VIKING BLOG - notes, scoop, trivia and more
send comments to
pdx04156@pdx.edu
I HAD A DREAM, I HAD AN AWESOME DREAM*...
September 1, 2011
by Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director
I had a dream last night… I bring it up, because dreams for me this time of year are rare. Why? Because, like everyone else in the Portland State Athletics program, I am working long hours in preparation for another football season.
That means when my head hits the pillow every night, a sound, dreamless sleep is sure to follow. But not last night.
Last night, I had a dream… I had an awesome dream. In it, Cory McCaffrey had another healthy, 1,000-yard rushing season for the Portland State Football team. This time, his touchdown total jumped up. From 10 last year, to 18 this year. Also healthy - finally - was his backup Willie Griffin, who was able to give McCaffrey a few more plays off than last year and enhance the Big Sky's top rushing game in 2010.
In this dream, I saw Connor Kavanaugh running around the JELD-WEN Field turf, exciting his hometown fans and creating the plays that make him such a unique player. But I also saw a tall, quiet man with a strong arm - "as strong as any I have seen," says offensive coordinator Bruce Barnum. That man is Drew Hubel. I saw Drew have some opportunities to play as well. And I saw some of his long, arcing passes settle neatly into the hands of some other tall, talented players downfield - Justin Monahan, Roston Tatum, and tight ends like Gage Loftin.
I saw young players - freshman sensations Shaquille Richard and Alex Toureen show the flashes and elusiveness for which they were recruited.
I dreamed about the Oregon boys up front again this year, Ritt, Kleffner, and Waldron leading a deep, talented offensive line as it blew open holes for a Pistol offense that has proven to be exciting, effective and fun to watch.
I saw new defensive tackle Myles Wade who, when asked by the media about returning to his hometown of Portland for his final year of eligibility, stressed the most important thing, "every player wants to play football in front of 80,000 people. But if the only people in the stadium on Saturday were my father and my sister, that would be fine with me."
In my dream, Myles, his father and sister, were rewarded for the experience of being together on Saturday.
I dreamed of completely healthy seasons for defensive end Carl Sommer and defensive tackle Julious Moore who have shown they can disrupt an offense with their hard-charging attack. Others, like Forbes, Tobias, Long, and Vaiese all got in on an increasing sack total.
Nigel Burton's preseason practice claims of vastly improved depth were a part of this dream as well. It was so vivid, it looked real. The linebacking crew took advantage of the opportunities created by the bigger, deeper, more impressive defensive line. Veterans Ryan Rau, Joel Sisler, and Shane Melbo and impressive newcomers Khalil Bass, Ian Sluss and Dionte Brooks had the Vikings six-deep at the position and wreaking havoc on opposing running backs.
I saw three-and-out.
Like most people, I am often flying in my dreams. In this one, I was floating over the JELD-WEN turf. Alongside me was an impressive looking young man wearing jersey number 24. It was DeShawn Shead, the Vikings' only fourth-year starter and an NFL prospect, roaming the defensive backfield, "flying around and making plays" as the vernacular goes.
In the dream, Shead caught at least seven passes in the games I could see... pretty good for a safety. Among those catches, uh… interceptions, were three that ended up in the opposing teams' endzone. More vernacular? Pick six.
I saw Zach Brown blasting game-winning field goals from long distances….
I dreamed about speed, power, big plays, bone-crunching hits, Victor Viking dancing around the sideline.
I also saw an exciting new venue. An intimate, new stadium that made the college football experience much more watchable for Viking fans. Those fans arrived prepped and ready to go after tailgating along 20th Avenue and all the surrounding watering holes. They enjoyed the view, the food, the Jumbotron highlights, the live DJ, and just how close they were to the players and the plays….
I saw fans, more and more, coming back to see the excitement, the wins. College Football Saturday was a new, invigorating experience in downtown Portland. The students made noise, the crowds grew… it was all in my dream.
I won't say this dream ended with an 11-0 outcome to the season; despite the dream, my mind is still based in reality (hey, I've got kids and a mortgage). But I saw excitement, lots of it. I saw victories… in fact a winning season materialized in this dream. I saw happy plane rides home after the most satisfying experience in college athletics… winning on the road.
I even saw… what was it?… toward the end it got a little foggy… was it an upset? Who? Where? I'm not sure. But I saw a mountain, with a big script "M" on it…. could it be? BZZZZZ…. the alarm went off.
Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?
* apologies to Lionel Ritchie
WHEN 10 EQUALS 12 AND 12 EQUALS 10
August 23, 2011
by Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director
Conference realignment has had a huge impact on college athletics in the last 18 months. And I expect the next 18 months to bring more change. But doesn't it seem just plain odd that the Big 12 Conference now has 10 teams, and the Big 10 Conference now has 12 teams?
A couple of things to look out for in the coming week…
Portland State women's soccer opens its home schedule on Friday against UNLV at Hillsboro Stadium, then hosts Idaho on Sunday. Both matches start at 1 p.m.
Hillsboro is a great venue for soccer now - you can get a good view of the action and enjoy our August sun - and later - when the rain comes later in the season, you can sit comfortably dry under the stadium roof.
Expect Viking soccer to challenge again for the Big Sky title the team won in 2009. PSU was 5-2 in conference last season, placing second. Despite a couple of opening non-conference losses on the road, Head Coach Laura Schott told me this year's team "is in a real good place." She likes the camaraderie and team unity this year better than any previous season. If the Vikings can remain healthy when Big Sky play comes a month from now, Scott will have a lot more to look forward to.
The Viking volleyball team opens this weekend at the UTEP Volleyball Invitational. Head Coach Michael Seemann has led his program to either the Big Sky Conference regular season title or post-season tournament title (or both) in each of the last four years, as well as two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
PSU hosts its season opener against Seattle on Aug. 31 at the Stott Center. Match time is 7 p.m. The Vikings will also host the Big Sky Conference tournament (again) at the end of the season (Nov. 25-26) by virtue of their 2010 Big Sky title.
Football is now in its third week of practice and the anticipation continues to grow for the Vikings' first appearance in the newly-remodeled JELD-WEN Field. You won't want to miss the look and the feel of the stadium as PSU takes on Southern Oregon on Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. The college football experience will be much more intimate than seasons past with the stands closer to and completely surrounding the field.
Viking football fans also must be looking forward to the new Viking Tailgate area just across 20th avenue from the stadium. Last season at Hillsboro Stadium, Viking tailgaters created a great parking lot atmosphere prior to the game.
Reporter Rachel Bachman recently wrote in the Oregonian about one of the great needs of the Viking football game day experience finally being met.
Details on the NEW Viking Tailgate: The Viking Tailgate Parking Lot is nearly sold old for the season. If you want to be involved act quickly. The Viking Tailgate Parking can be purchased for the season in advance for $250.00 and if the area is not sold out, guests will be able to purchase game day spots for $50.00. A tailgate space includes one space for a vehicle and one space for tailgating. Food and drink will be permitted in the tailgating lot. To reserve a tailgating space, please contact Beth Connell at 503-725-5627.
As in years past, the Coors Light Viking Tailgate area, located on SW Morrison Street outside of the Kingston Bar and Grill, is free for all guests.
QUICK NOTES: MORE JT AND A NEW VIKING
August 11, 2011
by Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director
Former Viking basketball/football star Julius Thomas continues to impress as a new member of the Denver Broncos. Here are a couple of articles.
Denver Post
Washington Post
A piece of good news out of the basketball program today as Head Men's Basketball Coach Tyler Geving and his wife, Anastasia, have welcomed another baby boy into the family. Demetri joins nearly two-year old brother, Thomas. Everyone is doing well.
Speaking of Coach Geving, he was recently interviewed regarding APR rules and from it came an interesting article on cbssports.com. Geving has taken care of PSU's APR challenges in his two seasons as Head Coach, producing perfect scores each year after the program failed to meet APR standard from 2005-09.
In 2011-12, PSU returns to a full-scholarship, post-season eligible program.
Here is the article.
THE RUDER REALITY: MORE ON VIKING FOOTBALL
August 8, 2011
by Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director
Portland State is fortunate once again this year to have Ian Ruder covering Viking football for the Oregonian. And while this may sound a little like I'm sucking up, I tell people that Ian is about as intelligent and observant a sports writer as I have ever come across. If you have ever met him, you will know what I mean.
Ian's stories on the Vikings have appeared the past two days in the Oregonian,
including a front page article today.
As a writer, Ian is at the mercy of his editors. Therefore, he always has lots of information that never sees the light of day (at least in the O). This year, Ian intends to post addition notes and commentary on the Vikings on his own website, called The Ruder Reality. Check it out for more details on the Vikings. And, while you are there you will find more interesting articles on other topics that Ian covers.
Here are today's extra notes at The Ruder Reality.
STILL COACHING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
August 1, 2011
by Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director
Legendary Viking Coach Mouse Davis got on a plane for Hawai'i today. It wasn't for vacation though. It was a business trip.
Yup, just one month short of his 79th birthday, Mouse Davis is going back to work. In fact, it will be his second season back at Hawai'i after taking a year off from coaching following two seasons as offensive coordinator for Jerry Glanville at Portland State. Amazingly, Mouse' coaching career dates back to 1955.
Currently, Davis is assisting good friend Greg McMackin - and to great success - as the Warriors (10-4/7-1) shared the WAC title with Boise State in 2010. While Davis coaches slot receivers at Hawai'i, he is really more of consultant for the offense, which operates under the Run-and-Shoot scheme that Mouse made famous at Portland State from 1975-80 (42-24 career at PSU). Last season, Hawai'i averaged just over 500 yards of offense per game, and nearly 400 yards passing per game.
I was fortunate enough (along with Viking radio man Tom Hewitt and PSU development officer Denny Ferguson) to play a round of golf and have lunch with Mouse on July 20. For the record, Mouse can still strike it well. But it is even better to hear him tell stories over a sandwich and cold beverages….
Speaking of former head coaches, Tim Walsh begins his second season at Cal Poly after spending two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Army. Walsh's team went 7-4 in 2010 and appeared to come up just one game short of reaching the NCAA I FCS playoffs. The Broncos certainly had the resume for it. Walsh's team knocked off then-number one ranked Montana, 35-33, in the second week of the season, and also won at 19th-ranked McNeese State, 40-14, in week four.
Viking fans will soon see Tim Walsh (90-68 career at PSU) again as Cal Poly joins the Big Sky Conference for football in 2012. The Vikings will play at CP on Oct. 20, 2012. Walsh will return to the place he coached for 14 seasons when Cal Poly comes to Portland State for the 2013 season opener.
And for those who may not know, or perhaps remember, another former Viking coach - this one a Viking assistant - is a head coach in the Mountain West Conference. That would be Chris Peterson of Boise State. He was Tim Walsh's quarterbacks coach at Portland State in 1993-94.
And speaking of former coaches, you may have heard that one-time Viking basketball head coach Heath Schroyer was fired from his heading coaching position last season at Wyoming (by former PSU AD Tom Burman no less - who had hired him as a head coach twice). Schroyer is now an assistant coach at UNLV.
Other former Viking basketball head coaches serving as assistants include Ritchie McKay (1996-98), who is now at Virginia as Associate Head Coach; and Joel Sobotka (1998-2002) is an assistant at the University of Portland.
YOU HAVE GOT TO HYDRATE AND MOISTURIZE…
… at least that is what my wife tells me, and she is a skin care professional.
I plan on doing a lot of hydrating on the days leading up to Sept. 24 as the Vikings will take on Rose Bowl Champion TCU in Fort Worth, TX. Why? Because TCU has just announced they are changing the game time from an evening game (6 p.m.) to an afternoon game (1 p.m.).
And while it says the AVERAGE temperature in Fort Worth in September is "only" 90, I am counting on it be every bit of that and more (much like the 100+ degree day last year when the Vikings played their season-opener at Arizona State).
No doubt the Viking team will be doing a lot of hydrating on the days leading up to that game as well. As of this time, there is no television scheduled for Sept. 24. You can hear the action (like every Viking game) on Freedom 970 AM beginning at 11 a.m. Portland time. It is also available on the internet at www.970.am. Play-by-play man Tom Hewitt and yours truly will be on the call.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
Now that the NFL is back on the field, I am happy to report all four Vikings in "The League" have re-signed with their respective teams.
Fourth-round draft pick Julius Thomas has signed with the Denver Broncos and is in camp.
There is an extensive bio on the Denver website about JT.
Also, Adam Hayward (Tampa Bay, 5th year) and Jordan Senn (Carolina, 4th year) have resigned with their respective teams. Reggie Jones, who played with the Vikings in 2008, is on the Washington Redskins roster. Jones was a member of the New Orleans Saints (although on injured reserve with an Achilles problem all year) when the Saints won the Super Bowl.
July 2011 Viking Blog
June 2011 Viking Blog
