*Note: Click the play button in the middle of the picture to see Coach Howard give a brief preview of Saturday's game.

SOU NOTES

ASHLAND, Ore. -- Southern Oregon University head football coach Craig Howard knows the Raiders face another challenging squad this week when they travel north to face Portland State on the road Saturday at 1 p.m.

Although the Vikings finished each of the past two years with a 2-9 record, second-year head coach Nigel Burton has assembled a talented and experienced squad to compete in the NCAA Division I FCS Big Sky Conference.

"Nigel Burton and his staff do a tremendous job," Howard said. "It's going to be a great football game."

The Vikings return 49 letterwinners from last year's team, including nine starters on both offense and defense and three on special teams. Senior running back Cory McCaffrey is the Big Sky's top returning rusher after tallying 1,287 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Seniors Connor Kavanaugh and Drew Hubel give the Vikings two experienced options at quarterback, and the veteran offensive line helped PSU compile a league-high 203.3 rushing yards per game last year.

Defensively, Ryan Rau, the team's top tackler the past two years, returns to anchor the linebacking corps, while preseason all-Big Sky safety DeShawn Shead leads the secondary. On special teams, kicker Zach Brown ranked third in the FCS last season with 18 field goals, while punter Thomas Duyndam's 42.6 yards per punt last year ranked 11th in the nation.

The Raiders will not only be looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking 50-47 double overtime loss in their season-opener last week. They'll also be looking to end an eight-game losing streak to the Vikings. Southern Oregon and Portland State squared off anuually from 1952-70, competing as Oregon Collegiate Conference foes from 1952-64.

In total, the schools have met 21 times on the gridiron, and it has been a series marked by streaks. The Raiders lead the all-time series 11-9-1, winning the first 11 games, but are 0-9-1 in the last 10 meetings. The rivalry took a 34-year hiatus after the 1975 matchup until SOU traveled to Portland on Sept. 12, 2009, falling to Portland State 34-10 in the teams' most recent meeting.

Howard is confident that his team will be prepared for the matchup this week, saying that the squad is focusing on shoring up the mistakes that cost the Raiders in Montana. Southern Oregon had three turnovers in the game, including costly fumbles on the opening kickoff and on the Diggers' one-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter.

"I really believe in football that you make the greatest improvement from the first game to the second game," Howard said, "so hopefully we'll correct the mistakes that we made against Montana Tech, and we'll have an exciting game against the Vikings."

For fans interested in attending the game, tickets can be purchased for $20 through the SOU athletic department by Aug. 31. Simply call Rhonda Bergh and put in your order.

For those remaining in the Ashland area, the game will be aired on Comcast SportsNet NW, which is channel 28 for Ashland Home Net subscribers. Live stats will be available throught the Portland State website, and live streaming of the game will also be available online.