Fairly essential observations

Following their third consecutive loss, the Portland State football team’s morale may be at its lowest point in years. Some good news for the Vikings can be found in Lindenwood, Mo., Arcata, Calif., and down the road in McMinnville and Monmouth.

Remember the eight players that Jerry Glanville released after spring term? The majority of the former Vikings have moved on to other schools, and surprisingly to some, have not only been welcomed but may have also found a new home.

Wide receivers Matt Bramow and Marcel Thompson seem to be adjusting to their new environment at Lindenwood University outside of St. Louis, Mo. The Lions are 3-1 on the year and Bramow is the team’s second leading receiver, while Thompson caught his first touchdown pass last Saturday.

Matt Smith, another former Vikings receiver, has made himself comfortable at Humboldt State, a Division II school. Smith, who started for Portland State in May’s spring game, leads the Jacks in receiving and has caught three touchdown passes.

Other players not encouraged to return to the football team include linebacker Ronnie Fa’avae, who set up shop at Western Oregon and cornerback Tristan Patin, who settled in McMinnville.

Vikings fans might be wondering if all that talent might have looked better in Jerry Glanville’s shade of black. But at least the team has been successful without them, right? Well, right?

In other football news, the Vikings’ defensive linemen should watch their back during this Saturday’s game. Eastern Washington’s senior center sat out the first half of last week’s game for throwing a punch in the Eagles’ victory over Western Washington earlier in the year.

Wulff is the nephew of former Eastern Washington and current Washington State head coach Paul Wulff, who probably wishes he could punch somebody too after realizing the abysmal state of the team he took over this season.

Jumping to the Big Sky Conference, three Montana football players were arrested after breaking another student’s jaw in an altercation that was caught by a dormitory surveillance camera.

The three players are all redshirts for the Grizzlies, who have dominated the Big Sky football scene since Portland State joined the conference in 1996. The victim suffered several chipped teeth and a broken jaw from the incident.