After an opening-game victory over New Mexico and a No. 21 ranking in the NCAA I-AA polls, the Portland State football team’s 2006 season appeared full of hope and promise for a postseason appearance.
Portland State had a hot start that included a shellacking of Division I-A power New Mexico, 17-6, where the Viks held the Lobos without a touchdown. The following week the Vikings demolished Northern Colorado 45-3, scoring on all five possessions. Senior wide receiver Brendan Ferrigno caught four balls for 125 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown reception in the win.
The University of California, Berkeley cooled off the red-hot Viking team, quickly ending their win streak at two and knocking their top two quarterbacks–senior Sawyer Smith and sophomore Tygue Howland–out of the game.
Smith’s injury would hold him out of the starting lineup for two more games and leave him unable to play against conference rival Montana. With the Vikings’ starting quarterback on the shelf, the Grizzlies ended up winning the game 26-20 despite a desperate effort led by transfer Brian White, who had landed in the Park Blocks just days earlier from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The Grizzlies captured the Big Sky Conference title and went to the semifinals in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
The Vikings finished the season 7-4 overall, losing to the University of Oregon, Cal, Montana and Montana State.
Senior linebacker Adam Hayward made the biggest impact for the Vikings, leading the team with 104 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 16.5 tackles for a loss. The gaudy numbers Hayward amassed garnered national attention, earning him a National Defensive Player of the Week award and a unanimous selection for Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
The Vikings’ fierce linebacker was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in Division I-AA. Hayward headlined a Portland State defense that was one of the best in the nation, allowing just 256 yards and 12 points per game to its I-AA opponents. After completing his senior season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recognized Hayward’s talent and drafted him in the sixth round of the NFL draft, the highest a Viking has gone since 2001.
Hayward was one of five Vikings to receive all-conference recognition. The team’s fabulous five included senior offensive guard Brennan Carvalho, sophomore fullback Bobby McClintock, senior cornerback Dominic Dixon and senior defensive tackle C.J. Niusulu.
At the end of the season, head coach Tim Walsh took an offer to be the offensive coordinator of Army. During his 14-year career at Portland State, Walsh compiled a 90-68 record, coached four playoff teams and won the most games of any football coach in school history.
The hole in the coaching staff would not be vacant for long as successful NFL and college coach Jerry Glanville was lured away from his defensive coordinator position at the University of Hawaii to coach the Vikings in February. Glanville’s hire would also bring back a Portland State legend in Darrel “Mouse” Davis and his infamous run-and-shoot offense.
“The previous coaching staff did a good job recruiting for what they did and that was pound the football. The difference is we are not going to pound the football, so we are missing some parts,” Glanville said.
A new direction and a new hope for Portland State football was immediately born after Glanville’s hire. Heading into the fall, season ticket sales are spiking and interest in Viking athletics is peaking. Expect a fuller PGE Park and smash-mouth football when the Glanville show hits Portland on Sept. 8.