Weber State University Athletics
13th Ranked Weber State Hosts Pass-Happy Portland State In A Big Sky Showdown
10/28/2008 6:00:00 AM | Football
G A M E # 10
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY vs. WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY
Saturday, November 1, 2008 * 1:05 p.m. (MDT) * Stewart Stadium * Ogden, Utah
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY " V I K I N G S "
HEAD COACH
Former Houston Oiler and Atlanta Falcon head coach, JERRY GLANVILLE, begins his 2nd season as head coach at Portland State. ... Glanville came to PSU after serving as defensive coordinator at Hawai'i for two seasons under June Jones. ... Glanville began his NFL coaching career in 1974-76 as an assistant for the Detroit Lions. ... In 1977-78 he was an assistant for the Atlanta Falcons, then moved to the Houston Oilers where he was an assistant from 1979-82. He spent the 1983 season with the Buffalo Bills before going back to the Oilers from 1984-85. ... He named head coach of the Oilers in 1986 and coached them for four seasons posting a 33-32 record. ... In 1990 he was named head coach of the Falcons and was 27-37 in four seasons before leaving the coaching profession to serve as a broadcast analyst and race in NASCAR and the National Hot Rod Association. .. Glanville was 3-8 with the Vikings in 2007. ... He is 0-1 vs. Weber State.
SERIES HISTORY
This has been a wild and woolly series throughout the years producing some big scores by both teams. ... Weber State leads the overall series 16-12-0 and are 10-4-0 vs. the Vikings when playing in Ogden. ... Since PSU joined the Big Sky Conference in July of 1996 the series is tied at 6-6. ... As mentioned, a lot of points have been produced by both teams, none more than last season's memorable shootout with the Wildcat prevailing 73-68. That game set an NCAA Division I record for most combined points in a single game. ... In 2003, the Wildcats won in Portland 45-21 and in 2001 the Vikings won 65-43 in Portland. ... Weber State's WORST MARGIN OF DEFEAT and BIGGEST WIN MARGIN have both come against Portland State. ... In 1980 the Vikings defeated the Wildcats 75-0 in Portland behind the arm of former NFL quarterback Neil Lomax. ... In 1965, the Wildcats beat the Vikings 74-6 in Ogden. Those 68 points is the biggest win margin the ?Cats have over any team since becoming a four-year school in 1962. ... Portland State, however, has a TWO-GAME WIN STREAK going in Ogden over the Wildcats. The Vikings won 20-10 in 2006 and 34-15 in 2004. PSU also won 31-14 in 1999 giving them three wins in their last five visits. ... That 75-0 win by PSU in 1980 is still the only SHUTOUT by either team in the series. ... There have been no OVERTIME games played in the series as well.
LAST YEAR IN PORTLAND - Oct. 27, 2007
It was the greatest scoring shoot out in NCAA football history - all divisions - as the two teams combined for 141 points but in the end the Wildcats prevailed 73-68. ... The two teams combined for 1,189 total offensive yards with the Wildcats rolling 687 of them. ... Portland State played the game without its top two quarterbacks, both of whom who were injured. DREW HUBEL, a freshman, made his first start a memorable one completing 35-56 passes for 485 yards and NINE TOUCHDOWNS. That broke the PSU school record of eight set by Neil Lomax and the Big Sky record of seven set by Weber State's Jamie Martin and Northern Arizona's Travis Brown. ... Weber State quarterback CAMERON HIGGINS accounted for 440 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns. He completed 22-36 passes for 334 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed nine times for 106 yards and three touchdowns. Those figures are all single game career highs for HIGGINS. The 440 yards is the 10th best single total offense game in WSU football history. ... TREVYN SMITH had a single game career high 38 carries for a single game career high 225 yards rushing and scored one touchdown. ... Portland State led 7-3 after the first quarter but the two teams combined for 55 second quarter points with the Wildcats taking a 38-27 halftime lead. ... PSU came right out and scored two touchdowns in the first two minutes of the second half to take a 41-38 lead. ... WSU bounced right back when BRYANT ETEUATI took the ensuing kickoff back 84 yards to the PSU eight. HIGGINS found MICHAEL PHILLIPS in the end zone two plays later to take a 45-41 lead. ... PSU answered almost immediately driving 74 yards in eight plays to regain the lead at 48-45. ... The Wildcats then scored 21 unanswered points which included a touchdown pass from HIGGINS to AKAMU AKI; a 77-yard punt return by ETEUATI and a four-yard run by HIGGINS making it 66-48 with 12:42 left in the game. ... The two teams exchanged touchdowns and WSU led 73-55 at the 4:22 mark. ... PSU then went 66 yards in five plays with HUBEL throwing his 9th touchdown pass of the game, this one an 8-yard strike to TREMAYNE KIRKLAND with 2:55 remaining making it 73-62. ... WSU then got the ball at the PSU 40 after a pooch kickoff. The Wildcats forced PSU to use its remaining time outs and on 4th and four at the PSU 29 the ?Cats lined up for an apparent 46-yard field goal attempt but ETEUATI, the holder, took the snap and ran five yards for the first down. An eight-yard run by ERIC LEE and a no gain run by MARCUS MAILEI put the ?Cats 3rd and two at the PSU 16 and it looked like the ?Cats would run out the clock. But MAILEI rushed on third down and PSU's ANDY SCHANTZ stripped the ball and returned it 86-yards for a touchdown. PSU's two-point attempt to pull within three failed. The Vikings's then tried an on-sides kicks but it was recovered by WSU's CODY NAKAMURA and the game ended on a knee by CAMERON HIGGINS.
LAST TIME IN OGDEN - September 23, 2006
The Vikings came into Ogden ranked 15th in The Sports Network poll, but without starting quarterback SAWYER SMITH (6-5, 230 Sr.) and back up TYGUE HOWLAND (6-3, 220 RsFr.) who were both knocked out of the previous week's game at California. That left third-stringer ROB FREEMAN (6-2, 225 Jr.) to run the show. ... Freeman managed the offense while the Viking defense intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble to keep the Wildcats at bay. Portland won the struggle 20-10. ... Freeman completed 10-17-0 passes for 50 yards. The Viking had just 161 total offensive yards. BOBBY McCLINTOCK carried 12 times for 74 yards. ... The Wildcats didn't fare much better on the offensive side with just 192 total yards. SHAWN WOODS completed 8-19 passes for 119 yards but was intercepted three times. IAN PIZARRO came in and was 1-4 for 10 yards but also threw an interceptions. PSU's two touchdowns came on a 3-yd run by KELEANA HO'OKANO in the first quarter and 15-yd pass from FREEMAN to TREMAYNE KIRKLAND following a 68-yard kickoff return by KENNETH MACKIN. ... ERIC AZORR kicked field goals of 43 and 42 yards. ... WSU's lone touchdown came in the second quarter on an 11-yd run by TREVYN SMITH. ... The Wildcats added a 27-yd field goal by CONOR FOLEY with 9:44 left in the game.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Portland State comes into Ogden with an overall mark of 3-4 and a 2-2 record in Big Sky Conference action. ... All three wins have come at home vs. Western Oregon (31-14), Eastern Washington (47-36) and last Saturday vs. Idaho State (36-13). ... The Vikings are #1 in NCAA Division I FCS in PASSING OFFENSE this week averaging 421.9 yards per game and lead the Big Sky in TOTAL OFFENSE per game at 437.00. ... PSU is, however, dead last (118th) in Division I FCS in RUSHING YARDS per game at just 15.1 ... Pulling the trigger on PSU's Run-And-Shoot offense is quarterback DREW HUBEL (6-5, 205 Soph.). Hubel is the Big Sky's passing leader averaging 328.8 yards per game. He is 147-259 for 1,973 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2008. ... Hubel set a PSU school and NCAA Division I FCS record for most touchdown passes in a game throwing NINE in last year's 68-73 loss to Weber State in Portland. He was 35--56 for 485 yards in that game and did not throw an interception. ... His two favorite targets in 2008 have been MARIO D'AMBROSIO (5-11, 200 Jr.) and AARON WOODS (5-6, 180 Jr.). D'Ambrosio has 52 catches for 683 yards and six TD catches. Woods has 40 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns. ... Defensively, San Diego State transfer ANDY SCHANTZ (6-1, 235 Sr. LB) has 66 tackles (35 unassisted). It was Schantz who stripped the ball from WSU running back Marcus Mailei, recovered it, and rambled 84-yards for a touchdowns with 31 seconds left in last year's game which brought the Vikings to within five points at 73-68.
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY "WILDCATS"
HEAD COACH RON McBRIDE
Weber State head coach, RON McBRIDE, is in his FOURTH SEASON as head coach the Wildcats. In 2005 he guided the Wildcats to a 6-5 (.545) record overall and a 4-3 (.571) mark in Big Sky Conference play. Last year the Wildcats were 5-6 overall and 4-4 in Big Sky play. ... MAC is now 22-20 at WSU (.524) and 110-83 (.570) overall in his 17th seasons as a head coach. McBRIDE picked up his 100th career coaching victory in the 23-0 shutout of Northern Colorado last October. ... McBride was 88-63 in 13 seasons as the head coach at the University of Utah from 1990-2002. ... McBride is now 16-12 .(571) overall in Big Sky Conference games and is 1-2 vs. Portland State, 0-1 in vs. PSU in Ogden..
RADIO / TV
All Weber State football games will be carried LIVE on radio station KLO (1430 AM). ... Back for his 10th season of Wildcat football play-by-play is WILDCAT CARL ARKY. ... He will be joined in the broadcast booth by former WSU football standouts JUSTIN DeFOUR and TY SPARROW for the six HOME GAMES. ... WSU Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations, BRAD LARSEN, will handle the color analyst duties on the road. ... SATURDAY'S PRE-GAME SHOW begins at 12:30 p.m. (MDT).
47TH SEASON OF FOOTBALL
Weber State is in its 47th year of playing football on the four-year level, and the 46th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. ... In 1962, Weber State attained four-year status and played as an NCAA Division II member until 1978 when they moved up to the newly created NCAA Division I-AA level (now I-FCS). ... Weber State's ALL-TIME RECORD in football is 240-257-3 (.480).
TEAM CAPTAINS
The team elected five captains for the 2008 season. ... The DEFENSIVE CAPTAINS will be J.D. FOLSOM (6-3, 230 Sr. SLB), RYAN GALOVIC (6-0, 220 Sr. ROV) and KEVIN LINEHAN (6-3, 255 Jr. DE). ... The OFFENSIVE CAPTAINS are PAUL CARPENTER (6-6, 305 Sr. OT), CAMERON HIGGINS (6-2, 195 Soph. QB) and MARCUS MAILEI (6-1, 245 Sr. FB) ... BRYAN ETEUATI (5-7, 160 Sr.) will be the SPECIAL TEAMS captain.
?CATS 13TH IN BOTH POLLS
The 42-14 road win over 15th ranked Northern Arizona moved the Wildcats up to 13th in both major FCS polls this week. ... The Wildcats moved up three spots in The Sports Network (writers / SIDs) poll from 16th, and four spots in the NCAA Division I FCS Coaches poll from 17th.
TREVYN SMITH NAMED BIG SKY
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Weber State running back TREVYN SMITH (5-9, 210 Jr. / Springville, Utah) was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week. ... Smith rushed 19 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns becoming the first running back this season to rush for 100 or more yards vs. Northern Arizona. He also caught three passes for 25 yards and one touchdown. ... Smith is now back on top of the Big Sky rushing leader's list averaging 96.6 yards per game. ... It was Trevyn's first player of the week award in 2008.
BEAU HADLEY NAMED BIG SKY
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Weber State safety BEAU HADLEY (6-0, 185 Jr. / Taylor, Utah) was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week. It is Hadley's first POW honor in his career at Weber State. ... He had 11 total tackles, seven unassisted, in WSU's win at Northern Arizona. Early in the first quarter he tackled NAU receiver Curt Sweeney after a 19-yard gain, forced a fumble, then recovered it. Six players later the ?Cats scored on a 46-yard pass from Cameron Higgins to Cody Nakamura. He also had another forced fumble in the second half. ... Hadley is currently the WSU team leader in total tackles with 70, unassisted tackles with 38 and interceptions with three.
JUST A FANCY PASSING
Saturday's game may take a while to complete. ... Portland State and Weber State are the top two PASSING teams in the Big Sky Conference this season. ... PSU averages 56 ATTEMPTS per game and Weber State 33. .... As mentioned before, PSU leads the Big Sky in Total Offense (437.0) per game and Weber State is third (433.0).
STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
Last week's game at Northern Arizona has some interesting match ups and this week's game is no exception. Saturday's game pits. ....
- The Big Sky's top PASS OFFENSE (PSU: 421.9) against the Big Sky's to PASS DEFENSE (WSU: 198.80).
- The Big Sky's top TOTAL OFFENSE (PSU: 437.0) against the Big Sky's top TOTAL DEFENSE (WSU: 317.0).
- The top two PASSING quarterbacks in the Big Sky in DREW HUBEL (PSU: 328.8 ypg) and CAMERON HIGGINS (WSU: 320.6). ... They are also one-two, respectively, in TOTAL OFFENSE (Hubel: 315.2 / Higgins: 311.9).
THE ?CATS ARE GOOD ON BOTH SIDES
The Wildcats are tops in the Big Sky in several OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE categories.
-They lead the Big Sky in SCORING OFFENSE (35.00) and SCORING DEFENSE (19.70).
- They lead the Big Sky in PASSING EFFICIENCY (178.1) and in PASSING EFFICIENCY DEFENSE (117.5).
- They lead the Big Sky in THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS (48-107 .449) and in OPPONENTS' THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS (40-121 .331).
PERFECT GAME(s)
The Wildcats are 5-0 in Big Sky play for the first time in school history. No other Wildcat team has ever won five straight games in Big Sky play. ... They also went 4-0 in the month of October. That's only the second time in school history. The 1968 team also posted a 4-0 mark in October. ... Only four other teams in WSU football history have won FIVE or more Big Sky games in a single season. .... The 1987 team was 7-1 under Mike Price. The 1991 team was 6-2 under Dave Arslanian, and his 1996 team was 5-3. Jerry Graybeal's 2000 team also posted a 5-3 mark in league play.
FORCING THE ISSUE
The Wildcats have had 14 FORCED FUMBLES this season. They have recovered nine of those fumbles. One was returned 94-yards for a touchdown by KEVIN LINEHAN in the season opener at home vs. Montana-Western. ... LINEHAN and BEAU HADLEY each have four forced fumbles which puts them in a six-way individual tie for the second most forced fumbles in a season at Weber State. The record is seven held by linebacker Troy Juergens in 1989. ... HADLEY and LINEHAN each had TWO forced fumbles in last Saturday's game at Northern Arizona making them the seventh and eighth players in WSU football history to accomplish that feat in a game. ... HADLEY and LINEHAN also lead the team in fumbles recovered this season with two each as well.
QUICK HIGGINS UPDATE
CAMERON HIGGINS has now moved up to 6th on the WSU career passing charts. He now has thrown for 4,844 yards and 46 touchdowns. ... He needs two more TD passes to move ahead of Jeff Carlson into 2nd behind Jamie Martin (87) for career touchdown passes. ... His 29 TD passes this season now puts Higgins in 2nd behind Martin (35 in 1991) for the most touchdown passes in a single season. ... Higgins' current passing efficiency rating of 180.20 is light years ahead of the WSU single season mark of 147.60 by Jamie Martin in 1991. ... Higgins needs just 178 more passing yards to become the 5th player in Wildcat football history to throw for 5,000 or more yards.
WHAT A RUSH!
It took Nick Chournos 45 career games to become WSU's career rushing leader with 3,593 yards. In 31 career games, TREVYN SMITH has rushed for 3,312 yards (106.8 ypg avg) and is just 282 yards away from overtaking Chournos. ... Smith has also quietly moved into 3rd on the WSU career All-Purpose Yards list with 4,059 and is 103 yards shy of moving into second behind teammate Bryant Eteuati (4,962). ... Smith has become a two-dimensional back this season as a receiver threat as well. ... Coming into the 2008 campaign, Smith had 19 receptions for 279 yards and two touchdowns. ... In 2008 alone, he has 36 receptions for 426 yards and five touchdowns. He's WSU's third leading receiver this season. ... SMITH is currently leading the Big Sky Conference in SCORING with 15 touchdowns (90 points). Right now he has scored the 6th most points in a season at Weber State. His 194 career points is presently the 9th best in WSU history.
TOONE IN FOR MORE
WSU wide receiver TIM TOONE (5-10, 165 Jr. / Peoria, Arizona) leads the Wildcats in receiving with 49 receptions for 825 yards and five touchdowns. ... He now tied with Trevor Shaw in 2nd place for the most career touchdown catches made in a career at Weber State and needs one more to tie Wade Orton (18) and two to become WSU's career leader. .... He is 12 catches shy of becoming the 16th player in Wildcat football history to have 100 or more career receptions, and 202 receiving yards away from becoming the 9th player in WSU history to have 2,000 or more career receiving yards.
WHERE HAS HE BEEN?
CODY NAKAMURA (6-1, 215 Jr. / Wailuku, Hawai'i) has been a big part of WSU's offensive success this season. ... A wide receiver his first two seasons, Nakamura came into the 2008 season with 10 career receptions for 61 yards and no touchdowns. ... He was moved to tight end during the 2008 Spring drills when the Wildcats were down to just one, but the move has benefitted both he and the team. ... Nakamura has 34 catches for 568 yards this season and leads the team in TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS with seven. ... The WSU single season record is 12 by Alfred Pupunu in 1991 and only two others have had 10 or more besides him. (Dave Hall: 10 in 1991) and TIM TOONE (10 IN 2007).
THIS AND THAT . . .
CAMERON HIGGINS has shared the wealth with his receivers this season. The Wildcats have FIVE PLAYERS with at least FIVE TOUCHDOWN CATCHES this season. . . . The Wildcats have allowed just 12 PUNT RETURNS this season for a total of 65 yards, with 40 of those yards by Northern Arizona last Saturday. . . . Saturday's game at NAU marked the third time this season the Wildcats have been flagged 11 times in a single game. . . . The Wildcats are averaging 21 FIRST HALF points this season. They have out scored opponents 190-98 in the first half this season.
NEXT WEEK
It's BENGAL WEEK! ... The Wildcats ride 135 miles north to face arch-rival Idaho State on Saturday, November 8. ... Kickoff time in Holt Arena is set for 1:35 p.m. (MST). It will be shown LIVE on ALTITUDE TV. ... The game was originally set to kickoff at 3:05 but was moved back this Summer to accommodate Altitude. ... It is WSU's last regular season ROAD GAME of the 2008 season.
R O N M c B R I D E Q U O T E S
ON PORTLAND STATE: "Well, we obviously didn't defend them very well last season, and they just as explosive this season. Our secondary is going to have to step up and play their best game of the season. In order to help them, our front four is going to have to put some pressure on their quarterback. If you let a guy stand back there in the run and shoot offense with time to throw, it becomes an almost unstoppable offense."
ON THE WILDCATS "Last week was a great win, not only for our team but for our fans as well. But that game is over. We need to focus on the next team. When you are on top you are going to get everyone's best shot. It's an old cliche, but a true one. It is going to take a lot of concentration on both sides of the ball this week to have success."
