Portland State first on the field
Washington State opens practice Friday, with Oregon, OSU and UW beginning on Monday. Portland State has them all beat, as the Vikings strapped on the pads Thursday.
We know the Vikings are pumped up for the first day of practice. Why? Because the background music in this video tells us so.
Actually, Tailgate Talk has good reason to follow Portland State. For one, quarterback Kieran McDonagh hails from Skyview High School. As a freshman, McDonagh threw for nearly 2,200 yards and 14 TDs, while rushing for 406 yards and nine TDs in the pistol offense. Yet, he’ll face competition from senior Collin Ramirez for the starting job.
Other Clark County-bred Vikings include sophomore linebacker Brandon Brody Heim (Union) and freshman linebacker John Norcross (Camas).
Portland State will be looking to bounce back from a 2-6 season in the tough Big Sky Conference, which had Eastern Washington reach the FCS semifinals and Montana State reach the quarters.
Micah Rice
Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.