Beaver State News

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-2) at #2 MONTANA GRIZZLIES (3-0)

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT, Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,203), Missoula, MT

TELEVISION: KRCW (Portland), Scripps TV (Montana) • Play By Play: Jay Kohn • Analyst: Marty Mornhingweg

LIVE STREAMING: ESPN+

LIVE STATS: www.ViksLive.com

Complete notes and stats in pdf

ONCE AGAIN MONTANA IS ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST, AND WILL BE A BIG TEST FOR THE VIKINGS

Portland State's Big Sky Conference schedule opens this Saturday with what will potentially be its most challenging opponent in league play. The Vikings travel to meet second-ranked Montana in a 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT game that will be televised on KRCW in Portland as well as ESPN+.

     

The formidable Grizzlies are the third of what is likely the three toughest opponents on PSU's 2022 schedule. The Vikings opened with games at FBS San Jose State (L, 21-17) and Washington (L, 52-6) earlier in the month. Montana likely poses as big a test as those two teams considering the Griz have outscored their first three opponents by an average of 40-7 in winning all three games. At 3-0 Montana is ranked second in the nation (AFCA poll) and currently receiving five first-place votes behind North Dakota State (21).

     

The Vikings hope to benefit from a week off after facing two FBS opponents. PSU looked very good in a narrow season-opening loss at San Jose State. The Spartans scored with just over a minute to play to pull out the victory. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Vikings out-gained the Spartans, 395-288, played tremendous defense that included seven sacks, got 353 yards of total offense from new starting quarterback Dante Chachere, and had the lead for much of the fourth quarter.

     

PSU was out-matched at Washington as the Huskies rolled to a big win. Washington shut down PSU's offense and now with a win over nationally-ranked Michigan State, the Huskies are ranked 18th in the AP Top 25.

     

Portland State will again face a daunting defense when it plays Montana. The Griz have allowed only three touchdowns, an average of 219.0 yards per game, forced six turnovers and made 13 sacks of their opponents this season. Montana has wins over Northwestern State (47-0), South Dakota (24-7) and Indiana State (49-14).

     

The Griz have dominated the Big Sky Conference series with the Vikings over the years, winning 18 of 22 meetings with PSU (though the matchup on April 17, 2021 was not an official conference game). Bruce Barnum has led the Vikings to two wins in five games as PSU Head Coach against Montana. He also authored PSU's only Big Sky win at Montana (22-20 in 2018).

     

Coach Bobby Hauck is in his 11th year at Montana and has won 111 games. He is 8-2 all-time against the Vikings.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: SO QB Dante Chachere who has completed 30-54 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Chachere is also the rushing leader with 21 carries for 88 yards (115 positive yards)... SO RB Jalynnee McGee has rushed 16 times for 78 yards... All-Big Sky Conference SR WR Beau Kelly leads the team with 11 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown... All-American SR CB Anthony Adams leads the Vikings with 15 tackles and has two pass breakups... SO ROV Tyreese Shakir has 12 tackles, two sacks and an interception.
• MONTANA: Quarterback Lucas Johnson is 56-83 passing for 638 yards and eight touchdowns. Johnson also has 25 rushes for 152 yards and three touchdowns... three other backs have combined for just over 300 rushing yards... Mitch Roberts is the top receiver for the Griz with 13 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns... safety Robby Hauck has 31 tackles and three tackles for loss... linebacker Patrick O'Connell has 26 tackles, seven tackles for loss and five sacks.

 

WORTH NOTING

Portland State is 21-49 all-time against nationally-ranked FCS teams since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996. PSU is 13-24 at home, 8-34 on the road... the highest-ranked team PSU has ever beaten was Montana (ranked second) in 1999, 51-48 in overtime at then-Civic Stadium in Portland. The Vikings beat Montana when it was ranked fourth in 2004 (35-33), also in Portland... PSU has only played the number-one ranked team in the nation once in its history and that was... wait for it... Montana. The Griz were number one in 2002 when the teams met in Portland. Montana won that game, 24-21, over 13th-ranked Portland State.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• Portland State is averaging 263.0 yards per game through the first two contests. After gaining 395 yards of total offense against San Jose State, 270 through the air and 125 on the ground, the Vikings were held to 131 total yards at Washington.
• SO QB Dante Chachere (SASH-er-ay) made his first career start at San Jose State. He completed 24-37 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions... Chachere had 353 yards of total offense as he was the Vikings leading rusher with 14 carries for 83 yards. However, he managed only 50 yards passing (6-17) and seven yards rushing against the Huskies.
• SR WR Beau Kelly caught nine passes for 133 yards and a touchdown at San Jose State, but only two at Washington for 17 yards… he leads the Vikings with 11 receptions for 150 yards this season... last season Kelly led the Big Sky Conference during the regular season in receptions (69), total yards (981) and touchdowns (10).
• SR RB Jalynnee McGee had a team-high 58 yards on 12 carries at Washington. Through two games he has 16 carries for 78 yards. Chachere has a team-high 88 yards on 21 carries (115 positive yards).
• SO WR Nate Bennett, one of PSU's top receivers last season, has eight catches for 101 yards through two games.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• Portland State's defense had one of its best performances ever against an FBS-level program at San Jose State. The Vikings allowed only 288 yards in the game, making seven sacks. The most sacks PSU had in a game last season was five, and the seven sacks were the second-most in the nation by an FCS team in week one... the Viking D held SJSU to 66 yards in the second half helping the offense turn a 14-7 deficit into a 17-14 lead... PSU held four of 11 opponents under 300 yards in 2021.
• Unfortunately, the tables were turned at Washington. The Huskies racked up 617 yards of total offense and 52 points. PSU is now allowing 36.5 points and 452.5 yards per game through two contests.
• SR CB Anthony Adams has a team-high 15 tackles through two games. At SJSU he had a team-high 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. It was the third double-digit tackle game of his career... Adams now has 33 career pass breakups, tying former Viking Rashad Floyd (1997-2000) for the PSU career record... Adams has started 37 consecutive games in his career. He and SR DE Jake Porter have each played in 37 career games, most on the Viking roster. Porter has started 23.
• SO ROV Tyreese Shakir made seven tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks - all career-best numbers for him – at San Jose State. Shakir had an interception at Washington – the third of his career in 13 games. He also has two career fumble recoveries.
• Seven different Vikings have sacks (8 total) and 11 have tackles for loss through two games (14 total).

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• SR P George Triplett, a transfer from Princeton, has punted for an average of 45.9 yards with a long of 57. He ranks seventh in the nation.
• SO K Gianni Smith is 3-3 on field goals this season with a long of 40 yards. Smith is now 8-11 on field goals in his career and 31-31 on extra points.
• SO LS Ryan Alvidrez started the 13th consecutive game of his career. He has a per-fect long snapping record as a Viking.

 

LET'S OPEN UP THE RECORD BOOK

      Three Vikings are having an impact on the Portland State career record book already this season. A more complete look at record book updates can be found after the season stats in these game notes.

• SR CB All-American Anthony Adams is now tied for first all-time in pass breakups (33 in 37 games) with former Viking All-American Rashad Floyd (1997-2000, 45 games). Adams is two interceptions shy of making the top 10 for picks (9).
• SR WR Beau Kelly now ranks tied for 10th all-time in receptions (126), he is 183 yards shy of the top 10 in receiving yards (1,784), two touchdowns short of the top 10 for receiving touchdowns (14), and ranks 10th all-time in punt return yards (235).
• SR DE VJ Malo now ranks 10th all-time in career sacks with 11.5 in 13 career games.

Original source can be found here.