For the second time in his three starts at running back for Los Angeles, Kimani Vidal topped 100 yards as the Chargers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Thursday night.
The former Troy standout ran for 117 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries and caught a 10-yard pass against the Vikings.
The touchdown was the first NFL score on the ground for Vidal, who entered the game with two touchdown receptions in his career. On Thursday night, Vidal scored on a 3-yard run as the Chargers took a 14-0 lead with 13:08 left in the first half.
A sixth-round draft choice after running for 4,010 yards at Troy, Vidal ran for 155 yards on 43 carries and caught five passes for 62 yards and one touchdown while playing 169 offensive snaps in 10 games as a rookie for Los Angeles in 2024.
In the offseason, the Chargers let their top two rushers leave in free agency, but that didn’t move Vidal up the depth chart. Los Angeles used its first-round draft pick on North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton and signed former Alabama All-American Najee Harris after four 1,000-yard seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At the end of the preseason, the Chargers kept Hampton, Harris and Hassan Haskins as their active-roster running backs. Haskins had 89 rushing yards in 2024, but he also had 292 special-teams plays. Vidal ended up on the practice squad.
But an Achilles injury in the third game ended Harris’ season, and Hampton followed him to injured reserve with an ankle injury in the fifth game.
Instead of putting Hampton in the starting lineup, the Chargers signed Vidal off the practice squad to the 53-player active roster, and he responded with 124 yards on 18 carries and three receptions for 14 yards and one touchdown in a 29-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 12.
On Sunday, Vidal had 20 yards on nine carries and 15 yards on four receptions in Los Angeles’ 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
In addition to Vidal, seven players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Minnesota-Los Angeles game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California:
Jonathan Allen (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Vikings. Allen made five tackles, recorded one sack and had two tackles for loss.
Bradley Bozeman (Handley, Alabama) started at center for the Chargers.
Chargers defensive tackle Justin Eboigbe (Alabama) made three tackles, recorded two sacks and registered three quarterback hits. Eboigbe did not record a sack as a a fourth-round rookie in 2024, but he has four sacks in Los Angeles’ past five games.
Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Chargers long snapper Josh Harris (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Chargers running back Najee Harris (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Vikings center Ryan Kelly (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Vikings linebacker Austin Keys (Auburn) made one tackle on special teams.
Chargers wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.
Chargers cornerback Jordan Oladokun (Samford) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Vikings kicker Will Reichard (Hoover, Alabama) made a 54-yard field goal for Minnesota’s first points after Los Angeles scored two touchdowns. He also made an extra point. But Reichard came up short on a 53-yard field-goal attempt on the final snap of the first half when the Vikings, out of timeouts, ran their field-goal team onto the field to get off the kick.
Chargers punter JK Scott (Alabama) held for four field-goal attempts and four extra points, but he did not punt. The only two of Los Angeles’ nine possessions that did not end in points closed with a missed field-goal attempt and an interception. The game was the first for the Chargers without a punt since a 41-29 loss to the Houston Texans on Dec. 26, 2021, when Los Angeles lost three turnovers.
Vikings outside linebacker Dallas Turner (Alabama) made two tackles and recorded one quarterback hit.
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In its next game, Los Angeles (5-3) plays the Tennessee Titans at noon CST Nov. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Minnesota (3-4) plays the Detroit Lions at noon Nov. 2 at Ford Field in Detroit.
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