Showdown on the Sound

Football resumes conference play, looks for much-needed win.

Records entering the game: Portland State has one win versus a conference opponent, giving them a conference record of 1-4, and 2-6 overall on the season. Eastern Washington has had a strong season, going 4-2 in conference play and 5-3 overall.

Last year’s meeting: Portland State won, 47-36, in a surprise victory over the nationally ranked Eagles. Junior quarterback Drew Hubel threw for 623 yards and had four receivers with over 100 yards.

Exotic location: Under normal circumstances, this year’s matchup would have taken place at the Eagles’ Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash., but in an attempt to draw a bigger crowd, the game will be played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Wash. The large NFL venue that is home to the Seattle Seahawks is guaranteed to add some excitement.

Scouting the Eagles: The Eagles are a three-headed monster. Quarterback Matt Nichols was just named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week following his 327-yard passing day against Montana State last week. Nichols has moved into fourth place in the Big Sky for career passing yards and total offense. He leads an offense that is racking up an average of 414 yards per game.

Another key component of the Eagles’ attack is cornerback-turned-running back Taiwan Jones. He leads the conference in rushing yards per game and all-purpose yards with 105.1 and 187.8 yards, respectively.

Linebacker J.C. Sherritt is the final piece of the puzzle. He leads the nation with an average of nearly 15 tackles per game and 119 on the season.

Scouting the Vikings: Portland State’s offensive identity has been MIA for the past two weeks without Hubel, throwing for their lowest total yardage in those games. Hubel has been listed as questionable after a knee injury against Northern Colorado.

Like the Viks did against Weber State early in the season, the defense has shown they are able to stop big runners for the opposition. Continuing in this vein against Jones will be pivotal this week.

The secondary will have to step up to give the offense a chance against Nichols, the conference MVP from two years ago.