Monday, September 11, 2006

Portland State University: Vikings Face Huge Challenge Against Cal Bears

(Here is the link).

 

#13 (1-AA) PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (2-0)

vs.

#21 (1-A) CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (1-1)

Saturday, Sept. 16 • 3:15 p.m., California Memorial Stadium (67,537)

 

THE SERIES RECORD

All-Time: 1st meeting

 

STORYLINE

Portland State will face the second of three 1-A opponents in 2006 when it travels to California. It will be the first time that the Vikings have played Cal but the fifth game against a Pac-10 school in PSU history... the Vikings have played Oregon and Oregon State twice each in the past. PSU faces the Ducks later in 2006... PSU is now 2-20 all- time against 1-A programs, 2-10 since joining the Big Sky Conference in 1996, and 2-11 all-time under Tim Walsh... PSU’s 1-A wins include a 17-6 win at New Mexico on Sept. 2, and at Hawai’i in the 2000 season opener, 45-20... Portland State University President Daniel Bernstine is a graduate of Cal... Golden Bears wide receivers coach Dan Ferrigno is the father of Viking wide receiver Brendan Ferrigno.

 

VIKINGS HEAD TO BAY AREA FOR HUGE CHALLENGE AGAINST 21st-RANKED CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

The Portland State football team comes off two impressive performances in the opening weeks of the 2006 season, but the Vikings will face their biggest challenge yet this Saturday in Berkeley, California. Thirteenth-ranked PSU plays for the first time against the 21st-ranked California Golden Bears of the Pac-10 Conference. Kickoff is 3:15 p.m. at Memorial Stadium as the Vikings play the second of three 1-A opponents on the road this year.

Now 2-0 following a 45-3 drubbing of Big Sky Conference foe Northern Colorado last Saturday, the Vikings rose to eight spots in the NCAA 1-AA poll to 13th. The Vikings defeated New Mexico of the Mountain West Conference, 17-6, in Albuquerque on Sept. 2. That marked just the second all-tme win over a 1-A team in PSU history in 22 tries. PSU has never beaten a Pac-10 school (0-4).  Dating to the final game of 2005, the Vikings have won three straight games.

California is 1-1 on the season after a 42-17 win over Minnesota. The Golden Bears lost their opener at Tennessee, 35-18.

 

THE RANKINGS AND STANDINGS

Portland State was ranked 13th in this week’s Sports Network media poll - its highest ranking since late in the 2002 season. The Vikings received three first-place votes. PSU was ranked 15th in the College Sporting News Coaches Poll.

The Vikings are ranked 75th among all Division I teams in the Sagarin ratings, and second among 1-AA teams, behind only Montana State. PSU is rated ahead of 46 1-A programs. The Vikings were selected to place fourth in the Big Sky Conference preseason polls. The California Golden Bears are a consensus number 21 at the 1-A level this week. Cal is ranked 21st in the AP Poll, the USA Today Poll, and the Sagarin Ratings. The Golden Bears were selected to place second in the Pac-10’s preseason poll.

 

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS

Portland State’s matchup with Cal figures to be as a tough a game as the Vikings could hope for in a non- conference contest, as the Vikings play a nationally- ranked Pac-10 team on the road. Cal is led by Head Coach Jeff Tedford, who is in his fifth season with the Golden Bears. Tedford has a 34-18 career record.  The Vikings will need to handle a number of offensive weapons, not the least of which is Heisman Trophy candidate Marshawn Lynch. The junior running back has 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season.   Quarterback Nate Longshore comes off the best game of his career, completing 22 of 31 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns against Minnesota. His main target was DeShawn Jackson, who had seven catches for 114 yards and three TDs. Lavelle Hawkins caught nine passes for 125 yards. Hawkins has 12 receptions and Jackson has 11 receptions through two games this year.  Cal is averaging 433.5 yards per game on offense this year, but allowing 433.0 yards on defense. The Golden Bears are 6-6 in the red zone, including five touchdowns.  Cornerback Daymeion Hughes had two interceptions last Saturday and has 11 tackles on the season. Free safety Thomas DeCoud leds Cal with 19 tackles on the year. Middle linebacker Desmond Bishop has 17 tackles through two games.

 

ON THIS WEEK’S GAME WITH CALIFORNIA COACH WALSH SAYS:

“The first thing that I think of with Cal is their balance on offense. Size, strength and speed is the next thing to come to mind. On defense, all these guys are candidates for awards, and they all look pretty legitimate.”  “I think Cal is everything it has been hyped to be in the preseason. We are not playing New Mexico - no offense to them - we are playing a real top 15 team. The defense definitely looked it in the win over Minnesota.”

 

ROAD NOISE

The Vikings may compete in front of the most fans in Portland State history this Saturday when they travel to Cal. The Golden Bears had 55,035 fans for last week’s game with Minnesota, marking the 12th straight time they have had more than 50,000 fans. The 67,537-seat stadium is the largest venue in which the PSU program has competed.  This week’s game will mark the 10th time in school history that Portland State has played in front of more than 30,000 on the road, and the fifth time in front of more than 40,000. The previous nine crowds of 30,000+ were all at 1-A schools and all of the games have occured since 1994.  Last season, the Vikings played in front of 42,263 at Oregon State and 30,603 at Boise State. On Sept. 2, 27,535 attended the game at the University of New Mexico.  PSU’s largest road attendance ever was a crowd of 56,066 at Oregon in 2002.

 

PLAYER NEWS

After two games, Portland State leads the Big Sky Conference in rushing defense (69.5), pass efficiency defense (87.97), total defense (262.5) and scoring defense (4.5)... the Vikings also lead in turnover margin (+2.0 per game), scoring offense (31.0) and fewest sacks allowed (0).

Portland State has led the Big Sky Conference in fewest sacks allowed for the past three seasons. over the past 2+ seasons (24 games), the Vikings have allowed just 20 sacks, including none this season.

SR LB Adam Hayward had 14 more tackles in the win over Northern Colorado to post a new career high. Through two games, Hayward has 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. Hayward, who was a backup defense end last season but the National Defensive Player of the Week following a week one win over New Mexico this year, leads the Big Sky in all three statistical categories. He also ranks third in the nation in sacks, ninth in tackles and sixth in tackles for loss.

JR LB Jordan Senn will never be questioned for his toughness. The Beaverton High School graduate was questionable for the Northern Colorado game after suffering ligament damage in his right hand at New Mexico. But Senn did play after having the Portland State medical staff wrap his hand, wrist and lower arm in a soft cast. Did the cast hinder his performance? Hardly. In fact, Senn intercepted a pass on the first possession of the game, setting up the Vikings for a go-ahead score. Senn finished the game with seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a pass breakup.

SR WR Brendan Ferrigno has gotten off to the best start of his career after two games. Ferrigno posted a career-best 125 receiving yards and a touchdown in the win over Northern Colorado. Ferrigno leads the Vikings with nine catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns this year. He ranks 13th in the nation in receiving yards per game (101.5)... Ferrigno also stands as Portland State’s all-time punt returner, holding records for career yards (784), season yards (311) and long return (91 for TD)... this week, Ferrigno will play against his father, Dan, for the first time. The elder Ferrigno is the wide receivers coach for California

 

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