Things to watch: Idaho looks to stifle Portland State passer Dante Chachere

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho is coming off the high of dispatching third-ranked and traditional rival Montana 30-23 to entertain Portland State.

The Vikings (2-4, 1-2 Big Sky Conference) face the 17th-ranked Vandals (4-2, 3-0), who are on a four-game winning streak. The Vikings lost to Montana 53-16 this season. They also fell to fifth-ranked Weber State 42-17 last week.

PSU, however, never comes to Moscow figuring it is overmatched. A year ago, the Vikings, down 35-14, came roaring back in the fourth quarter and the Vandals had to hold on for a 42-35 victory in the Kibbie Dome. This is not a team to be looked past.

“We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We’re not in the playoffs yet,” Vandals coach Jason Eck said. “I am sure they are going to come in like we did last week as an underdog and give us a great effort.”

Here are three things to watch.

• Can Vikings quarterback Dante Chachere get rolling? He has 93 completions in 153 attempts for 1,103 yards and 12 touchdowns against four interceptions this year. He has also rushed for 314 yards and three touchdowns. “They have a really athletic quarterback. We have to do a good job with him,” Eck said.

• Idaho’s offensive line has come on. But it is not the biggest nor most experienced across the board in the Big Sky. The Vikings counter with a veteran defense, anchored by 270-pound defensive tackle VJ Malo, an All-Big Sky Conference second-team team member last year. Eck said the Vikings, coached by defensive coordinator and former Washington State University lineman Payam Saadat, are “descendants of the Arizona Desert Swarm,” of the 1990s. “(Their defense) challenges you in targeting the offensive line, handing movement twists. That’s something we didn’t really do well” against Montana, Eck said.

• Will the Vandals run or pass against the Vikings? Idaho’s passing game is working well. Quarterback Gevani McCoy is third in the Football Championship Subdivision with a 73.7% completion percentage. He has passed for 1,359 yards, with 12 touchdowns against three interceptions, having completed 112 of 152 throws. Redshirt sophomore Hayden Hatten has caught 32 passes for 410 yards and four touchdowns, including two touchdowns each against Northern Colorado and Montana. Redshirt junior Jermaine Jackson is a similar bright light with 28 receptions for 545 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season.

But the Vandals are equally impressive on the ground, where Elisha Cummings has rushed for 138 yards on 36 carries with three touchdowns, and freshman Anthony Woods has carried the ball 74 times for 384 yards and a touchdown. Senior Roshaun Johnson has also rushed for 237 yards on 70 attempts, and he has scored four touchdowns.