The Portland State football program defied expectations, finishing third in the Big Sky conference after being projected to finish seventh of nine teams. The Vikings earned their best record since 2006 and rebounded from a 2-9 record in the 2010 season, finishing with a record of 7-4 overall and 5-3 in conference.
“Building this program is a process, no matter how impatient I am,” said Vikings head coach Nigel Burton. “Last year we played fairly well, and came close in a lot of games. This year, we played well and won, and came close to making the playoffs. Next year we want to take another step forward.”
Portland State went into its final week of the regular season with their playoff dreams still very much alive. If the Vikings had won their final game against Weber State, the team would have been in the conversation for a playoff bid. The excitement of a potential spot in the post-season was short-lived, as the Vikings ended their season with a 48-33 loss to Weber State.
Despite the season-ending loss, the Vikings have an overwhelming amount of positives to hang their hats on this season, including improved depth and talent at almost every position. Burton noted the improvements and could not wait for another shot at the Big Sky conference title.
“I think we improved in almost all areas, everyone understood our expectations, buy-in from players, and even the run game was better than last year,” Burton said. “Our special teams play making, our defensive improvement especially versus the run, and the development of our passing game and wide receivers.”
Special teams was one of the Vikings’ main strengths this season. Portland State special teams ranked among the top in the nation, blocking seven punts and two field goals, including a game-winning field goal block against Northern Arizona.
Senior safety DeShawn Shead led the conference in kick returns, averaging 26.1 yards per carry. Junior kicker Zach Brown also led the nation in made field goals. Brown made 24 of 27 attempts and his average of 2.18 field goals a game is the nation’s best and a Portland State record.
Nigel Burton has stressed the importance of special teams during his career and hired Stacy Collins prior to this season to take over as the new special teams coordinator. Collins touched on the play of his special teams group, noting that the core to all of the success lies in the player’s frame of mind.
“The greatest contributor to special teams this year was the buy-in from the players and coaches,” Collins said. “Our players bought into the techniques and schemes we were coaching and did an amazing job of making plays on Saturday afternoons.”
Portland State’s offensive attack was again a force in 2011 despite major setbacks through the season. The Vikings were forced to adapt their offense after losing the nation’s top running back Cory McCaffrey to an Achilles injury in week six. McCaffrey rushed for 731 yards and 13 touchdowns in only five games during a shortened senior season
An assortment of different players stepped up in McCaffrey’s absence, including senior quarterback Connor Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh stood at the reigns of a high-powered Pistol offense that averaged 432.7 yards per game. The weapons in the backfield were plentiful as four players rushed for over 300 yards. The Vikings led the conference and finished eighth in the country in rushing, averaging 247.8 yards on the ground.
Kavanaugh led the team in rushing, piling up 1,060 yards on the ground, setting a single season conference record for rushing by a quarterback. The two primary running backs for the Vikings in the remainder of the season were freshman Shaquille Richard and senior Willie Griffin. Richard accrued 384 yards on 101 carries with four touchdowns before a season-ending injury. Griffin became the primary back down the final stretch and ended his time as a Viking with a career high of 314 yards on 76 carries and one touchdown.
As the season went on, Kavanaugh began to rely more on his passing, completing 127 of 219 passes for 1628 yards, with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. Junior wideout Justin Monahan was the number one target for Kavanaugh, catching 52 passes for 707 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Junior Nevin Lewis became a threat on special teams, but also had an impact as a receiver, catching 22 balls for 337 yards and two touchdowns.
Portland State’s defense was solid and underrated all season. The Vikings defense made a statement in 2011, especially when compared with last season, allowing opponents 110 yards less on average per game as well as knocking the oppositions point totals down by 12 points per game. Seven seniors started for the Vikings defense and the team used experience to their advantage.
All-Big Sky conference safety DeShawn Shead leaves behind a legacy at Portland State after accruing 64 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, three forced fumbles and a sack this season alone. Shead started all 44 games of his career at Portland State. Another major loss for the Vikings defense will be three-year starter linebacker Ryan Rau who put up impressive numbers in his final year. Rau led the team in tackles for the third straight season, attaining 90 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
The staggering 27 seniors departing from the Viking roster leaves a lot of question marks heading into next season. Seven offensive starters will be returning, including receivers Nevin Lewis and Justin Monahan, running back Shaquille Richard as well as offensive linemen Mitch Gaulke, Kyle Ritt, Mitchell Van Dyk and Joey Esposito. On defense, four starters will be returning, including linebackers Ian Sluss and Joel Sisler as well as defensive tackle Julious Moore and cornerback Mike Williams.
Finding replacements for Kavanaugh and McCaffrey will be key factors if Portland State wants to repeat the success of this year, but either way, the 2011 season will be remembered as the season the Vikings football program regained their winning form.