Vikings' kicker Zach Brown was chosen today as the Big Sky Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's game against Southern Oregon.
Straight from the press release:
Brown, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman from Keizer, Ore., booted field goals of 52 and 46 yards in Portland State’s 34-10 victory over Southern Oregon. Brown’s 52-yard field goal came in the second quarter and put the Vikings up 17-3. It was the longest field goal by a Portland State kicker in 22 years and was 3-yards shy of tying the school record. Brown added the 46-yarder in the fourth quarter. Brown was also 4-for-4 on extra points and finished the game with 10 points. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Brown.
Jon Kasper
Assistant Commisioner/Media Relations
Big Sky Conference
Also nominated for this week's honors were junior quarterback Drew Hubel and sophomore linebacker Ryan Rau.
Viks pull off overwhelming win over Southern Oregon by Allison Whited
Vanguard Staff PGE Park on a warm Saturday afternoon in September was meant to be home to a football game. Head coach Jerry Glanville seemed to think the same thing as he led his team to a 34-10 victory over the Southern Oregon University Raiders.
Though it seems to be a strong win and therefore a good indicator of the team's ability, Glanville had no problem finding fault with his team, and justifiably so.
First, there were the six turnovers. Quarterback Drew Hubel threw two interceptions in the third quarter and wide receiver Aaron Woods had three fumbles on punt and kick returns.
Next was the lack of a score coming from the red zone. Last year, the team ranked last in the Big Sky Conference in red-zone offense.
Penalties? Nine flags for 85 yards, including a boneheaded roughing the kicker penalty on a punt that returned possession to Raiders.
Lastly, according to Glanville, the freshmen played like freshmen. Evidence of this came on the Raiders' only touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter, outside linebacker Joel Sisler blew his coverage and allowed a 75-yard pass to speedy receiver Vance Beach.
Despite the obvious negatives, plenty of positives came out of this game.
The first, as Glanville agrees, is the performance of kicker Zach Brown. Last year he traveled listed as an emergency punter, but after this game, it seems like kicking is his niche. He hit field goals from 52 and 46 yards today that would have been good from several more yards out. He also barely missed a 42 yarder.
“We found our kicker today,” Glanville said.
Second would have to be the overall performance of the defense. They stifled the opposing offense and allowed them to complete just 16 of 41 attempted passes. Seniors Erik Pedersen and Jermaine Jacobs had six and five tackles, respectively, assisted and unassisted, while fellow senior Ryan Pedersen racked up five solo tackles, including two tackles for a loss.
The defense also kept a Raiders rushing attack that garnered 242 yards in their season opener to a miserable 12 yards despite 34 hand offs.
When asked about how he felt the defense performed, Erik Pedersen replied that “[they] did pretty good” considering they had to play through 75 offensive snaps. The defense also allowed the Raiders to only convert on six of their 22 attempts at third down.
Another bright spot in the Vikings' game plan was the ability to convert third downs. Though last year they ranked last in the conference with just a 33 percent success rate, in this game they converted on six of 11 attempts for a healthy 54 percent rate.
Last but not least was the explosive play of the defense. On the first possession of the first quarter, Hubel threw a 96 yard touchdown pass to Woods. On the very next one, he threw a 91 yard touchdown pass over the middle to receiver Lavonte Kirven, who showcased soft, beautiful hands throughout the game.
Next week will be a true test of Glanville's Vikings. They will compete against Montana in Missoula in their first conference game.
Glanville says he will inform the squad on Monday that preseason is officially over and that the one-and-one record they have amassed so far doesn't mean anything.
Erik Pedersen, for one, is happy to be getting such a big game out of the way so early in the season.
Montana is "a team that gains momentum as the season goes along. We're still healthy and have a lot of guys ready to hit,” he said.
Montana is the team to beat in the Big Sky, considering they have won or shared the last 11 conference titles. In last year's match up between the two teams, the Grizzlies controlled the ball for a little over 43 minutes. For the Vikings to have any chance at winning, they will have to keep their defense off the field and have a solid day against the run, preventing another 300-plus yard rushing day for the annual conference favorite.
Senior Lavonte Kirven caught three passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's game against Southern Oregon, including this 42-yard touchdown reception.
Fans and families alike are invited to PGE Park on Saturday as Portland State football kicks off their 2009 home season against Southern Oregon.
Coming off last week's hard-fought loss to Oregon State on the road, the Vikings look to earn their first win of the season on their home turf as they face the NAIA-independent Raiders from Ashland. The last time the two teams met was in 1975, when Portland State was led by coach Mouse Davis to a 58-7 victory.
The game is scheduled for a 1:05 p.m. kickoff and will feature family-friendly activities and discounted ticket packages. As a part of Family Day at Portland State Football, two adult and two youth general admission tickets will be available for $25 and the Viking Family Fun Zone, featuring three inflatables from Portland Party Works, will be available for kids from noon through halftime.
To purchase tickets by phone, call 1.888.VIK.TIKS (1.888.845.8457) or 503.725.3307.
The Portland State Athletics program and the Bald Faced Truth Foundation have announced a partnership that will allow PSU to aid the all-volunteer non-profit in support of area youth programs and activities.
The non-profit, created by local newspaper columnist John Canzano and KATU reporter-anchor Anna Song, has the stated mission of "inspiring joy and growth in area youth through the support of the arts, education and athletics." Portland State Athletics will work in conjunction with the Bald Faced Truth Foundation to restore funding to these critical youth activities throughout the Portland Metro Area.
The partnership begins with Portland State football hosting the Bald Faced Truth Foundation Day on Oct. 17 at PGE Park when the Vikings play Northern Arizona. Guests can make a donation to the BFT Foundation and receive a complimentary general admission ticket (min. $10 donation per ticket). Proceeds raised from the BFT Foundation Day will be used to fund grant requests for elementary and middle school programs in the area.
"This is a great opportunity for our program to be involved with a worthwhile organization," said Viking football coach Jerry Glanville.
For more details about the Bald Faced Truth Foundation, go to http://www.baldfacedtruth.org or email info@baldfacedtruth.org. The BFT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contributions are tax-deductible.
Mike Lund Assistant Athletic Director Media Relations
The first edition of “This Week in Big Sky Football” is up. On the show are Montana coach Bobby Hauck, Eastern Washington running back Taiwan Jones and Dave Coulson of the Sports Network. Also, listen to the audio of this week's conference call with coach Jerry Glanville. Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin and Sacramento State's Marshall Sperbeck take questions first, so feel free to fast-forward to the final third to hear Glanville.
This post was written by Vanguard writer Allison Whited.
I have enjoyed my time at practice the past three weeks immensely. I watch so much professional football that it's easy to forget how important raw talent is and how some play the game just to play the game. I have been reminded how camaraderie can exist between two people striving for the same thing and how much we can learn from those teaching us if only we listen.
I'm very shy, so it takes a lot for me to get comfortable enough to talk to someone, but I would like to say that every time I have had contact with someone associated with PSU Athletics, it has been a very positive experience. I even met the athletic director one day and he was so genial that I instantly felt comfortable. I just want to say thank you to those few people I worked up the nerve to talk to between the beginning of spring ball and now. I have utmost respect for the coaching and training staff, the players themselves who work so hard and the folks who work in the athletics department.
Now just a few parting thoughts on what I've noticed in practice the past three weeks: I love the secondary. The starters seem set to be Tracy Ford and DeShawn Shead at cornerback and Cody Worthen and Jordan Brown at safety. They are good, intelligent athletes and they create a stifling backfield for anyone under the gun. Even the players behind them in depth chart, guys like Mshaka Mitchell and Michael Williams and Denzel Davis, have shown plenty of skill, speed and intelligence. I like the way secondary coach Brandon Shelby coaches. He doesn't appear to be anyone's friend, but he's a great mentor. I really think this group will anchor the defense.
I think the quarterback position is solid in Drew Hubel's hands. His height is a great advantage over everyone else on the depth chart at that position. On some plays, and this happens more and more frequently, he has great—which is a word I try not to use frequently—touch on the ball. He puts it where it should be, softly, without letting it float dangerously. He will be called on a lot this year, but he seems confident enough to handle it. I also think Connor Kavanaugh is a good backup. He gives the offense an extra dimension with his scrambling ability and he seems to be settling into his internal game clock.
The freshman fullbacks have been such a pleasant surprise. We will have to wait for the season to begin to get a taste of offensive coordinator Jim Craft's play calling, but with backs like these as well as incumbent backs like Bobby McClintock and Nick Kalpin, it can't hurt to throw some more runs into the mix. Evans Okotcha and Ben Bowen have lit it up at times. The speed on both of them is great and they are good in pass protection. They are going to prove to be good investments in the future.
The linebacker group is solid. With senior linebackers Erik Pedersen and Ryan Pedersen returning as starters, it's a unit that gets things done. They have each spent at last a year under Glanville and know where they are supposed to be and what they need to do. There are rarely mental lapses and they really are too much fun to watch.
I still think the receiving corps needs another leader besides Aaron Woods. Woods is great to watch at practice. He is so aggressive and finds a way to the ball. I have the feeling he's going to get quite a bit of coverage this season and someone will need to show up to draw heat off of him. From all that I've seen at practice, I think Lavonte Kirven is the most likely. He has good hands and good field awareness.
The offensive and defensive lines have improved so much over just the past three weeks. It's difficult to tell what everyone playing those key positions is doing on every play and I know that I did not give those guys as much credit as they deserve. They work together well and the offensive line has gotten stiffer while the defensive line has gotten more punishing.
My final thought is one of thanks. I'm thankful I got to spend time watching such a talented group of athletes. I'm thankful no one trashed me for any negative comment I may have made. And I'm most thankful that anyone even read my drivel. I have to admit that I thought I was only writing for myself, but as time has worn on I have realized that more people read it than just me. Someone actually warned me that other teams could read this junk to scout out the team (do people really do that?). All I wanted to do was show my commitment to covering the team and give people an idea of what the team was doing. I hope that at the lowest level I have achieved that.
I found time to attend both morning and afternoon practice yesterday, so there's quite a bit to report. The basic setup for practice was what it has been all week. In the afternoon though, the first offense took on the first defense which provided a better way to gauge the progress made this week.
Lavonte Kirven has been more of a presence in practice this week than he has been previously. He has good hands and runs a clean route. He seems in synch with Hubel and Kavanaugh and this led to some very nice catches.
The defense looked solid today. They were getting good penetration and the pass rush was steady and thrilling. Linebacker Ryan Pedersen got a hand on a couple of balls and even garnered an interception.
Defensive end Dereck Jester stood out today in a couple of ways. On one play, he rushed the offensive line and broke through with little trouble and on drills looked like he had a good combination of strength and speed. He is one of the smallest guys on the defensive line at 240 pounds but he plays heavier than that.
The offensive linemen took turns taking each other on this morning, and it is without a doubt one of the most fun and most informative drills that can be watched. They go one-on-one until one of them puts the other on the ground. The team gets into watching it and there are a lot of cheers. And for the loser of the match, there are a few up downs.
One particularly interesting matchup was between centers Tyler Staley and Jackson Dallas, who outweighs Staley by 30 pounds. Staley is a veteran of Glanville's team, though, and Dallas is a first year transfer student. This gap in experience allowed Staley to get one over on the bigger man. Dustin Waldron also had a good looking match up against Cole Giandomenico which he won.
In the heat of afternoon practice, everyone seemed a little more irritable. There was a bit of admonishment coming from coaches Glanville and Shelby. Cornerback DeShawn Shead got in some hot water for making too hard of a stop and cornerback Matt Ford was strongly chided for not staying with receiver Ricky Cookman and allowing a touchdown.
On red zone drills from about ten yards out, the secondary was everywhere. The quarterbacks had to run with more than a few balls because none of the receivers could shake his defender. When they switched to the long field, safety Cody Worthen had two of the best plays I've seen him make. On two back-to-back plays, he broke up passes from Hubel and one of them was even to receiver Aaron Woods, who is difficult to cover.
Kavanaugh further proved he is adjusting to the speed of the coach Craft's game today by throwing two consecutive bombs up the middle of the field to Woods.
One thing that stands out in comparison to the first week of practice is the decrease in mental mistakes, the biggest of which being off sides/false start penalties. There were more than a few during the first couple of weeks, and the linemen could often be heard grumbling about their mistakes on the sidelines, but that no longer seems to be much of an issue. This speaks to the discipline and commitment that the team has been working so hard.
This post was written by Vanguard sports writer Allison Whited.
Football practice followed the same structure that it has all week with the first team taking on the opposing second team, yet there has been a shift in the routine from last week. It seemed like last week the focus was really on fundamentals, but this week the focus is clearly on what to do after the snap. It really seems to be making a difference. With so many freshmen on the team, it might be impossible to give them enough looks across the line of scrimmage before the season opens.
Receiver Lavonte Kirven was on his game today and ran two beautiful routes up the defense's left side with a reception each time. He has a good sense of timing and looks for the ball at the right moment. Receiver Ray Fry dropped two balls that had his name all over them. He can be good when he's on, but for the moment, he doesn't seem consistent enough to be counted on.
Defensive lineman Siasu Matagiese got a piece of two balls today. One pass he simply reached up and hit, breaking it up beyond repair. On yet another pass that was low, he caught the ball that the quarterback threw. He is keenly aware of where the ball is after the snap, a skill that makes it difficult to believe that this will be his first year playing at the collegiate level. He is coming from Hawai'i with several accolades and he could become an important part of the line.
The punt/kick return drills today were more involved with more players taking part in them. Linebacker Jaycob Shoemaker was in on them as he was yesterday. On one return, he got to the receiver very quickly and the receiver let the catch go right through his hands and knees. Shoemaker covered it up and if it had been a real game, it would have given his team possession with great field position. It's this quickness and ability to react that would make him a key part of the return team.
This post was written by Vanguard sports writer Allison Whited.
This morning, in the rain, the first offense and the second defense carried out 11-on-11 drills again and vice versa, just like yesterday.
The first offense is getting better at creating running lanes. Bobby McClintock had plenty of room to run and he had quite a few productive carries. Evans Okotcha and Nick Kalpin, who, in his second year, should see more playing time than Okotcha and fellow fullback and freshman Ben Bowen, both had space to make things happen.
Receiver Ray Fry looked good today, so it can be assumed that a nagging hamstring injury is no longer bothering him. Drew Hubel threw some balls his way and he had a catch for around 20 yards. He also caught a beautifully thrown pass from third string quarterback Nick Green.
Quarterback Connor Kavanaugh showed some progress in his game play patience today. Even under pressure, his internal game clock seemed to slow down and he patiently waited until he found an open receiver in Kalua Noa. Generally in a situation such as this, he scrambles and it was heartening to see him sit in the pocket and wait it out.
Freshmen defensive linemen David Gertson and Dereck Jester played the run fairly well. They pulled together for a great stuff of Kalpin.
Against the first offense, receiver Nevin Lewis had some good catches and even better yards after the catch. He repeatedly burned the defense's right side. Receiver Justin Monahan managed to find a rare hole in the middle of the field and made a great play on the ball.
It seems that there are two players guaranteed to do some blocking down field on kick and punt returns. Linebackers Jaycob Shoemaker and Colton Russi were the two constants during today's special teams drills. They seem to compliment each other well. Shoemaker seems a little quicker all around, but Russi seems to have the big hit capacity. Linebacker Kevin Takeno and fullback Kalpin alternated rounding out the group of three working this particular drill.
I try to keep my opinion out of these accounts, but there is something I have to get off my chest. I really, REALLY want to see a receiver, besides the very talented Aaron Woods, step up and tell Hubel he's the guy. The receivers all work hard at practice and most of them have decent hands and speed, but overall, besides Woods, they lack aggressiveness. I want to see them fight for the ball and push just a little harder to get everything they can out their catches. The offense will greatly benefit should anyone decide to make it happen.
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