Rocky Mountain road

Portland State football looks to keep their playoff hopes alive and avoid a season-spoiling loss to the Northern Colorado Bears this weekend. The Vikings (6-3 overall, 4-2 conference) sit in third place in the Big Sky and can earn an at-large berth into the NCAA postseason if they win their final two games in conference play.

Northern Colorado (0-10 overall, 0-7 conference) has lost eight straight games at home but are trying to salvage their season and prevent a winless year. The Vikings are riding a three-game winning streak for the first time in five years.

Portland State has officially locked up a winning season after defeating Sacramento State last weekend, claiming their sixth win in an 11-game schedule. The winning record is the first since 2006 and a victory this weekend would give the Vikings their first four-game winning streak since 2004.

The Vikings have cranked out the yards behind a powerful offensive attack this season, averaging 433.6 yards of total offense, which puts them second in the Big Sky. Portland State leads the conference in rushing, racking up 2,832 yards on the ground for a 264.7 yard per game average.

Losing senior running back Cory McCaffrey was a setback, but the loss has not affected the team’s productivity running the ball. The Vikings have piled up 718 yards on the ground in the three games without McCaffrey, averaging 239.3 yards. Senior tailback Willie Griffin, sophomore Justin Lilley and freshman Shaquille Richard have all seen their share of handoffs.

Griffin took the bulk of the carries last weekend, attaining a career-high 92 yards on 25 carries against Sacramento State. Vikings quarterback Connor Kavanaugh has also played an intricate part in the rushing success. Kavanaugh has already broken the single-season Big Sky record for quarterback rushing yards this season, running for 896 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.

The Vikings relied heavily on the running game early in the season, but in the past three games the passing attack has been the driving force in the wins. Kavanaugh’s passing came into question after the quarterback threw only one touchdown pass through the first six games this season. However, the Vikings have responded in recent weeks, averaging more than 200 yards passing throughout the team’s three game winning stretch, including seven touchdowns through the air.

Portland State has dominated the all-time series between the schools since Northern Colorado joined the Big Sky conference in 2006, but last year was an exception. Northern Colorado came away with a 35-30 win at Hillsboro Stadium to cap off their season with a 3-8 record. Portland State leads the conference series 4-1, taking the all-time series 6-2. Northern Colorado has remained winless since defeating the Vikings a year ago and have not been giving opponents much trouble, losing five games by 20 points or more.

The Bears have struggled to find balance in their offense, relying solely on the passing game. The running attack sits at the bottom of the conference as Northern Colorado is averaging a dismal 55 yards per game on the ground. The Bears are averaging 232 yards per game passing, but despite the solid numbers, Northern Colorado still sits at the bottom of the conference in total offense, only averaging 287.5 yards per game, nearly 150 yards less than the Vikings.

The greatest threat for Northern Colorado is wideout Patrick Walker, who has been a bright spot in the struggling offense. Walker has 1,045 yards and 10 touchdowns on 75 receptions this season to lead all receivers. The wideout currently ranks seventh in the nation and set a conference record of 315 yards receiving for a single game against North Dakota two weeks ago. Sophomore quarterback Seth Lobato has put up impressive numbers, completing 177 of 314 passes for 2155 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Portland State’s defense has been solid in 2011, as the team is third in the conference for total defense, only allowing 348.2 yards per game. On the other hand, Northern Colorado’s defense has given up a staggering 445.3 yards of total offense this season.

Viking senior safety DeShawn Shead has played a large part in the success of the defense this season, accounting for 51 tackles, including five for loss. Senior linebacker Ryan Rau leads the team with 73 tackles and also has 2.5 sacks. Junior linebacker Joel Sisler has had a breakout season, accumulating 28 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a sack. Sisler also leads the team with three interceptions.

Portland State has eight interceptions as a team in nine games this season. The Viks have also put up 23 total sacks, placing them third in the conference. Junior linebacker Ian Sluss tops the team with 3.5 sacks and junior defensive end Jack Forbes is second with three.

Kickoff for the game this Saturday against Northern Colorado is set for 11:05 a.m. at Nottingham Field. The game can be heard on Freedom 970 AM.