Vikings Look to Capitalize on Positives from Season Opener against San Diego State Saturday

KICKOFF
The Portland State football program was left feeling like it let one get away in the Vikings' season opener against sixth-ranked UC Davis last Saturday. Up 21-0 at halftime, the Vikings couldn't hold off the Aggies as they came back to beat the Vikings, 31-24.

They'll take those lessons into their next game at San Diego State this coming Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif. The game will be broadcast on the USA Network.

An upset of the sixth-ranked Aggies would have given the Vikings more visible proof of the progress being made under new head coach Chris Fisk. But the Vikings can take confidence in what they were able to do against an Aggie team coming off back-to-back FCS Quarterfinal appearances.

Defensively, the Vikings held the Aggies to just four first downs and 84 total yards in the first half. Offensively, they showed a big-play ability that they were lacking a season ago. The Vikings had three plays of 20+ yards on offense in the first half, as well as a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown from Cru Newman.

Sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith finished with over 300 yards of total offense. He went 23-for-36 for 268 yards through the air, while adding 33 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Newman, meanwhile, set career highs for all-purpose yards (177), receptions (7) and receiving yards (66). Sophomore wide receiver Devon Anderson led the Vikings with 99 receiving yards on six catches in what was his debut game as a Viking.

The Aztecs won't have a game under their belt like the Vikings heading into Saturday. This week marks the start of their season as they head into their first year in the newly reconstructed Pac-12 Conference.

The Aztecs are coming off a 9-4 record in 2025 when they were still in the Mountain West Conference. They played a ranked North Texas team in the New Mexico Bowl, losing in a shootout, 49-47.

Defense was a strength for the Aztecs last season. They ranked in the top 25 nationally in the FBS for third down defense (13th), defensive touchdowns (5th), first downs defense (10th), interceptions (14th), passing yards allowed (6th), red zone defense (3rd), scoring defense (6th) and passing efficiency defense (100.35). But the Aztecs returned just two starters off last year's defense.

The familiar faces for the Aztecs include five who made the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List. That included running back Luky Sutton, offensive linemen Joe Borjon, defensive linemen Gavriel Lightfoot, linebacker Tano Letuli and all-purpose wideout Jordan Napier.

Napier ranked second in the Mountain West and 25th nationally with 110.8 all-purpose yards per game last season. Sutton ranked fourth in the conference and 47th nationally with 100.0 all-purpose yards himself.

Sutton has been named to a series of preseason watch lists including the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award Watch Lists. The preseason honors have come after Sutton led the Mountain West Conference and ranked 13th nationally with 1,297 rushing yards last season. He also topped the conference with 99.8 rushing yards per game.

The Vikings were strong against the run last week. They held UC Davis to only 87 rushing yards, no small feat as the Aggies returned All-Big Sky honorable mention Jordan Fisher in the backfield.

That was one of the positives for the Vikings from this past Saturday, even without a win to show for it. They'll look for more positives this Saturday against the Aztecs.

GAME DETAILS
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-1) vs. SAN DIEGO STATE (0-0)
INFO: Saturday, Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m., San Diego, Calif. (Snapdragon Stadium)
TV: USA Network
LIVE STATS: GoViks.com/LiveStats
SCOUTING SAN DIEGO STATE:

The San Diego State Aztecs head into their first year in the newly reconstructed Pac-12 Conference. The conference conducted no formal preseason polls, but an informal media poll organized by The Denver Gazette picked the Aztecs to finish second behind Boise State. Athlon Sports and Lindy's Sports also picked the Aztecs to finish second in the new Pac-12.
The Aztecs are coming off a 2025 season in which they went 9-4 overall and 6-2 in Mountain West Conference play. They played a ranked North Texas team in the New Mexico Bowl at the end of last year, losing a shootout, 49-47.
The Aztecs enter their third year under head coach Sean Lewis. Lewis spent five years as head coach at Kent State, going 24-31. He spent a year as offensive coordinator at Colorado in 2023, working under head coach Deion Sanders, before taking the head job at San Diego State.
Defense was a strength for the Aztecs last season. They ranked in the top 25 nationally in the FBS for third down defense (13th), defensive touchdowns (5th), first downs defense (10th), interceptions (14th), passing yards allowed (6th), red zone defense (3rd), scoring defense (6th) and passing efficiency defense (100.35).
Five Aztecs were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List between running back Luky Sutton, offensive linemen Joe Borjon, defensive linemen Gavriel Lightfoot, linebacker Tano Letuli and all-purpose wideout Jordan Napier.
Napier ranked second in the Mountain West and 25th nationally with 110.8 all-purpose yards per game last season. Sutton ranked fourth in the conference and 47th nationally with 100.0 all-purpose yards himself.
Sutton led the Mountain West and ranked 13th nationally with 1,297 rushing yards last season. He also topped the conference with 99.8 rushing yards per game. He has been named to a series of preseason watch lists including the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award Watch Lists.
Letuli led three Aztecs on the Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List, with Malachi Finau and Sione Hala joining him.

SERIES NOTES:

The Vikings and Aztecs have only played once before back in 2007, a 52-17 Aztec victory in San Diego.

VIKINGS VS. FBS OPPONENTS:

The Vikings are 4-50 all-time against FBS opponents. Their last win came in 2015 when they beat North Texas, 66-7. The 59-point margin of victory is still the largest by an FCS team over an FBS opponent.
The Vikings' other FBS wins have come over Hawai'i (45-20, 2000), New Mexico (17-6, 2006) and Washington State (24-17, 2015).

LAST MEETING, Sept. 22, 2007, San Diego State 52, Portland State 17
                  San Diego, CA - Two fireworks shows took place at Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday night, one
during the football game, and one afterward.
                  San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell ignited the first fireworks show, tossing five touchdown passes and throwing for 443 yards to lead the Aztecs to a 52-17 win.
                  The Aztecs got off to a good start, scoring on their first two series of the game. O'Connell threw a pair of touchdown strikes to give San Diego State a 14-0 lead.
                  Viking quarterback Brian White responded by leading the Vikings on an 11-play, 85-yard drive. Fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin converted a big fourth-down play halfway through the series, then he scored from one yard out to pull PSU within 14-7.
                  The teams traded touchdowns again early in the second period. PSU's drive went 76 yards. The big play was a 30-yard toss from White to Kenneth Mackins, giving PSU a first and goal. Sobomehin scored again from a yard out.
                  The Aztecs answered on O'Connell's third TD pass to Swain - a 75-yarder - on the first play from scrimmage. That made it 28-14 and the Aztecs never looked back.
                  O'Connell rolled up 275 yards and four touchdown passes in the first half alone. White threw for 283 yards in the first half, but the Vikings managed only two scoring drives. PSU held the Aztecs to just three points in the third period but could gain no ground.
                  The Aztecs scored two late touchdowns, while the Vikings got a 47-yard field goal from Danny Urrego in the fourth period.
White had a big night for the Vikings, completing 36 of 53 for 408 yards, but was intercepted three times. Kenneth Mackins caught six passes for 137 yards. Reggie Joseph and Tremayne Kirkland each had seven receptions.
                  On defense, Jordan Senn made a career-high 17 tackles. However, the Vikings lost linebacker Andy Schantz to a knee injury late in the first period. His status is unknown.
                  PSU had 458 yards of total offense, but gave up 596 to the Aztecs.

QUICK STORYLINES

NEW ERA: Last Saturday's season opener marked the first game under new head coach Chris Fisk.
TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Vikings led sixth-ranked UC Davis 21-0 at halftime last Saturday. The Vikings were out-gaining the Aggies 257-to-84 by that point while dominating time of possession (20:15-to-9:45). But the Aggies outscored the Vikings 31-3 in the second half to complete the comeback.
RANKED OPPONENT: UC Davis was the first of four FCs teams ranked in both the AFCA Coaches Poll and Stats Perform FCS Top 25 that the Vikings will play this season. The Vikings will play Montana (3rd/3rd), UC Davis (6th/7th), North Dakota (9th/8th) and Northern Arizona (20th/22nd). Additionally, Idaho State is ranked 23rd in the Stats Perform Top 25 and receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Idaho is receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll, while Southern Utah is doing so in the Stats Perform Top 25.
FBS GAMES: In addition to their tough schedule against FCS opponents, the Vikings will play two quality FBS opponents in San Diego State (Sept. 5) and Oregon (Sept. 18). The Ducks enter their first game ranked second in the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Aztecs, meanwhile, are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.
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.

COACHES NOTES

NEW CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP: Chris Fisk was named the 15th Head Coach in Portland State Football history when his hiring was announced on Dec. 12, 2025. Fisk comes to Portland State following seven seasons as Head Coach at Central Washington University. While in Ellensburg, Fisk compiled a 48-22 record, including 38-7 in conference play. He won three conference titles (Great Northwest Athletic Conference and Lone Star Conference) and led four teams to the NCAA playoffs. Fisk was named GNAC Coach of the Year twice and selected as the NCAA II Region IV Coach of the Year in 2025 after leading the Wildcats to a 10-2 record, including 9-0 in Lone Star play… in all, Fisk spent 10 years at Central Washington. Prior to that he worked at Southern Oregon (2011-15) where he was Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. From 2002-10, Fisk coached at the University of Mary as Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. He is a 2001 graduate of Jamestown University.
FIRST MATES: Joining the Portland State Football staff are five coaches who worked for Fisk at Central Washington. They include: Grant Torgerson (Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers), Alex Kastens (Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line), Jared Gallatin (Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties), Patrick Belony (Defensive Line), and Brady Crane (Director of Player Personnel)… Matt Adkins (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks) joins the Vikings after working at Arizona. He coached with Fisk at Southern Oregon… Kiante Goudeau (Cornerbacks) comes to PSU from Montana State. He worked for Fisk in a similar role in 2023… Caleb Moore (Wide Receivers) worked previously at Arizona as an Offensive Assistant and in conjunction with Vikings OC Matt Adkins… Nick Kernaghan (Defensive Quality Control) comes to PSU after coaching linebackers for three seasons at Linfield… Dominick Mazotti (Tight Ends) worked last season as an Offensive Analyst at Mercyhurst. He played previously under Vikings Coach Alex Kastens at San Jose State… Chase Coalson (Defensive Quality Control) played under Fisk at Central Washington and finished his All-Conference career in 2025… CJ Jordan (Offensive Quality Control) spent the last two seasons on the Vikings team and is joined by Travis Fenton (Offensive Quality Control) on the offensive side.
OLD AND NEW: Portland State Football has added the role of General Manager in 2026. Taking charge is Rashad Floyd, a former Viking All-American and PSU Athletics Hall of Famer. Floyd, a private businessman and founder of Emmy-Award Winning Heart and Hustle Productions, will spearhead efforts in NIL development, branding, strategic planning for the football program and creating a long-term vision.
BABY BOOM: The Portland State has expanded over the past year. Not just with new coaches and players, but with seven new babies born to Portland State coaches since Jun 2025. Five of the seven babies were their family's first child, and three of those were born to coaches who followed Fisk from Central Washington. The full list of new babies is below:
Defensive Coordinator Grant Torgerson and wife Olivia had baby boy Cooper, their first child together.
Offensive Coordinator Matt Adkins and wife Krista had baby girl Lily, their third child together.
Special Teams Coordinator and Safeties Coach Jared Gallatin and wife Miranda had baby boy Colby, their first child together.
Cornerbacks Coach Kiante Goudeau and girlfriend Alexis Hernandez had baby boy Trey, their third child together.
Defensive Quality Control and Assistant Defensive Line Coach Nick Kernaghan and girlfriend Ashley Doldolea had baby boy Niko, their first child together.
Director of Player Personnel Brady Crane and wife Isabella had baby girl Franklin, their first child together.
Associate Director of Sports Medicine and Head Football Athletic Trainer Max Munson and wife Teresa Wong had baby boy Caleb, their first child together.

OFFENSE NOTES

300: Sophomore quarterback Tyrese Smith put up over 300 yards of total offense while starting for the Vikings against UC Davis Saturday. Smith went 23-for-36 for 268 yards through the air while adding 33 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground. It was Smith's first 300-yard game of total offense as a Viking.
EXPLOSIVE VIKS: The Vikings had three offensive plays of 20 or more yards against UC Davis. Cru Newman also took a punt 78 yards for a touchdown at the end of the first quarter. That was the longest punt return touchdown since 2005, when Brendan Ferrigno took one back 91 yards against Eastern Washington.
COUNT US AS MEMBERS OF THE CRU: Sophomore all-purpose wideout Cru Newman set career highs for all-purpose yards (177), receptions (7) and receiving yards (66) Saturday. The highlight of the bunch was his 78-yard punt return touchdown to end the first quarter. 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.
BIG PLAY DA: Sophomore wide receiver Devon Anderson caught six passes for 99 yards in his Viking debut last Saturday. His 38-yard reception in the first quarter helped set up the Vikings' first touchdown of the game.
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 senior returning starters senior James Minot (12 starts), sophomore Pule Leatigaga (11 starts), senior Semisi Latu (8 starts) and redshirt freshman Juan Pasillas-Stanton (4 starts).
A LYNCH-PIN: Senior wide receiver Jaylen Lynch is the active career leader for the Vikings in games played (37) and games started (17). Lynch ranks second among active players for the Vikings with 518 career receiving yards.
DEPEND ON DELON: An Iron Man for the Vikings in the backfield, Delon Thompson has 1,425 career yards and 15 career rushing touchdowns. Thompson posted the biggest game of his career in the Vikings' win over Cal Poly last season, totaling 184 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with 54 yards and a score through the air. He led the Vikings with 662 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season, when he ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky in total rushing yards (ninth) and rushing yards per game (eighth, 60.2).
BEAMAN IS BEEMING: 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. In terms of football, Beaman made his official return to the field last week with four catches for 39 yards against UC Davis. He missed last year with a broken foot that he suffered during the first week of fall camp after already being named a captain. Beaman had 21 receptions for 257 yards in his last fully healthy season as a redshirt sophomore in 2024.

DEFENSE NOTES

STOUT START FOR DEFENSE: The Vikings' 21-0 halftime lead against UC Davis was thanks to a standout defensive effort through the first 30 minutes of the game. The Vikings held the Aggies to just four first downs and 84 total yards in the first half.
RUSH DEFENSE: The Vikings allowed only 87 yards on the ground to a UC Davis team that returned All-Big Sky honorable mention running back Jordan Fisher. The Vikings now rank third in the Big Sky and 30th in the FCS for rushing defense.
LEADING TACKLERS: Sophomore safety Gio Kafentzis led the Vikings with eight tackles in Saturday's game against UC Davis. Junior safety Isaac Redford followed with seven tackles while junior linebacker Logan Lisherness added six. All three are newcomers to the Vikings this season.
BIG MAN INTERCEPTION: Junior defensive tackle Eddie Vega collected a tipped ball from Brogan De'Asis 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.