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AggieFinn
894Saturday August 29th in Hillsboro. Time tbd.
The Vikings return to 2026 play after a 1-10 2025 campaign that included only one win @ Cal Poly. In a year filled with bumps and bruises, Portland State gave up 40 or more points in 7 games last season, which included a game in Provo @ BYU.
Last time Davis visited the Vikings, it was a controversial nail biting finish with Tompkins scoring the game winning TD...even after review, Ags won it 27-26. That 2024 win gave UC Davis a 5 game winning streak en route to 9 straight then on to a Quarterfinals appearance in Plough's first season.
First game of the year is always a crapshoot - but at this point for the team and Plough - in Year 3 with eyes firmly set on the prize of a FCS National Championship, they really need to go out and dominate the game. Expecting Portland State to be nothing but improved in 2026. Coach Barnum was fired in the offseason - now Chris Fisk has the reins...and he no doubt worked to overhaul the roster. Fisk comes from west coast DII power Central Washington, a familiar foe for Davis. The Wildcats, located in Ellensburg, Washington, were playoff contenders in each of the last three seasons with Fisk as the Head Coach. Wildcats won 10 games last season, and were a perfect 9-0 in the Lone Star Conference, but lost in the first round of the DII Playoffs. CW also lost in the first round in 2024 but were in the Quarterfinals in 2023. Fisk was born in Pocatello, ID and has a background in offensive coordination and offensive line coaching, so he's an offensive minded Head Coach. The Wildcats ran the ball 2 times for every time they threw it, so sounds like an OL/RB centric, run-first offense. -
Pacifico2
253Nice breakdown! The biggest challenge in this game is playing at that empty rec center field out in Hillsboro. I'm not serious with that comment, but that deal is bad.
Fisk is a good football coach. They'll try to run the ball and play good defense. A novel concept, but one that wins a lot of championships at every level of football. They'll probably have a couple guys from Central that will be culture guys and tone setters, and I'm guessing they're slightly less talented than usual but will fight.
Year 3 for Plough, second trip to PSU as a HC, I'm sure there will be some things from the 2024 experience that will be addressed going into 2026. He knows they're walking into an ambush. Biggest thing is to take away hope early, make them think "here we go again". I would go up tempo as fast and furious as possible Offensively for the first 3-5 drives and load the box to stop the run on D. Our Corners can handle anything, so hit their QB, take away what they want to do, and dictate the terms of engagement. Show them what a pissed off Top 5 team in FCS looks like. That's more on the players than the coaches, but that would be my approach. -
davisguy52
122The Hillsboro Hops stadium is not great but it's mostly covered if the weather is bad. About 20 min west of portland proper so much more quiet out there. Hotels aren't bad in beaverton/hillsboro area either -
Pacifico2
253PSU underachieves with their uniforms. Where are the fashion police on this board? Where would you go with those things? A team I grew up playing against had black pants/green jersey/white helmet, which grew on me over the years and I saw they were still rocking the same kit a few years ago and it was nice. I would probably try to get a black helmet and replicate the Ravens look (black helmet and pants/green top with a black top to mix in). Thoughts?
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AggieFinn
894Maybe 18-20 years ago or more when Jerry Glanville was coaching the Vikings, he got the Nike uniform group to do up their squad -- they largely abandoned the green and did a kind of creative Mojo based Odessa Permian look - with the Viking spear tip over the top of the helmet. Was kind of interesting.
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AggieFinn
894Now, with all the green showcased - they look very similar to the Jets (synonymous with losing currently)....and, maybe it takes an outsider, but seeing the PS on the side of the helmet conjures images of POS, which I mean, you know. So it's not very awe inspiring.
I mean, it's the City's university - you can do things with roses, there's a million themes with Vikings as your mascot, you're working with white, black and sort of a vivid emerald green...that's good clay to work with. I know they do a lot of graphic design, sustainable fashion and textile arts at PSU - recruit the student body, make a competition out of it!
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Pacifico2
253Man, I don't think I like any of those :rofl:
I did go to this link: and looked at the helmet history. The 1987-1993 Viking head is probably my favorite, but I like classic logos. He has reincarnated from Valhalla as a throwback helmet several times. The space helmet Viking is really bad.
Green and black with Vikings as a mascot does not feel like it should be this difficult -
SochorField
619I thought the Spear helmet was tough (a little Hawaii-ish though). They did a good job with the recent PS shield logo. It is unique and recognizable. -
Pacifico2
253Western Washington had some cool Viking symbols back in the day. What about the longboat, that could be unique and they could borrow from PJ Fleck for the theme. I don't hate the PS shield; I thought the NY Jets look was the best of the ones that were shown. I did not know the shields represented different clans, thanks for the history lesson. When I think Viking armor/weapons, my first thought is always of the helmet, then the shield, then typically an axe. Just how it goes in my mind.
Why not just copy the Minnesota Viking horn helmet. Timeless! -
AggieFinn
894
Check it out - just get some Viking symbolism in there, roll it with black and green, maybe white highlights, you are looking pretty good.
The second is interesting as it's similar to the Cascadia Cross you see at Timbers home games.
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Pacifico2
253One could absolutely design some pretty cool, San Diego State/Hawaii-esque historic uniforms/helmets with that dragon from the shield or those dragon heads on the Viking ships surrounded by the native symbols, etc. I don't expect much given the creative past at Portland State.
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ucdtim17
24May be hotter. 97 for their home opener last year. Only a touch cooler than Davis during summer heat waves, which can extend into early September. -
BlueGoldAg
1.7k97 degrees in Portland in September is mind boggling to think of but that's the world we live in now with rapidly escalating climate change. Hopefully, it won't be that hot this year but, if it is, the experience may help the us manage playing in the extreme heat and humidity that we'll surely be playing in on September 12th at 1 pm in Dallas against SMU. -
Pacifico2
253My father in law ranched up in the Willamette Valley back in the 50s and spoke of 100 degree summers. I've experienced that in the area as well. It can go dry for a couple months in some areas of the region. Average August temps there are in the 80s probably, with a good number of days exceeding 90. I'll take the under on 97, just playing the odds. And I agree, good tune-up for Dallas although there is nothing you can do to prepare for that climate other than nutrition/hydration and mental toughness. The boys learned that last year in Alabama and looked just fine. It's all about mindset and preparing your body. Go Ags!
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