Portland State’s football team lost to their Big Sky rivals, the Eastern Washington Eagles, 74-23 on Nov. 16 at Hillsboro Stadium. The loss brought the Vikings’ season to an end with a 4-7 overall record, with three wins and five losses in Big Conference play.
It was PSU’s senior night, where they celebrated the 12 senior players in their last game.
Unfortunately, the Vikings couldn’t get a win for the graduating seniors and were easily handled by the Eagles from the get-go. Eastern Washington came out strong, hitting PSU’s defense with a quick tempo that had them on their heels and down 14-0 halfway through the first quarter.
While the Vikings came within two touchdowns by the end of the first half, the gap only got larger as the game went on, due to turnovers and special teams miscues.
Sophomore quarterback Davis Alexander had a decent night, completing 21 of 34 pass attempts for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while also running one in himself. Alexander was quick on his feet, opting to make plays with his legs rather than his arms in cases where his offensive line failed to protect him. However, Alexander threw three interceptions that, due to their positioning on the field, left the Eagles’ defense in prime position to convert the turnovers into touchdowns.
Overall, the offense played well when they could gain momentum. Junior tight end Charlie Taumoepeau ended his night with eight catches for 78 yards, and sophomore wide receiver Emmanuel Daigbe hauled in four catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns.
This Vikings football squad is still young, and this season has shown the potential for an even more successful 2019 campaign.
