Walsh likes look of his '07 squad
PSU coach sees potential to be better than last year’s 7-4 team
By jason vondersmith The Portland Tribune 3.5 hours ago
Signing day in three weeks will produce new football players for Portland State, but not many who could break into the 2007 Vikings’ lineup.
Coach Tim Walsh feels the Vikings could be better than the 7-4 team that arguably should have been in the Division I-AA playoffs and was ranked 19th and 20th in two national polls.
“We wouldn’t have to recruit another guy and we’d be good,” Walsh says. “The thing we lost the most was depth.”
The coach admits that his dalliance with the Idaho job in December hurt recruiting somewhat, but his decision to stay means stability (he chose not to apply to be PSU’s next athletic director).
In 14 seasons, Walsh has a respectable 90-68 (.572) record, but none of his recent teams has been able to break Montana’s stranglehold on the Big Sky Conference.
Some things need to fall into place for them to be fully loaded next season.
The Vikings have appealed to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility for running back Mu’Ammar Ali and receiver Tremayne Kirkland. Walsh says he won’t officially hear the NCAA’s decision until spring. “I’ll be shocked if (Ali) doesn’t get his year back — same with Kirkland,” he says. “We’re going about business as if they’ll be here.”
QB job up for grabsQuarterback Brian White, who transferred from Colorado last season, nearly helped the Viks topple Montana at PGE Park only days after joining the team. He heads into offseason workouts and spring ball as the No. 1 quarterback, but sophomore Tygue Howland will push him after recovering from a knee injury.
“He’s ready to compete,” Walsh says of Howland, “and he knows who he has to beat out now. Brian’s experience probably outweighs Tygue’s size (6-3, 215) and strength. Brian’s a big guy, but not as put together.”
Of the QB play, Walsh adds: “If you look at our I-AA games the past two years, our productivity was pretty good (with Sawyer Smith). We need to be more consistent. We’d like to throw for 250 yards on a consistent basis. Maybe because our mentality is running the football, we lost the fact that we need to be a balanced team. And we didn’t protect the quarterback as well as we should have.”
The Vikings could have used Kyley McCrae last year, and the freshman running back would have produced, but Walsh wanted to preserve his year and redshirted him. Next season, McCrae and Ali should form a pretty good 1-2 punch, with a lot of blockers returning.
“He’s an all-around back — he can block, catch and run,” Walsh says of McCrae. “And he’s not little anymore — about 205 and put together.”
White should have some good receivers, especially with speedsters Kirkland — as long as he can stay healthy —and Kenneth Mackins back. Several tight ends return and “we’re hoping Matt Leunen makes a big jump,” Walsh says. “He looks a lot like (OSU’s Joe) Newton.”
Defense has holes to fillOn defense, a couple of gaping holes developed with the departures of tackles C.J. Niusulu and Matthis Gehring, and plugging them will be the key to the 2007 defense. “They did so much to disrupt opponents inside, and that allowed our fast linebackers to run around and make plays,” Walsh says.
Casey Tyler will move back from defensive end to tackle to team with Dave Howell inside, while Cole Smith returns at one end spot and Josh Evans will have the opportunity to lock down the other.
Veteran linebacker Jordan Senn and safety Michael Dorsey are returning starters, and Walsh sees KJ McCrae filling in adequately after the departure of star backer Adam Hayward. The new corners probably will be Adarrious Ross and Stanley Jackson.
“I think we’re good everywhere,” Walsh says, of the defense, which allowed 256 yards and 12 points per game to I-AA opponents last season. “I think we’re a lot better on defense than people think we will be.”
The Vikings play a much easier nonleague schedule in 2007 — San Diego State on Sept. 22 would be the toughest game. As of now, the Viks have Oct. 13 open (it’ll be filled by a I-A opponent
