VIKING FOOTBALL HISTORY NAIA, NCAA II, All-Time Letterwinners and More
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VIKING FOOTBALL HISTORY NAIA, NCAA II, All-Time Letterwinners and More Nothing about the founding, growth PASS OR RUN? Back in the Vikings’ Division II days, there were a number of crazy promo- and development of Portland State tions, including the fans calling plays for one possession each game. Here, in a game from the University followed the traditional early ‘90s, the crowd definitely wants to pass. path of higher education. The same can be said about its athletics department and football program. From Extension Center to NAIA to NCAA Division II and then Division I. From Lincoln High School to Multnomah Stadium/Civic Stadium/ PGE Park/JELD-WEN Field/Providence Park (and to Hillsboro Stadium twice and back again). From superstar athletes to NFL stars. From crazy promotions to postseason prominence. From Mouse to Pokey to Tim to Barny and all the others along the way, this is the story of Portland State Football. The Vikings were Oregon Collegiate Conference Champions under Head Coach Jerry Lyons (second from right, dark jacket) in 1963. PSU went 4-0 to win its first conference champion- ship of any kind. The Vikings won the OCC again in 1964. 2018 Viking Football • 126 ortland State University will embark on to its downtown location in 1952 and became a its 69th season of football in the year four-year degree granting institution in 1955. It 2015. The previous 68 seasons have also became known as Portland State College. P seen remarkable change and growth as the university itself blossomed from a SMALL COLLEGE FOOTBALL two-year extension center in the 1940s to a four- Ralph Davis took over as head coach in 1955 year college in the 50s, reached university status as Portland State began competing exclusively in 60s and by the turn of the century became the at the small college level. The move to a more state of Oregon’s largest and most diverse institu- consistent - and tougher - schedule proved chal- tion of higher education. lenging to the emerging college athletic program. Viking athletics began in a primitive form The Vikings did not have a winning season from during the early days of the extension center in 1954 to 1962 and had four different coaches. the 1940s, then grew to compete in the Oregon Jerry Lyons was head coach Collegiate Conference in the 1950s and 60s. for the 1963 season and PSU became an NCAA College Division led Portland State Col- member in the mid-1960s, then evolved lege to its best record June Jones (11) was the first quarterback into a NCAA II program and finally a to date: 6-2. However, to make Mouse Davis’ “Run-and-Shoot” NCAA 1-AA program in the late 90s (PSU following a .500 season offense famous during the 1975 and 1976 also competed at the 1-AA level from in 1964, Portland State seasons. 1978-80). did not see another departure of Ron Stratten. Behind his revolution- Portland State, which played as an winning year until ary new “Run-and-Shoot” offense (developed independent during much of its history, was 1969 under Don Read in the late 1960s at Hillsboro (OR) HS) and a a member of the NCAA II Western Football - the same year that the strong-armed quarterback named June Jones, Conference from 1982 to 1992, then school achieved university Davis led the Viking program to new heights - an joined the Big Sky Conference in 1996. status. At this point, PSU 8-3 record, including a perfect 5-0 home mark. All along the way, the growth had become an NCAA The Run-and-Shoot employed a pass-heavy, of the Viking football program has member, playing a Don Read was Portland State’s Head multiple-receiver offense that confused defenses. paralleled that of the University formidable - and Football Coach - twice. In 1975, PSU scored a school-record 366 points and its Athletics Department. regional - schedule, (33.2 ppg) and passed for 3,979 yards - and that was just the beginning. VANPORT: THE EARLY YEARS 1955-74 Under Davis, the Viking program churned out OF VIKING FOOTBALL Prominent Vikings of the Era five straight seasons of more than 4,000 passing Although little is recorded from the early Billy White, RB yards, with four more winning records, per game years of Viking football, the Vanport Extension Andy Berkis, RB offensive numbers in the vicinity of 500 yards, and Center (PSU in its formative years) first fielded a Tim Von Dulm, QB, first 3,000-yard passer a pair of All-American quarterbacks. Jones and football team in 1947. Randy Nelson, WR, first 1,000-yard receiver later Neil Lomax dazzled their opponents - and The Viking pro- Don Read, Head Coach often humiliated them on the scoreboard - scoring gram, led by Athletic Tom Oberg, S, first NFL player over 50 points 14 times during those years. Director Joe Holland Key Moments In 1980 alone, PSU put up winning scores through the first 1955: Vanport becomes Portland State that boggled the mind: 93-7 vs. Cal Poly Pomona, eight years, com- College and a four-year institution. 105-0 vs. Delaware State and 75-0 vs. Weber peted mainly against 1965: PSC becomes NCAA member State. In the win over Delaware State, Lomax small colleges, junior 1968-71: Don Read’s first PSU coaching stint tossed a school-record seven touchdown passes colleges and military 1969-70: First back-to-back winning seasons - in the first quarter. Lest football observers think bases. Vanport, a two-year school at featuring teams from Washington, Idaho, Mon- the time, was 1-8 in tana and California. Joe Holland, Vanport’s its first season. Its As the Viking program continued to move up first football coach. first win came in the its level of competition, it continued to struggle, season’s final game against Sand Point Naval Air managing just one more winning season through Station, 36-7. the mid-1970s. But, what Portland State Univer- Vanport had its first winning season under sity followers didn’t know is they were about to Holland in 1949, going 5-4 with wins over witness a revolution in football and the fortunes Wenatchee, Clark and Olympic Junior Colleges, of its football program. as well as Oregon Tech and Tongue Point Naval Station. RUN AND SHOOT Vanport, which was originally located in the In its first 28 seasons of football, Portland community of Vanport in North Portland, moved State had five winning seasons and two seasons at .500. In the following 27 years, PSU would have 1947-54 19 winning seasons and prove to become one Prominent Vikings of the Era of the most innovative and explosive offensive Joe Holland, first coach and athletic director football programs at any level. The transformation began with a man Key Moments named Darrel “Mouse” Davis. Mouse Davis’ teams scored 50 or more 1947: Vanport fields first team An assistant coach at Portland State, Davis points 16 times in six seasons. Mouse is 1949: The first winning season - 5-4 took over as Head Coach in 1975 following the seen here with Mike Bush. 2018 Viking Football • 127 Neil Lomax led Portland State’s offense to record numbers and scores as he passed for 13,220 yards 1981-85 during his four-year career (1977-80). He was Prominent Vikings of the Era later inducted into the National Football Don Read, Head Coach Foundation Hall of Fame and the Oregon Doug Mikolas, DT, All-American Sports Hall of Fame. Steve Lyle, RB Terry Summerfield, QB DEVELOPING A FIRM FOOTING AT DIVISION II Key Moments 1981: PSU becomes NCAA II program, Although Portland State had become an Don Read begins his second stint NCAA member many years prior, the Mouse Davis as Head Coach era continued the transient, independent schedule 1982: The Vikings join the Western Football of the Viking program. Conference Coinciding with Don Read’s return as Head 1983: PSU draws largest-ever home crowd Coach at Portland State in 1981, the Viking - 26,102 in game with Oregon State program became ingrained as an NCAA II- 1984: PSU wins first of six WFC titles level institution. Unfortunately, at that time, financial issues threatened many of PSU’s the next six seasons, PSU would win five Western athletic programs. Football was not im- Football Conference titles, reach the NCAA II title mune. game twice (1987 and 1988), complete three While a number of lower-profile sports 11-win seasons and become one of the most were dropped in 1981 as a cost-cutting dominant Division II football programs in the measure, among those being consid- nation. The Vikings went 10-5 in playoff games 1975-80 ered for elimination were men’s basketball and during that era as Allen compiled a 63-26-2 record Prominent Vikings of the Era football. Finally, it was deemed that the struggling over seven seasons, establishing the best winning Mouse Davis, Head Coach, NFL Coach men’s basketball program would be dropped (it percentage of any coach at PSU (.708). June Jones, QB, All-American, NFL player was reinstated in 1996) and football would play More than just the football though, Allen and coach, collegiate head coach on. brought the Vikings attention through his quirky Neil Lomax, QB, All-American, All-Time For Read, the challenges were once again personality and PSU’s goofy promotional stunts. passing leader, NFL great as Portland State tried to maintain its bal- Allen could be seen riding elephants, making Dave Stief, WR, established PSU yardage ance as an athletic program as well as a football astronomical predictions, betting his paycheck and TD records, NFL program.