Vikings Travel To Meet BYU Of The Big 12

Football
8/25/2025 10:55:00 AM

by Mike Lund

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (0-1)

at #23 BYU COUGARS (0-0)

Saturday, August 30, 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT, Lavell Edwards Stadium (62,073), Provo, UT
Television: ESPN+ • Play-by-play: Mike Corey • Analyst: Brad Hopkins
Live Stats: www.ViksLive.livestats.us
 

COACHES

PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS: Bruce Barnum (Eastern Washington, 1987)
PSU Record: 38-65/11th year • Big Sky Record: 28-44 • vs. BYU: 0-1 • Career Record: 38-65/11th year
BYU COUGARS: Kilani Sitake (BYU, 2000)
BYU Record: 72-43/10th year • vs. Portland State: 1-0 • Career Record: 72-43/10th year
 

VIKINGS MAKE FIRST ROAD TRIP TO BYU

Last Saturday was a rough start for the Portland State Vikings and it doesn’t get any easier as they move on to face 23rd-ranked BYU of the Big 12 Conference this Saturday in Provo, UT. The Vikings and Cougars will kick off at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT in a game televised on ESPN+.
     
PSU took a home-opening loss to 10th-ranked Tarleton State, 42-0, in the earliest start in program history last Saturday. It was also the hottest home game in program history as the thermometer registered 97 degrees at kickoff and crossed 100 degrees late in the third quarter. The Vikings were out-gained 453-277 by the Texans, but a bigger factor for PSU was four turnovers.
     
A lot of young, inexperienced players saw significant action for the Vikings, including three new quarterbacks. PSU hopes the first-game jitters have been shaken away this week as they face a formidable FBS program.
     
BYU comes off an 11-2 season in 2024. The Cougars will also have a new signal caller, freshman Bear Bachmeier, as they will be playing in their first game of 2025. They can boast the return of their top rusher, receiver and tackler from last year’s campaign.
     
The two programs have met just once before, in the 2017 season opener at BYU. The Cougars won that game, 20-6.
     
Portland State may have made its earliest start ever on Aug. 23, but it will be a while before coming home again. The Vikings play at BYU, followed by North Dakota (Sept. 6) then Hawai’i (Sept. 13) – a total of 8,906 air miles – over the next three weeks. PSU then has a bye on Sept. 20 before returning home to face Northern Arizona on Sept. 27.
 

STORYLINES

• CAT HAS CLAWS: BYU was 11-2 in 2024, sharing first place in the Big 12 (7-2). The Cougars defeated Colorado in the Alamo Bowl… BYU was ranked 17th in the final 2024 FBS polls… they are currently 23rd in the AFCA Coaches Poll, and 26th in the AP Top 25… like the Vikings, BYU will start the season with a new quarterback, true freshman Bear Bachmeier.
• VIKINGS vs. FBS: This is the first of two FBS opponents for the Vikings in 2025. Portland State will also play at Hawai’i this year. PSU is 4-48 all-time when playing “up”against FBS programs… Wins have come over Hawai’i (2000), New Mexico (2006), Washington State (2015) and North Texas (2015).
• MONEY GAMES: This marks the 11th consecutive season that Portland State has played two FBS opponents. PSU has done so a total of 15 times, including three in 2006.

NUMBERS GAME

• QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL: The Vikings had three quarterbacks play in game one. SO Gabe Downing, RS FR Tyrese Smith and SO John-Keawe Sagapolutele combined to go 18-35 for 169 yards and three interceptions.
• LEADERS: SO RB Delon Thompson had 17 carries for 55 yards while FR QB Tyrese Smith ran 10 times for 50 yards… SR WR Branden Alvarez caught six passes for 72 yards.
• HOMECOMING: SO LB Lonnie Burt is from Portland and played football at Central Catholic High School. After one season at Coffeyville JC he transferred to PSU and in his first game – a start – he made 10 tackles, including one for a loss to lead the Vikings.
• FIVE WEEKS UNTIL HOME AGAIN: After the earliest start in program history last week, the Vikings are on the road for three straight games followed with a bye. Their next home game is Sept. 27 vs. Northern Arizona.
• BYE-BYE: Due to the Week 0 game with Tarleton State, Portland State will have two byes this season: Sept. 20 and Oct. 11.
• SOS: In 2024, Portland State had the most difficult strength of schedule of any FCS team in the nation according to the Massey Ratings. PSU played five nationally-ranked FCS teams and two nationally-ranked FBS teams. Four of the FCS teams were in the Top 10… this season’s schedule will rival last year’s in difficulty. PSU plays five teams in the FCS Preseason Top 25, including Tarleton State, and two FBS teams, including nationally-ranked BYU.

 

TEAM LEADERS

• PORTLAND STATE: Portland State totaled 277 yards and allowed 453 yards in the opener against Tarleton State…. PSU threw for 169 yards and rushed for 108 yards… the defense allowed 301 rushing yards… the Vikings had four turnovers and forced one turnover… SO QB Gabe Downing led three quarterbacks with 10-17 passing for 91 yards and two interceptions… SO RB Delon Thompson had 17 carries for 55 yards while FR QB Tyrese Smith had 10 carries for 50 yards… SR WR Branden Alvarez caught six passes for 72 yards… SO LB Lonnie Burt led the defense with 10 tackles and one tackle for loss. SO S Isaiah Green made seven tackles.
• BYU: BYU averaged 31.2 points and 392.3 yards per game on offense last season… on defense, the Cougars allowed 308.8 yards and 19.6 points per game…. the leading rusher from last season, LJ Martin, returns after gaining 718 yards and seven touchdowns… leading receiver Chase Roberts also returns after compiling 52 catches for 854 yards and four touchdowns… linebacker Isaiah Glasker leads a stout Cougars defense. He had 70 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and four pass breakups last season… the Cougars made 22 interceptions and forced 29 turnovers in 13 games last season… kicker Will Ferrin made 24 of 27 field goals for the Cougars in 2024.

 

OFFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State gained 277 yards in the opener, 108 on the ground and 169 through the air… the Vikings threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball away on a kickoff return… the Vikings crossed midfield five times, including two trips into the redzone, but were unable to score. They were 4-14 on third down, 0-1 on fourth down and missed two field goals.
• QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL: PSU had a new opening day starter at quarterback for the first time in four years and only the second time since the 2018 season… three different Viking quarterbacks saw at least a full quarter of action against Tarleton State. SO QB Gabe Downing started and completed 10-17 passes for 91 yards and two interceptions. FR QB Tyrese Smith was 2-4 for 24 yards and rushed 10 times for 50 yards. SR QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele was 6-14 for 57 yards and one interception.
• GET OFF DELON: As expected, SO RB Delon Thompson got the bulk of the rushing for the Vikings. He had 17 carries for 55 yards. He also caught two passes for 20 yards…. in his 14-game career, Thompson has 165 rushing plays for 770 yards and eight touchdowns… last season, Thompson posted a career-high 117 yards on 22 carries with one score at Montana (11/16).
• SENIOR LEADER: SR WR Branden Alvarez led the Vikings in all three receiving categories last season. He opened with a six-catch, 72-yard game against Tarleton State to lead the Vikings… in 11 career games, he has 42 receptions 552 yards and five touchdowns.
• SWISS ARMY KNIFE: FR QB Cru Newman may yet play at quarterback this season. In the meantime, he will do other things. Newman had four kick returns for 86 yards and three receptions for six yards in the opener against Tarleton State.

 

DEFENSIVE NOTES

• THE NUMBERS: Portland State allowed 453 total yards to Tarleton State, including 301 rushing yards… the Vikings forced and recovered one fumble, two missed field goals and one three-and-out.
• NEW MAN IN THE MIDDLE: SO LB Lonnie Burt is from Portland, but a transfer from Coffeyville JC this season… he earned the start against Tarleton State and went for a team-high 10 tackles, including one for a loss.
• GREEN DAY: SO S Isaiah Green is PSU’s top returning tackler with 50 as a redshirt freshman in 2024. He made seven more in the opener against Tarleton State.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLE: JR DE Spencer Elliott recorded the second forced fumble of his career in Tarleton State’s opening drive. SR DT J’Querian Ladson made his second career fumble recovery for the Vikings.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

• FOOTWORK: The normally reliable SR K Mathias Uribe (11-12 on field goals last season) missed two attempts against Tarleton State. His 54-yarder attempt in the first half hit the left upright and bounced away. His 37-yard attempt in the second half was wide left… Uribe’s .917 field goal percentage last season was a PSU record.
• PLACEMENT POLICY: JR P Tony Johnson has a modest average of just under 41 yards per punt in his career. But in 50 career punts, there have been only 22 returns for a mere 72 yards.
• YARD BOYS: RS FRs Cru Newman and Andre Miller are both from Portland and have their own yard care business in the summer to make a little extra cash. Now they are teaming up as kick return partners for the Vikings. In the opener, Newman had four returns for 86 yards while Miller had three for 58 yards. They also both play slot receiver for the Vikings.

 

NEW VIKINGS

 

DETAILS, TRIVIA, AND MORE

 

STRANGE BUT TRUE

• There were a number of milestones in the home opener against Tarleton State: 1) The temperature at kickoff was 96 and crossed 100 degrees by late in the third quarter, making it the hottest home game on record in Portland State history; 2) The August 23 date was the earliest start in school history; 3) It was Portland State’s first opener at home since the 2016 season; 4) The Vikings were playing 10th-ranked Tarleton State for the first time in school history; 5) The last time a Portland State team was shut out by an FCS program was a 14-0 loss at Montana State on Oct. 7, 2006.
• On the Vikings’ run of three straight road games, Aug. 30-Sept. 13, they cross one time zone and back, two time zones and back, then three time zones and back, playing at BYU, North Dakota and Hawai’i successively. It will be a total of 8,906 air miles (RTs of 1,332; 2,424; and 5,206).