The tin man needs a heart, the scarecrow needs a brain and Portland State Football needs to win in the Big Sky Conference.
Portland State enters back into the Big Sky this Saturday, when they face off against the Eastern Washington Eagles. The Vikings have beaten the Eagles each of the past two years and can hopefully muster up the courage to win again.
“I think Eastern Washington is very talented,” said Viking head coach Tim Walsh, “they’ve got a very athletic quarterback, and they are probably the best offensive line in the league. We have our work cut out for us.”
Indeed, quarterback Erik Meyer plays the wicked witch in his very own fairy tale, as he is a team leader for the Eagles. Meyer has supplied Eastern Washington with an average 245 passing yards per game this season alone. The Eagles have a 3-3 record, but have lost their last two games. Not an un-winnable match up for the Vikings, but a challenge.
Running back Ryan Fuqua dropped the house last year, when he rushed for 245-yards and 2 touchdowns, in PSU’s victory over the Eagles. As a whole, the Viks claimed 475 offensive yards.
When asked about his hopes for the Eastern Washington game, coach Walsh, looking rather optimistic, said, “We’re going into the game, with our basic defense, to see how we truly match up. We’re going to make sure that the ball stays in front of us, and if they do complete a pass, we’re going to tackle them for six yards.”
The PSU men will be a long way from home when they play their 3rd of three consecutive away games on October 11th, in Cheney, Wash. Portland State was 4-3 in last years Big Sky Conference, but with this season’s record of 0-1, the Vikings have yet to prove themselves as competitors in 2003.
PSU does have a winning record for all regular season games of 3-2, after beating Stephen F. Austin. The game starts at 2 pm Saturday, and will be crucial for both teams. The Viks need the victory to put them in rankings with other Big Sky competitors. However, it’s going to take more than ruby red slippers to bring a win back to Portland.