How UH football matches up with Portland State

In his 40th year of coaching, including seven as PSU head coach, Bruce Barnum has been an offensive innovator. The former Eastern Washington linebacker’s move to the other side of the ball began with his first college job at Western Washington. “For some reason they assigned me to the offensive line,” Barnum said. In his ascent, he picked up concepts from Mike Price, a proponent of the Air Raid; Mouse Davis, co-creator of the modern run-and-shoot, and former UH head coach June Jones. After being promoted to head coach in 2010, Barnum invited Davis on road trips. “He’s a really good coach,” Davis said. But numerous injuries and a tough schedule doomed the Vikings to an 0-3 start to this season. The Vikings were outscored a combined 116-0 against Tarleton State and BYU. They went 118 offensive plays before scoring their first touchdown. They incurred three delay-of-game penalties to start drives. Against BYU, the Vikings logged only 12 plays in the second half. They averaged 1.2 yards per play that game. While dealing with an injury, their best back, Delon Thompson, has eight negative-yard rushes in 30 carries. The Vikings have played four QBs, starting three different ones, in the first three games. Former UH QB John-Keawe Sagapolutele, who transferred to PSU in January, made his first NCAA start last week. He was 11-for-17 for 146 yards but was hit repeatedly. Sagapolutele took reps in practice this week. The Vikings are scheduled to practice today. “We’re trying to get him patched up,” Barnum said. “That’s the best way to say it.” QB Gabe Downing started the opener but has not played since. QB CJ Jordan’s only appearance has been the BYU start. Slotback Branden Alvarez (team-high eight catches in 14 targets) did not play last week. If healthy, tight end Kristian Ingman (455-pound squat, 315-pound clean) is an effective block-and-roll weapon.

Bryant Thomas, who joined PSU as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2023, is in his first full season as defensive coordinator. He began calling plays in last year’s fifth game. The 4-2-5 base has several options. Rush end Spencer Elliott can flex, creating a three-man front. A linebacker also can move up as a fifth D-lineman. Free safety Isaiah Green often sets up at least 12 yards off the line in a single-high coverage. Green has a team-high 31 tackles, including 15 solo stops. Middle linebacker Jaxton Helmstetler produced nine tackles in back-to-back games. Last week, he also scooped a fumble and raced 70 yards for a touchdown. Nevada transfer Aedan Seiuli plays the strong safety position known as “viking.” Last year against UH, Seiuli had eight tackles. Two years after earning a degree, VJ Malo returned to his alma mater to coach the D-ends. “We call him our ‘pass-rush guru,” Elliott said of Malo. “He showed the entire D-line how to pass rush properly.” After failing to get a sack in the first two games, the Vikings amassed four against North Dakota. Elliott was the pressure-point man. “Within our defense, the rush end is probably the most free position you can possibly play,” said Elliott, who usually sets up on the narrow side of the formation. “Defense is a do-your-job thing. You’ve got to have 11 guys doing their job. But they give me a lot of freedom within my job.” There is no flexibility in his preparation. He sticks to a menu of what he calls “dog food” — ground beef, rice, spinach, Greek yogurt, eggs, protein shake. He sets the “Do Not Disturb” function on his cell phone every evening, ensuring eight hours sleep. “It’s important to keep everything in my life organized and situated so I can be the best player I can be on the field,” Elliott said.

Last season, Mathias Uribe converted 11 of 12 field-goal attempts and 37 of 38 PATs. (Boise State’s blocks accounted for his two misses.) But this year, Uribe has failed on his three FG attempts, including two from beyond 50 yards. His 57-yard attempt was blocked by BYU and returned 54 yards for a touchdown. Cru Newman, who has been busy as a receiver and returner, has yet to play QB. Newman also is part-owner of a landscaping business.

In a think-inside-the-box move, UH is having success with offensive coordinator Anthony Arceneaux on the sideline and O-line coach Derek Faavi in the coaches’ box during games. Arceneaux, who relayed observations from the booth last year, now is able to interact closely with the players and head coach Timmy Chang, who calls the offensive plays. Faavi prefers the bird’s-eye view. “It allows me to see the fronts, see what’s going on in the (tackle) box, and communicate those things to our guys,” said Faavi, whose run-game assistant Winterhawk Leighton is on the sideline. The pass protection has improved with the return of right guard Kuao Peihopa, who missed the first two games because of a leg injury, and Devon Tauaefa’s development as an all-purpose tight end. Weighing 200 the previous two seasons, the 6-foot-5 Tauaefa was viewed as a tall inside receiver. Through a protein-loaded meal plan and strength coach Bobby Thomas’ training, the 225-pound Tauaefa is used as a line-attached blocker, a motion end seeking to create mismatches, and a deep threat with 4.6 speed. “We’re seeing a stout and developed Devon,” Faavi said. “It adds a little more beef (to blocking).” Tauaefa said his off-field training includes his first two steps, hand placements and blocking immovable objects. “If I’m at home, I’ll find a pillar or a wall or a tree, something I can block,’ Tauaefa said. In UH’s version of a two-tight-end set, running back Landon Sims can misdirect a pass rusher and then curl for middle or bubble screens. For the second consecutive week, QB1 Micah Alejado’s availability is listed as a “game-time decision” because of a foot ailment. Luke Weaver, a former JC All-American, played well in Alejado’s absence, throwing three TD passes and directing three other scoring drives, while averaging 6.3 yards per non-sack rush.

In the doppelgänger contest, De’Jon Benton is former UH All-American Al Noga, a D-lineman who can play across the center to outside the tackle. Last week, Benton aligned in three different spots. “He’s cut from the same cloth (as Noga),” D-tackle coach Jeff Reinebold said. There are a lot of plays (Benton) makes that he shouldn’t make because he competes harder than the guys going against him.” In a three-and-out series last week, D-end Lester Lagafuaina conjured memories of Travis LaBoy. Lagafuaina stopped Elijah Green for a 3-yard loss, used a six-stride approach to force a hurried incompletion and bounced off a double block to sack Mabry Mettauer. On the back side, the Warriors have used a three-safety scheme to form a cone of uncertainty for opposing offenses. The outside safeties can pick up receivers or sprint into the box. The “hawk” — middle-deep safety — plays the ball and is not assigned to a particular player. Peter Manuma, who has a team-high 21 tackles, usually plays the hawk because of his speed, range and impact power. But both UH interceptions were results of safety Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen’s creativity. He turned the momentum with an open-field pick against Stanford. His breakup-to-popup led to Giovanni Iovino’s 41-yard pick-6 last week. Matagi Thompson has impressed as a third safety. And last week, safety Ezekiel Rodrigues made three stops in Sam Houston’s final seven-play drive, earning a high grade in UH’s production index measuring quality plays. “I was waiting to celebrate (an apparent victory) with the boys when Coach Timmy threw me in there,” Rodrigues said. “I had to do my job and show up for the boys.” Rodrigues, who attended Maryknoll and played for Pac-Five for three years, transferred to Mililani for his senior season. He caught the recruiting department’s attention when he played that year with a cast while recovering from a broken arm.

Similar to sure-handed Greg Salas 15 years ago, Tama Uiliata’s value as a punt returner does not show up in the stat sheet. Last week, Uiliata fair-caught four of five punts, preventing hidden yards after rolls. A short punt that he could not field rolled an additional 9 yards. On fair catches, the average drive started on the 33; the rolling punt placed the ball at the 30. Last year’s punter, Lucas Borrow, is a student assistant helping punter Billy Gowers, who is sixth nationally with a 49.0-yard average.