downing. He has seven receptions for 97 yards so far this season.
• BIG PLAY DA: Sophomore wide receiver Devon Anderson caught six passes for 99 yards in his Viking debut against UC Davis. His 38-yard reception in the first quarter helped set up the Vikings' first touchdown of the game. He started against San Diego State but was injured early in the game and has not played since.
• A LYNCH-PIN: Senior wide receiver Jaylen Lynch is the active career leader for the Vikings in games played (45). Lynch ranks fourth among active players for the Vikings with 518 career receiving yards.
• EXPERIENCE IS A PLUS: On offense, the Vikings have experience. In fact, all three quarterbacks who saw significant action, the top running back, two of the top three receivers and top tight end return. In addition, three starters on the offensive line and one part-time starter are back… Junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele (148-261-16-1,623-4TD), sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith (40-69-4-551-2TD, 98-405-6 rushing) and junior quarterback Gabe Downing (15-26-2-140-0) are experienced signal callers… Junior running back Delon Thompson (191-662-7 rushing, 22-217-1 receiving) led the Vikings in rushing and has over 1,300 career yards on the ground… Senior wide receiver Terence Loville (33-517-1) was given an NCAA waiver for an additional year of eligibility after leading the Vikings in receiving yards last year… Sophomore wide receiver and kick returner Cru Newman (29-302-0, 12-70-1 rushing, 669 return yards) proved to be the Vikings top all-purpose player, earning Freshman All-American and Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors… Junior tight end Tanner Beaman was a 2024 second team All-Big Sky Conference selection and preseason All-Big Sky choice in 2025. Unfortunately, a foot injury ended his season before it started. He will be back to full health in 2026… the offensive line returns starters senior James Minot (12 starts), sophomore Pule Leatigaga (11 starts), senior Semisi Latu (8 starts) and redshirt freshman Juan Pasillas-Stanton (4 starts).

 
DEFENSE NOTES

• BALL HAWKS: The Vikings did something they hadn't done in 22 years by forcing six turnovers against Weber State on Sept. 26. That set the tone for the season as the Vikings have forced at least one turnover in all but two games this year (at Oregon, Sept. 18; at Montana, Nov. 7). The Vikings now rank fifth in the Big Sky and 34th in the FCS in turnovers gained with 16 this season. They rank fifth in the conference in fumbles recovered (7) and sixth in passes intercepted (9).
• PROGRESS IN TURNOVER MARGIN: The Vikings have won the turnover battle in four games this season while they finished tied in four more. They still rank sixth in the Big Sky with a +0.20 turnover margin this season. That's a significant improvement over last season when the Vikings averaged minus-1.25 turnovers per game.
• TOTAL YARDS: The Vikings held Utah Tech to a season-low 330 yards of offense on Oct. 10. But that was the exception to the rule this season. The Vikings have allowed 450+ yards of offense in seven of their 10 games. They rank 13th in the Big Sky with 526.4 yards allowed per game.
• RUSH DEFENSE: Six of the Vikings' 10 opponents have rushed for more than 200 yards against them this season. The Vikings' best two games defensively came against UC Davis and Utah Tech when they held them to 87 and 102 yards, respectively.
• LEADING TACKLERS: Jaxton Helmstetler and Isaac Redford rank 1-2 on the team in total tackles with 86 and 77, respectively. Helmstetler set a season high for a Portland State player with 14 tackles against Idaho State on Oct. 24.
• BACK-TO-BACK PICKS: Freshman cornerback Marcellous Ryan picked off passes in back-to-back games against Idaho State on Oct. 24 and Idaho on Oct. 31. Ryan has a team-high three interceptions this season, tying him for second in the Big Sky this season. Among freshman in the FCS, Ryan ranks tied for third behind Parker Vance of Southern Utah (six interceptions) and Amari Sifford of NC Central (4).
• DUCSIK IS A DUDE: Freshman defensive end Avery Ducsik started his first game of the season against Idaho State on Oct. 24. He earned the spot with what's been a standout freshman season. His six sacks rank him second among all freshmen in the FCS while he ranks fourth overall in the Big Sky and 33rd nationally. He also ranks tied for fifth in the conference with 0.20 forced fumbles per game, as well as 12th in tackles for loss per game (0.70).  
• VARIED DEFENSE: Five different players led the Vikings in tackles through their first five games of the season. Isaac Redford was the first repeat leader after he recorded a career-high 13 tackles against Weber State then followed up with 11 against Utah Tech. He led the Vikings again with nine tackles against Idaho on Oct. 31. He and Jaxton Helmstetler (11 tackles at Oregon, 14 at Idaho State, 13 tackles at Montana) are the only two Vikings to have led the team in three different games. Otherwise, Gio Kafentzis (8 tackles vs. UC Davis, 12 at NAU) has led the team twice, while Logan Lisherness (9 tackles vs. San Diego State) and Lono Solomon (10 tackles vs. North Dakota) have each led the team once.
• HELMSTETLER AT THE HELM: Senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler led the Vikings with 14 tackles at Idaho State on Oct. 24, the most by a Viking in any game this season. He nearly matched that with 13 tackles last Saturday at Montana. Helmstetler now ranks third in the Big Sky and 16th in the FCS with 5.00 solo tackles per game. He also ranks fifth in the conference with 8.6 total tackles per game. He ranks third on the team with 6.0 tackles for loss this season, five of which have come over the last five weeks.
• WE LIKE IKE: Junior safety Isaac Redford – nicknamed Ike – picked off passes in back-to-back games against San Diego State and North Dakota. He nearly had a third in a row against Oregon but dropped a ball that would have been a pick in the second quarter. Redford now ranks among the leaders in the Big Sky Conference for both interceptions and tackles. Redford ranks sixth in the conference and 26th nationally with 4.60 solo tackles per game. He also ranks ninth in the conference with 7.7 total tackles per game. Redford ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 0.20 interceptions per game.
• A WOLFE IN THE BACKFIELD: Junior safety Terahiti Wolfe flipped the script late in the win over Weber State, intercepting a ball on the PSU 23-yard line in the final minute and taking it back 32 yards to set up the Vikings' game-winning field goal. It was his second interception of the game. He ranks tied for sixth in the Big Sky with 0.25 interceptions per game this season.
• SONG OF SOLOMON: Freshman safety Lono Solomon has three tackles for loss over the last two weeks, giving him the team lead with 7.5 total tackles for loss this season. He has recorded a tackle for loss in six of the nine games he's played this season, including 1.5 tackles for loss against North Dakota on Sept. 12. Solomon ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 0.83 tackles for loss per game. He also ranks 11th in the conference with 4.00 solo tackles per game.
• THE SWEETNESS OF LISHERNESS: Junior linebacker Logan Lisherness has been steady throughout the season, recording at least five tackles in nine of the team's 10 games. He also ranks fourth on the team with 5.0 tackles for loss. He has 3.5 tackles for loss over the last four weeks, including a season-high 1.5 against Idaho on Oct. 31. Lisherness ranks 13th in the Big Sky in solo tackles (3.8) and 17th in total tackles (6.6) per game.
• COSMA IS COOKING: Junior defensive end Kekama Cosma has his own cooking Instagram (@kamas_mayjah_grindz) that focuses on Hawaiian food. It's appropriate because he was a safety for Lewis & Clark at the start of his football career, but bulked up and is now playing defensive end for the Vikings.
• BIG MAN INTERCEPTION: Junior defensive tackle Eddie Vega collected a tipped ball from Brogan De'Asis against UC Davis for the first interception of his career. The interception came along with three tackles for Vega in the game.
• NEW LOOK DEFENSE: On defense, the Vikings lost a number of players to graduation and the transfer portal, particularly on the line. Including redshirts, 20 players return on that side of the football… leading the way is veteran senior linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler (71 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, fumble recovery for touchdown), a starter in all 12 games… the Vikings return eight defensive backs… three of the eight returning defensive linemen were redshirts in 2025… two of the six returning linebackers were also redshirts.
• CENTRAL MEN: The Vikings added two transfers from Fisk's former team at Central Washington that figure to make an impact on defense. Junior linebacker Logan Lisherness and senior defensive end Brogan De'Asis both followed Fisk to Portland State. Lisherness was a second-team All-Lone Star Conference selection last season when he ranked third on the team with 49 total tackles. Lisherness also ranked tied for second on the team with 9.0 tackles for loss. De'Asis, meanwhile, played in all 12 games last season, totaling 19 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
• SAFETY MEASURES: The back of the Vikings' secondary will be a sea of new faces as the Vikings added transfers Terahiti Wolfe (Montana), Isaac Redford (Eastern Washington), Gio Kafentzis (Utah State) and Nash Burkart (Sacramento State). Redford had two interceptions for the Eagles last season. Kafentzis recorded a pick for the Aggies against Washington State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
• D3 TO D1 ON D: The Vikings added three additions on defense from NCAA Division III schools in the Portland area. Two came from Lewis & Clark in Solomon McDaniel and Kekama Cosma, while a third came from Pacific (Ore.) in Quincy Springs.

 
SPECIAL TEAMS/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

• A MAN WITH THREE NAMES GETTING US THREE POINTS: Junior kicker Joshua Hossmann delivered the Vikings their dramatic victory over Weber State with a 41-yard field goal as time expired. It came as part of a 3-for-3 day for Hossmann Lees that also included a career-long 42-yarder earlier in the game. He matched that career high with a 42-yarder against Northern Arizona on Oct. 17. After two weeks without a field goa, he went 1-for-1 against Montana, converting a 25-yarder in the first quarter. He heads into this week ranked third in the Big Sky in field goal percentage (0.818) and eighth in makes per game (0.90).
• ZUI CAN ZIP: Freshman Zui Shelton took a kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Vikings' win over Weber State on Sept. 26. It was the first kickoff return touchdown by a Viking in three years since Christian Grubb took one back 99 yards for a score against Cal Poly on Sept. 23, 2023. He followed up with his first offensive touchdown of the year against Utah Tech on Oct. 10, reeling in a 39-yard pass from Tyrese Smith for the Vikings' first score of the game. Shelton added his first rushing touchdown this past Saturday, going in from 16 yards out on an end-around run. Shelton now ranks second in the Big Sky and 15th nationally with 503 combined kick return yards. He ranks third in the conference and 21st nationally with 24.0 kick return yards per game.
• THE BALLAD OF JONAH HENRY: Senior linebacker Jonah Henry recorded the first blocked kick of the season for the Vikings against Utah Tech on Oct. 10. Henry blocked a punt on the first play of the second quarter, setting the Vikings up for their second score of the game. Henry also recovered a fumble on a muffed punt against San Diego State on Sept. 5.
• EMILIANO IS EAGER TO PROVE HIMSELF: The most resilient kid on the team through the first quarter of the season may have been freshman punter Emiliano Rodriguez. He shook off two sour games to start the year – fumbling a snap on a punt against UC Davis that led to a safety, then having two punts blocked against San Diego State – to record a strong game against North Dakota on Sept. 12. Rodriguez had five punts go for an average of 49.0 yards against UND, two of which were downed inside the five. He had a punt downed at the one-yard line against Idaho State on Oct. 24, which set up the Vikings' first defensive safety in four years. Rodriguez now ranks second in the Big Sky and ninth in the FCS while averaging 44.7 yards per punt.
• ONE MAN WRECKING CRU: Sophomore all-purpose wideout Cru Newman took a punt return 78 yards for a touchdown in the Vikings' season opener against UC Davis. Newman ranks second in the Big Sky and seventh in the FCS with one punt return touchdown this season. He also ranks 14th in the Big Sky with 184 combined kick return yards this season.
• NOT SO MANY PENALTIES: One of head coach Chris Fisk's goals this season was for the Vikings to limit their penalties. The Vikings had been better in that regard through their first five games but had a tough stretch in the middle of the season. They rank eighth in the Big Sky with 5.40 penalties per game while they're seventh in the conference for fewest penalty yards per game (44.5).
• NOT SO NICE: The Vikings' two blocked punts at San Diego State mean they rank eighth in the Big Sky for blocked kicks allowed.
• TIME OF POSSESSION: The Vikings have won the time of possession battle in six of their 10 games. That said, it's been a poor indicator of success as the Vikings are 1-5 when winning time of possession and 1-3 when losing it. The Vikings rank sixth in the Big Sky with an average time of possession of 29:59.