Previewing Idaho @ Portland State
The Vandals look to improve to 7-3 after the much needed bye week
I’m desperately trying to remember the last time I was in attendance for a Vandal football game, and for the life of me, I cannot. It’s been at least 10 years. That streak comes to an end this weekend, as I will be at Hillsboro Stadium, cheering on the Mighty Vandals as they take on the Portland State Vikings.
Before last week’s bye, Lake Oswego’s very own Jack Layne made his long awaited return to action after sustaining a broken collarbone in the season opener against the Oregon Ducks. Performing admirably in Layne’s absence, was Tualatin’s Jack Wagner. The two quarterbacks will be in spitting distance of their old stomping grounds on Saturday, and a homecoming should always be special.
The Vandals, who are 6-3, seem to be more characterized by their struggles this season, yet despite the long list of injuries that have plagued the team, the only meaningful losses came against a very good UC Davis team, and a Montana State football team that seems to be on a mission from God. I will spare you the boring rhetoric of what might’ve been had our team been healthy, and instead offer an alternate perspective.
Last week, the FCS Playoff Committee revealed their first and only in-season ranking ahead of their official playoff seedings to be revealed on Nov. 24. Despite the losses, the committee saw it fit to rank the Idaho Vandals at No. 7. With just three regular season games remaining, and our 1st string quarterback back in the fold, it’s difficult to envision this team in a more advantageous position.
It goes without saying that I am excited by the possibilities, but before I get any further ahead of myself, let me return to the topic. The Portland State Vikings are a scrappy team, and despite not winning many games this season, they’ve been quite a frustrating match-up for several of their opponents this season, and I expect nothing less from them this weekend.
Quarterback Dante Chachere is the focal point of the team. Leading in both passing and rushing stats, he would likely lead the team in receiving stats as well if he could be in two places at once. Passing for 10 touchdowns, and rushing for another 12, it’s clear that wherever Chachere goes, the Vikings follow. At 6’3” and 200lbs, Dante Chachere isn’t the pocket quarterback you might expect him to be. The guy has wheels, and the moment you over-commit to stopping him on the ground, he’s a good enough passer to make you pay.
That’s pretty much where the party starts and stops for Portland State, but before you exhale, that’s been good enough to lose to UC Davis by one point, score twice as many points against Montana State as the Vandals did, and rack up 100 points total against Idaho State and Sacramento State.
On the other side of the ball, things are a different story. Context always matters, however, giving up an average of 39 points per game is incomprehenibly bad, and no amount of context can make up for that. I even did them the favor of excluding their two FBS matchups against Washington State and Boise State, where they allowed an average of 63 points per game. With that said, the Portland State Vikings play college football, and they play defense with the appropriate physicality of a college football team. They’re just… bad.
The match-up against the Vandals is not favorable for PSU, but that doesn’t mean the Vandals will not have their hands full trying to contain Chachere. Jack Layne and the offense should have little to no issue producing and this game should serve as another “warm up” for Layne heading into the post-season, but if Idaho’s defense doesn’t rise to the challenge, a shoot-out is a real possibility.
There is little to no reason Idaho shouldn’t be running away with this game by halftime, but as we’ve seen so far this season, no lead is safe. Expectations and injuries aside, the Idaho Vandals haven’t yet figured themselves out this season. Unless the teams ahead of us in the rankings falter, there is no wiggle room. As good as the Vandals might be, this game against the 2-6 Portland State Vikings is do-or-die.
I believe. In fact, I would put money on a comfortable Vandal victory, but it’s entirely possible that too much football has robbed me of my innocence and my expectations of logical outcomes are really just desperate cries for help. I’ll sort all that out with my therapist later, but for now, GO VANDALS.
Note from the author: I do apologize for my brief hiatus. Life is unpredictable, and as many of you are already aware, children make it even harder to manage. Nevertheless, I am here for you. Thank you for your continued support! If you are planning to be at the game against Portland State this weekend, please let me know, I would love to say hi!
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