Tag: Portland State

Aug 30, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) looks to pass against the Portland State Vikings during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Bear Bachmeier tosses 3 TDs in BYU’s rout of Portland State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bear Bachmeier threw for three touchdowns and ran for two others in his collegiate debut to lead BYU to a 69-0 victory over Portland State in Provo, Utah, on Saturday night.

Bachmeier became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for BYU. He won the job in fall camp after transferring from Stanford following spring practices. He finished with 97 yards on 7-of-11 passing and added 32 yards on the ground.

BYU (1-0) churned out 468 yards and five touchdowns on the ground while averaging 9.8 yards per carry. LJ Martin led the way with 131 yards on eight carries.

Portland State (0-2) struggled to find any life on offense for the second straight game. The Vikings averaged just 1.2 yards per play. CJ Jordan led Portland State with 58 yards on 8-of-14 passing.

Jack Kelly returned a blocked field goal 54 yards for BYU’s first touchdown with 3:58 left in the first quarter. Kelly helped the Cougars overcome a special teams gaffe after Parker Kingston fumbled at the end of a 15-yard punt return, giving Portland State the ball at the BYU 37.

BYU extended the lead to 14-0 on the final play of the first quarter when Bachmeier found Chase Roberts on a 4-yard strike.

The floodgates broke wide open in the second quarter.

BYU added five more touchdowns to take a 49-0 halftime lead while reeling off one big play after another. Cody Hagen scored on a 57-yard reverse — his first career carry for the Cougars. Later, Bachmeier plowed across the goal line on a 4-yard run after John Taumoepeau recovered a fumble at the Portland State 6 and also scored on a 12-yard sprint. Additionally, he threw touchdown passes to Noah Moeaki and Carsen Ryan.

BYU totaled 287 yards in the second quarter, averaging 13.7 yards per play.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Chase Roberts (2) reacts to a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the fourth quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Freshman QB takes lead as BYU faces Portland State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

When BYU’s Bear Bachmeier takes the field against Portland State in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, he will be the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener for the Cougars.

Bachmeier transferred from Stanford after spring practices and earned a shot to claim the starting job after returning starter Jake Retzlaff left the program and transferred to Tulane.

He earned the assignment for the opener when he beat out McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet in fall camp. His older brother, Tiger, is a wide receiver on the team who transferred with him.

Their other brother, Hank, was a starting quarterback for Boise State, Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest over six seasons.

“He’s done a great job being the leader and connecting with his teammates,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of Bear Bachmeier. “I think he’ll be ready. Looking at his demeanor, and his intelligence, and the things he’s picking up, he’s amped up. He’s ready to play.”

Bachmeier is only the eighth quarterback in program history to start any game as a true freshman and the first since Zach Wilson in 2018. His learning curve could be short since the Cougars return their top receiver and top rusher from a year ago.

Chase Roberts had 52 receptions for 854 yards and four touchdowns last season. LJ Martin emerged as a star in the backfield with 718 yards rushing and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.24 yards per carry.

Despite just arriving to college, Bachmeier has won over his teammates with poise and leadership.

“His mentality that he’s had all camp, he doesn’t act like a freshman quarterback,” Roberts said.

Portland State faces a tough task in trying to beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2015. The Vikings opened their season last weekend and were crushed 42-0 by Tarleton State.

Three quarterbacks saw action for Portland State, although the Vikings never got on track on either side of the ball. The QB trio threw three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, while the defense allowed 301 rushing yards.

“They took some things away from us that we normally do,” Portland State coach Bruce Barnum said. “But what they gave us on offense we couldn’t take advantage of.”

BYU is 19-0 all-time against FCS opponents and hasn’t lost to a team outside the FBS ranks since 1960. The Cougars beat the Vikings 20-6 in the only previous meeting between the teams in 2017.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA;Portland State Vikings offensive lineman Jakob Belton (77) lines up for a play against the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Portland St. cancels game amid whooping cough outbreak

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Saturday’s home game against South Dakota was canceled due to an outbreak of whooping cough within Portland State’s football program, the Vikings announced Saturday.

“A case of pertussis (whooping cough) got into the Viking team two days ago,” Portland State’s Saturday statement said. “Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that affects the lungs. As a result, many team members have been exposed to the disease.”

Both teams and their team doctors discussed the situation, and ultimately Portland State (0-2) made the decision not to play the game “in the interest of the health of the student-athletes.”

Portland State did not say how many players had gotten sick but said none were seriously ill as of Saturday’s statement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whooping cough — which is transmitted through the air — can be contagious for at least two weeks after a person starts coughing. The CDC recommends vaccinating against whooping cough.

Portland State was coming off losses to Washington State and Weber State to open the season. The Vikings are set to visit Boise State next Saturday.

“We are aware of Portland State’s decision to cancel their game against South Dakota due to health and safety protocols,” Boise State said in a statement Saturday. “We are in communication with Portland State’s administration and will remain so as we continue to monitor the situation as it pertains to next Saturday’s game. Our utmost priority and concern are for the health and safety of anyone involved.”

South Dakota (1-1) is next set to host Drake on Sept. 21.

Portland State said information about ticketing and potential refunds for Saturday’s canceled game will come at a later date.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Portland State Vikings wide receiver Jermaine Braddock (6) breaks up a pass play intended for Oregon Ducks wide receiver Kyler Kasper (17) during the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 15 Oregon demolishes Portland State, 81-7

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Nix threw for three touchdowns and Jordan James rushed for three more as No. 15 Oregon started its 2023 campaign off strong, sprinting past in-state FCS foe Portland State for an 81-7 victory in Eugene on Saturday.

Nix completed 23 of 27 passes for 287 yards, doing his part to lead Oregon to the win. James covered 86 yards with 10 carries, while Bucky Irving Jr. rushed just four times for 119 yards and two scores.

Through the air, Troy Franklin Jr. hauled in seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and Gary Bryant Jr. put up a similar line with seven catches for 100 yards and two scores. It’s the first time
Oregon has had two players notch more than 100 receiving yards in a single game since 2014 when Darren Carrington and Charles Nelson topped the mark against Arizona.

Oregon had 729 yards of total offense. The dominant performance marked the first time the Ducks’ offense gained more than 700 yards since a win over Southern Utah in 2017. It’s also the most points
Oregon has scored at home since Autzen Stadium opened in 1967.

The Ducks opened the scoring with Nix capping off a seven-play, 66-yard drive by finding Franklin for a 13-yard touchdown. Portland State responded quickly, piecing together a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Dante Chachere finding Chance Miller for a 9-yard score.

But Portland State had trouble generating offense and sustaining drives from there. As Oregon piled up the points, the Vikings never answered. Portland State had seven drives that went three-and-out.
Oregon punted on just one of its 13 drives; the other 12 ended with scores.

Oregon has now won 69 straight games when holding its opponent to 14 points or less.

The schedule will get a bit more challenging for the Ducks next Saturday, when they travel to Lubbock, Texas for a nonconference clash with Texas Tech.

Meanwhile, Portland State is set to play a second straight FBS opponent, traveling to Wyoming.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2021; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Jayden de Laura (4) drops back for a pass against the Portland State Vikings in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Jayden de Laura (4 TDs) leads Wazzu past Portland St.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jayden de Laura got a leg up in Washington State’s quarterback derby, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another as the Cougars defeated Portland State 44-24 Saturday in a nonconference game in Pullman, Wash.

de Laura, who started as a freshman in 2020, completed 21 of 29 passes for 303 yards for the Cougars (1-1). Two of his TDs went to Travell Harris.

Tennessee transfer Jarrett Guarantano got the nod for the Cougars’ season opener last week, a 26-23 loss to Utah State. But he suffered a left leg injury in the second quarter and was replaced by de Laura, who led the team to a double-digit lead before the Aggies rallied in the final 5 1/2 minutes.

The FCS Vikings (0-2) provided an easier test as WSU took a 30-10 halftime lead thanks to 13 points off turnovers.

A Portland State fumble led to the Cougars’ first score, a 22-yard pass from de Laura to Calvin Jackson Jr.

The Vikings tied the score at 7-7 early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by quarterback Davis Alexander.

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to Portland State’s 46-yard line and de Laura capped a three-play drive with a 10-yard run.

A 16-yard touchdown run by Deon McIntosh, who had a game-high 64 yards on eight carries, gave WSU a 21-7 lead.

Portland State’s Cody Williams kicked a 46-yard field goal to make it 21-10.

But de Laura threw a 19-yard TD pass to Harris with 1:07 left in the second quarter and the Cougars turned an interception into a 23-yard field goal by Dean Janikowski as the half ended to make it a 20-point game.

Max Borghi rushed for a 1-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to extend WSU’s lead to 37-10. Borghi had 59 yards on 13 carries.

Alexander completed fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 39 yards to Beau Kelly and 3 yards to Nate Bennett.

Alexander, who threw for 400 yards last week in a loss at Hawaii, was 28 of 50 for 318 yards. He also rushed for a team-high 62 yards on 13 carries.

Kelly had a game-high 152 yards receiving on 10 catches.

–Field Level Media