Tarleton State dominates Portland State in toasty home opener

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland State opened the 2025-26 football season on Saturday at Hillsboro stadium hosting FCS 10-ranked Tarleton State in what was the hottest home game in PSU history.

At kickoff, the temperature was sitting at 96 degrees and passed 100 by the end of the third quarter. This matchup also serves as the earliest season-opener that PSU has ever played. However, it was a rough start for the Vikings and their mistakes lead them to a brutal 42-0 loss.

Portland State crossed midfield five times in the game, but didn’t score once. They were 4-14 on third down, 0-1 on fourth down, missed two field goals, and had four turnovers. The Texans accumulated 453 total yards on offense compared to Portland State’s 277.
 
The Vikings rotated in three different quarterbacks throughout the game starting with sophomore Gabe Downing, freshman Tyrese Smith, and finally sophomore John-Keawe Sagapolutele. Downing went 10-17 for 91 yards, but threw two interceptions. Sagapolutele finished it out for PSU in the fourth quarter and was 6-14 for 57 yards with one interception.
 
Sophomore running back Delon Thompson lead the Vikings with 17 carries for 55 yards. On the defensive side, sophomore linebacker Lonnie Burt led Portland State with 10 tackles.

“Tarleton State is a really good football team. They have a seasoned defense,” said PSU football’s head coach Bruce Barnum. “They took some things away from us that we normally do. What they gave us on offense we couldn’t take advantage of. We never could complete a drive. The turnovers happened, but Tarleton State made some great plays.”

Portland State had not been shut out by an FCS program since 2006 when they lost 14-0 at Montana State. They will now hit the road for the next couple weeks at BYU on Aug. 30, North Dakota on Sept. 6 and Hawai’i on Sept. 13.