2007 Sports timeline

Feb. 28: Jerry Glanville ushered in as new head football coach

It seemed all of Portland stopped for about an hour or so, as former NFL head coach and national celebrity Jerry Glanville was announced as the Vikings new football coach on a cold, wet February afternoon.

Glanville brought instant confidence to the program, claiming the Vikings would be, “the hardest-hitting team on the West Coast.” He also brought a well-known face to the athletic department.

April 9: Vacant athletic director seat filled by Torre Chisholm

Former head softball coach, student athlete and administrator Teri Mariani had been the interim athletic director for nearing 15 months before the university learned that Torre Chisholm would become the new overseer of Portland State athletics.

Chisholm arrived motivated and equipped with innovative ideas to enhance athletics, including reinstating the Horde, a student group of devoted fans, and using marketing to spread the Viking name throughout Portland.

June 8: Women’s basketball coach Charity Elliot resigns

Surprisingly, Charity Elliot stepped down from her post as the Vikings’ head coach after a 12-win season and second consecutive trip to the Big Sky Tournament. Shortly after, Elliot accepted the head-coaching position at the University of California, San Diego.

Over the course of her three-year career, Elliot transformed a beleaguered squad, which finished 3-23 in her first season, into a formidable Big Sky opponent. Her recruiting also paid dividends, as junior forward Kelsey Kahle and sophomore point guard Claire Faucher both won Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Sherri Murrell replaced the departed Elliot on July 2, and the Vikings are off to a hot start under the first-year coach.

Sept. 15: Viking football scores late-game victory over Sacramento State

A 42-yard touchdown connection from senior quarterback Brian White to senior wide receiver Tremayne Kirkland propelled Portland State over the Hornets 35-24, securing the Vikings’ first victory under head coach Jerry Glanville.

Kirkland’s late-game heroics gave the Vikings a 28-24 lead before senior linebacker Jordan Senn sealed the deal with a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Viking faithful was ecstatic to notch win number one with Glanville at the helm.

Oct. 27: Records shattered in Portland State’s 73-68 loss to Weber State

In many ways it was the most exhilarating game of the season, though, on the other hand, the Portland State-Weber State barnburner was also the most demoralizing. Freshman quarterback Drew Hubel threw a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record nine touchdown passes in his debut, and the two teams combined for a 141 points, an FCS record-high total. But aside from the offensive explosion, the Wildcats exposed the Portland State defense with nine touchdowns and 687 yards of offense, leaving many to question Jerry Glanville’s defensive expertise.

Nov. 17: High-flying Vikings volleyball squad crowned Big Sky regular-season champs

The crowd was electric, the energy in the Stott Center was palpable and the Vikings were hitting on all cylinders on their way to the school’s first ever Big Sky regular-season volleyball title.

Portland State downed the Hornets in a hard-fought, four-game match that ended with the Vikings scoring the last point and a crowd of rabid students rushing the floor to celebrate a championship, a rare occurrence in the South Park Blocks.

Nov. 25: Remaining perfect at 5-0 on the season, women’s basketball notches enormous win over Gonzaga

With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, it seemed all bets were off and the Vikings would fall to Gonzaga. But junior forward Kelsey Kahle and sophomore point guard Claire Faucher just would not allow that to happen, as the Vikings’ star players strapped the team on their backs and led Portland State to victory.

The Vikings scored 12 unanswered points behind the leadership of Kahle and Faucher to snatch a 74-70 lead with 32 ticks left on the clock. Portland State then held the Bulldogs’ powerful interior offense in check to escape with a 75-72 win, improving its record to 5-0 on the year.