unfortunate in 2016 or return to normal mediocrity ?
http://www.oregonlive.com/vikings/index.ssf/2016/10/portland_states_playoff_hopes.html#incart_river_index
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/255-sports/college-football/326315-201381-after-cold-start-psu-vikings-warm-up
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/255-sports/college-football/325016-204134-vikings-lose-big-sky-opener
http://www.oregonlive.com/vikings/index.ssf/2016/10/portland_states_playoff_hopes.html#incart_river_index
Last year, Bruce Barnum engineered one of the biggest surprise success stories in all of college football at Portland State. Sustaining that momentum has proven difficult, though, and the Vikings saw any lingering hopes of a second consecutive playoff appearance fly away on a blustery Saturday at Providence Park. Cal Poly scored touchdowns on eight of its first nine drives and didn't have to punt all day, using a balanced attack to take down the Vikings 55-35 in front of an announced crowd of 4,019.
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/255-sports/college-football/326315-201381-after-cold-start-psu-vikings-warm-up
After a September of not much to remember, the Portland State Vikings have rekindled —Â at least for one week —Â fond memories of 2015.
The Vikings hope they turned their season around last Saturday, when they beat Idaho State 45-20 the old-fashioned way, running the Bengals into the ground at Providence Park.
Last year, the Viks were a Cinderella team. They came from nowhere to make the second round of the FCS playoffs and finished 9-3. Over the offseason, the Vikings worked on ways to get even better, notably in their passing, the facet of the game Portland State brought to prominence in the run-and-shoot glory days of former coach Mouse Davis. But things just weren’t clicking smoothly enough in a 1-3 start (PSU had eight interceptions and only five touchdowns throwing the ball). So coach Bruce Barnum, tired of both the turnovers and the losing, had the Vikings stick to the ground against Idaho State, with spectacular results.
http://portlandtribune.com/pt/255-sports/college-football/325016-204134-vikings-lose-big-sky-opener
An intereception in the final minute near the goal line thwarted Portland State’s comeback on Saturday, as Southern Utah held off the Vikings, 45-31.
The defending Big Sky champions, playing at home in Cedar City, Utah, blitzed PSU quarterback Alex Kuresa into a hurried throw into coverage as the Vikings, down by seven points, tried to complete a big second-half rally.
Portland State was at the SUU 3-yard line with 26 seconds left, trailing 38-31, when Jermaine Doubs stepped in front of Kuresa’s sideline throw and returned the pick for a touchdown, giving the Thunderbirds a 45-31 victory.