Viks head to 'Mecca' to open Big Sky play
Portland State football pulls out all the stops to prepare for No. 2 Montana
Portland State has a lot riding on its Big Sky opener against Montana this weekend.
It’s probably too much to say the Viks playoff hopes hinge on Saturday’s game in Missoula, but the team has put a lot of emphasis on this week.
The Viks built their entire schedule around this game.
When it was scheduling its final nonconference home game this spring, PSU opted to forgo the traditional “bounce back game against a lower division opponent after two FBS contests” and kept Week 3 open to recover and prep for their toughest road test in conference this season.
Bruce Barnum and his staff also chose to use the team’s sole charter flight for this trip, nixing the usual two-day road trip and sightseeing tour to make sure his team was as ready and focused as possible.
And the Viks will need to be ready.
Montana is ranked No. 2 in the most recent FCS media poll and has looked the part this season.
The Griz defense has surrendered just two touchdowns in three games this season and scored one of its own. They’ve forced six turnovers and have a handful of players that could be considered for the Buck Buchanan Award later this year.
“Their defense is outstanding. It’s fun to prep for,” Barnum said.
Montana’s offense has also been impressive, albeit mostly against lesser opponents at home.
Quarterback Lucas Johnson has completed 67% of his passes with eight touchdowns and one interception and leads the Griz in rushing at just over 50 yards a game. He’s spread the ball pretty evenly to his receivers, with big-bodied target Mitch Roberts leading the charge.
The week off should help, the Viks were able to nurse a few nagging injuries and, for the most part, send a healthy team to Missoula.
“I think we’re a playoff team … We’re ready to go,” Barnum said. “We just happen to be starting with the No. 2 team in the country. You gotta love it, man.”
The FBS double to start the season has given the Viks a hit to their playoff resume, but does allow PSU to adjust to a faster game speed early in the season.
“I don’t care what happens in conference, the players are going to be slower than Washington. The game will slow down a little bit on (our) side of it. That’s the bonus of it. I’m not saying Montana is slow but I don’t think they’re as fast as the Huskies or the back end of San Jose State. But they make up for it in different ways that we have to make sure we adjust to.”
Portland State has won two of the four regular-season meetings with Montana since Barnum took over, including the only trip to Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The two losses both came by two scores.
“I tell my team you’re about to play in the Mecca of FCS venues,” Barnum said
The game will kick off at 1 p.m. Pacific and be broadcast on KRCW and ESPN+.
ACROSS THE BIG SKY
Big Sky opening week is entering with a roar.
A pair of marquee conference matchups start the slate with a winnable FBS game also on the docket. We also get a battle at the bottom of the standings, which typically makes for a great contest.
No. 15 Eastern Washington hosts No. 4 Montana State in the biggest game of the week, one of only two games in the country matching ranked teams.
The Eagles and Bobcats have each featured huge changes to their rosters from last season’s 23-20 slugfest that MSU edged in Cheney. A lot of questions should be answered in this performance.
No. 12 Weber State travels to UC Davis in the other gigantic game on the schedule, the Wildcats looking to continue their unstoppable tear through the early season. Dan Hawkins and the Aggies notched their first win of the season last week and look strong again.
No. 7 Sacramento State is on the road at Colorado State, ranked as the worst team in FBS this season, with hopes of picking up the Big Sky’s first win over the bowl subdivision this season. If the Hornets can pull it off, they’ll be in elite company at the school:
In other games, Idaho and Northern Arizona will test who is most likely to give the league’s top teams a push for the title this season. Idaho State and Northern Colorado play with one team getting a morale boost from the win.
Saturday, Sept. 24
Idaho State at Northern Colorado, Noon PT, ESPN+
Idaho at Northern Arizona, Noon, ESPN+
No. 4 Montana State at No. 15 Eastern Washington, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Portland State at No. 2 Montana, 1 p.m., KRCW/ESPN+
No. 7 Sacramento State at Colorado State, 1 p.m., themw.com/watch
No. 12 Weber State at UC Davis, 7 p.m., ESPN+
AROUND THE BLOCKS
Volleyball got a boost to close the nonconference season, throttling SeattleU 3-1 while winning the final two sets 25-14 and 25-16.
It was a much-needed reprieve from a pair of meltdowns earlier in the week, the Viks winning the first set against Utah State and crosstown rival Portland before dropping the next three to lose each match.
The bounce back comes at a great time, with two-time defending Big Sky champ Weber State up first on Thursday at the Pavilion. The Viks will head on the road for their next three games, starting Saturday at Eastern Washington.
Lots of news out of the men’s basketball team, which continues its roster jostling this offseason.
The Viks snatched up former Oregon State forward Isaiah Johnson from the transfer portal less than a week after the former CIF player of the year announced he would be leaving Corvallis.
Two new coaches have been added to the staff, both with ties to the program: Quinton Upshur has been elevated to assistant coach from his role as director of basketball operations; and Camden Parenti will rejoin the team as Director of Player Development and recruiting coordinator after spending five years as a team manager.
The team is on the coast in Newport this week, with hilariously mixed reviews about the fishing industry:
Women’s basketball is also on the coast, seemingly having fewer issues with motion sickness.
The football team also added to its coaching staff this week, hiring a recruiting specialist and personnel director.
Former football standout Kameron Canaday was back in front of an NFL team this week, trying out at long snapper for the NY Giants.
Former PSU standout Ime Udoka, now the head coach of the Boston Celtics, has gotten himself in hot water due to an inappropriate work relationship and will likely see a lengthy suspension. His job isn’t believed to be in danger.
Sad news regarding former Viking hoops star Phil Nelson, who died earlier this week while playing a pick-up game in California. He was 34.
Cross country is ranked in the top 11 of both the men’s and women’s West region polls and attends its biggest meet of the season, the Bill Dellinger in Springfield, which will host 15 ranked teams.
Soccer opens Big Sky play on the road at Northern Colorado, looking for its first win since Aug. 21. The Viks will host Montana on Sunday at Hillsboro Stadium.
Golf plays in Spokane early next week at EWU’s Eagle Invitational.
Former Viking golfer Krissy Carman has made the championship match of the US Mid-Amateur Championship, winning three matches in one day and beating the top-seeded golfer in match play, 3 and 2, in the semifinals. Carman has been on fire at the event, at one point leading for 62 straight holes. She’ll face last year’s runner up for the championship. The 18-hole final is scheduled for 6 a.m. PT on Thursday.
Thanks for reading Big Sky Valhalla. A lot to go over from a short week. Subscribe to the free newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inbox.