Washington State 2024 Opponent Scouting Report: Portland State

Jared Miller | Jun 18, 2024

Aug 26, 2017; Provo, UT, USA; Portland State Vikings head coach Bruce Barnum reacts in the fourth quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Who/When/Where: Week 1 will bring Portland State to Pullman and pit the Cougars against the FCS’ Vikings for the first time since 2021. PSU hails from the Big Sky Conference, making this the fourth consecutive year WSU has faced a Big Sky team in its non-conference slate. The August 31 game will mark the first contest for Washington State since it officially lost all but one of its Pac-12 mates as the program begins to navigate a new era.

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Getting to Know Portland State

Offense Players to Watch: Dante Cachere (QB), Quincy Craig (RB), Christian Grubb (RB)

Defensive Players to Watch: Slade Sfufelt (DL), Kennedy Freeman (DL), Michael Hurst (S)

Count on Portland State to run the ball early and often with a committee of ball carriers including senior quarterback Dante Cachere (#15). Cachere is a true dual-threat guy with his biggest assets coming on the ground. He constantly keeps his eyes up field and is excellent at selling fakes and making quick decisions. When he keeps the ball, Cachere has an ability to weave his way through traffic on nimble feet and is seldom brought down by the first tackler. 

Running backs Quincy Craig (#17) and Christian Grubb (#23) are home-run threats when they have the ball as well. Craig is not necessarily a power runner but he is quick, especially in his starts and stops. Grubb is strong and knows how to effectively shed tacklers. This duo paired with the mobile Cachere is a three-headed attack that head coach Bruce Barnum likes to use a lot throughout the course of a game. The Vikings averaged 224 rush yards per contest in 2023. 

When he does throw, Cachere likes to look outside to receivers on the perimeter or utilize quick outlet routes in the middle of the field. He will occasionally try the deep ball but, seeing as the team lost its three top pass-catchers from a year ago, it likely won’t be all that often.  

Defensively, Portland State will typically rush four and will not often blitz its linebackers or secondary players. Lineman Slade Shufelt (#96) and Kennedy Freeman (#48) are the heavy hitters up front, a duo that combined for 5.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2023. 

The one area that the Vikings have struggled in is in their pass defense. The secondary has a tendency to get beat on long balls, especially when the quarterback has time to let routes develop. PSU’s safeties and corners had several instances last year in which they found themselves out of position, allowing opposing receivers to get one or even two steps ahead. Washington State’s receiving corps could have a heyday with a unit that surrendered almost 13 yards per catch last fall. 

Final Analysis: The Vikings are a team that will give the Cougs their yards and points on defense while relying on its own offense (specifically its dynamic rushing attack) to stay in the game. Nothing they do is overly complex but Barnum has been known to have a trick or two up his sleeve, especially in big games, which this will be for FCS Portland State.

It’s still murky on who will be the main targets through the air but what is almost certain is that PSU will run a lot in this game until they are forced to throw. They’re solid on the line but aren’t necessarily imposing on either side in the trenches. What could be the Vikings real undoing is their lacking secondary matched up against Washington State’s explosive receivers.