If a punt were a delicious chocolate coffee drink, Portland State could open its own Starbucks — but the Viking coffee punt would leave a bitter aftertaste.
The Vikings (2-1), ranked No. 9 in Division I-AA, averaged just 31.7 yards on seven punts Saturday in a 41-0 loss to No. 9 Oregon (4-0). Not that punting was their biggest concern.
Meanwhile, Oregon punter Jose Arroyo (44.8-yard average on four punts) found a good blend of bean and boot, putting two kicks inside the Portland State five-yard line as the Ducks won the battle of field position and their final preseason game of the season in front of 56,066 fans at Autzen Stadium.
Junior tailback Onterrio Smith (117 yards on 21 attempts) rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth straight game, adding two touchdown runs.
Despite their first shutout in 10 years, the Ducks are not satisfied as they get ready to open Pacific-10 Conference play in two weeks.
“I am very happy,” said Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti, who has won 29 of 30 his past 30 games at Autzen. “But I still don’t think we played as well as we’re capable of.”
Portland State tailback Ryan Fuqua, who led Division I-AA in rushing with 174.5 yards prior to the game, gained 88 yards on 24 carries against the Ducks. Viking quarterback Juston Wood, hurried and hit throughout the game, managed 134 yards on 14-of-27 passing and two interceptions.
“I was pumped that we got the shutout,” linebacker David Moretti said. “But we could’ve done some things better.”
Perhaps the most excitement of the game came in the closing minutes, when Oregon’s second-unit defense stopped the Vikings’ second-unit offense from getting on the scoreboard.
Minutes earlier, redshirt freshman Kellen Clemens, in relief of starter Jason Fife, threw the first touchdown pass of his career to redshirt freshman Nate LiaBraaten, putting the Ducks ahead by 41 points.
With 9:50 remaining in the game, Fife found a wide-open George Wrighster in the back of the end zone to give Oregon a 34-0 lead.
Things got ugly late in the third quarter on Portland State’s best drive of the game. Eight penalties were called on the seven-minute drive, including a personal foul on Oregon safety Keith Lewis, who fell on Viking punter Edi Pazos to give Portland State new life.
Not that a new life would really matter in the house of Kevin Mitchell. After getting to the Oregon 11-yard line, Mitchell, Oregon’s inside linebacker, sacked Wood for a loss of 10. The Vikings failed to convert on third and long, and brought on placekicker Mike Cajal-Willis for a 37-yard field-goal attempt.
Mitchell blocked the kick to preserve the shutout.
“I swear I don’t know how (the block) happened,” said Mitchell, who at 5-feet-10-inches is one of the shorter players on the field. “Good things happen, I guess.”
A good thing happened when the Ducks took a 27-0 lead in the third quarter when sophomore placekicker Jared Siegel drilled a wind-aided 52-yard field goal, the longest of his career.
Bellotti said he would not have let Siegel attempt that kick a year ago, but would have done it from “two or three more yards” Saturday.
“(Siegel) is getting better and better,” Bellotti said. “He’s a good athlete and has great pride in what he does.”
Earlier in the third quarter, Moretti blindsided Wood, who fumbled the ball inside the 15-yard line. Defensive end Ed Wangler picked up the loose ball and returned it 8 yards to the Portland State 3-yard line.
On the next play, Smith dove into the end zone for his second score of the game and the Ducks went ahead 24-0.
Smith broke four tackles en route to a 25-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter as the Ducks took a 17-0 lead into the half.
Parker leaped above two Portland State defenders to grab a 31-yard Fife pass in the front corner of the end zone, giving Oregon a 10-0 lead with 1:03 left in the first quarter.
After Oregon opened the game with an eight-play, 60-yard drive, Siegel put the Ducks on the board with a 32-yard field goal.
Fife finished 13-of-20 for 179 yards and two touchdowns and lost a fumble. Wood, his counterpart, had three turnovers, including interceptions by Steven Moore and Stephen Clayton, the first interception of his career.
“By the scoreboard, I didn’t execute like I should have to score points,” Wood said. “To me, losing 41-0 is not fun. There is nothing fun about it.”
Oregon now has a week off before opening Pac-10 play at Arizona on Oct. 5.
“The Pac-10 is the best conference in the nation, there’s no doubt about that,” Bellotti said.
“We’re going to run through the Pac-10 — you can quote me on that,” Lewis said.
Notes: Oregon has opened the season undefeated at home against nonconference opponents for the eighth straight season… Saturday’s crowd of 56,066 marked the 20th consecutive sellout at Autzen, dating back to 1999… Senior wide receiver Keenan Howry had four catches for 45 yards against Portland State and has now caught a pass in 39 straight games. On Saturday, he became the fifth receiver in Oregon history to surpass 2,000 career reception yards… Parker’s 31-yard touchdown catch was the shortest score of his career. He has eight career touchdown receptions, averaging 50.9 yards per touchdown catch.
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