UW football’s opponent preview: Portland State
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-1 overall, 0-0 in Big Sky)
5 P.M. SATURDAY, HUSKY STADIUM, PAC-12 NETWORKS, 1000-AM/97.7 FM
COACH: Bruce Barnum (10-4 in second season at Portland State and overall)
AGAINST THE HUSKIES: Washington leads the series 1-0.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Vikings acquired status as giant killers last season by traveling to Pullman and defeating Washington State 24-17 in their season opener. But they weren’t one-hit wonders. PSU finished the 2015 season with a 9-3 overall record, finishing second in the Big Sky standings before losing to Northern Iowa in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Barnum, who began last season as interim coach with no guarantee of returning in 2016, was rewarded with a five-year contract in mid-October. … PSU returns several key playmakers from last season’s squad – the Vikings were picked by Big Sky coaches to finish second in the league standings – but they aren’t off to as impressive of a start this year. After a 17-point victory over Division II Central Washington in its opener, PSU allowed 66 points in a loss to San Jose State. … UW coach Chris Petersen said PSU’s offense is unlike any the Huskies have faced in the past two seasons, and compared it to Nevada’s pistol formation. The Vikings often have two quarterbacks on the field: there’s starter Alex Kuresa, who has thrown for 357 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards and a score; and Paris Penn, a utility player who leads the team in rushing with 164 yards but has not attempted a pass. Penn lines up all over the field and has also caught five passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. Nate Tago, a senior running back, is second on the team with 159 yards rushing and three touchdowns. … Defensively, the Vikings have allowed their first two opponents to average 543.5 yards of total offense, and they allowed 642 to San Jose State.
DID YOU KNOW: Former UW tailback Deontae Cooper, now playing for San Jose State, had a nice game against the Vikings last week. Cooper rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
2016 PORTLAND STATE SCHEDULE
Sept. 3: W, 43-26, vs. Central Washington
Sept. 10: L, 66-35 at San Jose State
Sept. 17: at Washington
Sept. 24: at Southern Utah
Oct. 1: vs. Idaho State
Oct. 8: at Weber State
Oct. 15: vs. Cal Poly
Oct. 29: vs. Northern Colorado
Nov. 5: at UC-Davis
Nov. 12: at Sacramento State
Nov. 18: vs. Eastern Washington
This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 9:58 PM with the headline "UW football’s opponent preview: Portland State."