Spring cleaning leads to a new Viking look

It’s only been a few months since Portland State football wrapped up its 2011 campaign, but the Vikings are already revving back up for 2012. The team got a chance to shake out the winter cobwebs last week, as they opened their spring practices. Senior running back Justin Monahan was just happy to be back in uniform.

“It’s good, it’s good,” Monahan said with a laugh. “I’m running a little bit slower, you know? Carrying a little bit more weight. But it’s nice to be out here in pads again, getting our work in.”

Monahan will be one of the few big names from last year’s team to return in 2012. He looks to be a leader in the wide receiving core.

The Vikings have set their sights on eclipsing last year’s result and reaching the playoffs for the first time in half a decade. To do that, they will need to put a host of new and veteran players through their paces. The Vikings will spend every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon sweating it out at Stott Field until their annual spring game at Jesuit High School on May 12.

“We’ve got new guys in different spots,” Monahan said. “We’re losing star quarterback Cory McCaffrey and great running back Connor Kavanaugh, so those are spots we need to replace, but overall I think we’re going to be a much better team this year. We’ve got another year of experience under our belt and in this offense and defense, so we’re excited about it.”

Last year’s explosive Viking offense was driven by McCaffrey and Kavanaugh, who moved on at the end of the year. Now head coach Nigel Burton and his staff must find replacements.

“This team is going to do exactly what we need to do to win football games,” head coach Nigel Burton said. “And if that means we need to run the ball 90 percent of the time, we will. If that means we have to throw the ball 90 percent of the time, we will. We did what [Kavanaugh] was good at and what [McCaffrey] was good at, and now we’ll have to find out what whoever plays quarterback and whoever plays running back is good at and adjust accordingly.”

This year’s slate of running backs includes new and familiar faces. In addition to veterans Justin Lilley and Shaquille Richard, who took over for McCaffrey after he was injured last season, the Vikings have brought in junior running back DJ Adams, who comes to PSU by way of the University of Maryland. Coach Burton described his dynamic as a “thunder and lightning combination” with Richard and newly recruited freshman running back Steven Long.

The quarterback position could be more of a question mark. Both of last year’s primary quarterback options, Kavanaugh and Drew Hubel, were seniors. In fact, at the end of the year, all of PSU’s remaining quarterbacks were freshmen. Burton brought in several new quarterback options in the intervening months to bulk up the Vikings’ quarterback cast.

Junior Collin Ramirez was brought in from Butte Junior College, where he broke NFL superstar Aaron Rodger’s junior college passing record with 30 touchdown passes, 2,218 yards and a 60.7 percent passing average.

“Collin’s new this year from Duke College. He’s a transfer, so we’ve been out running around getting our timing down and stuff like that,” Monahan said. “I’ve worked with all of them. It’s going well.”

Burton had good things to say about Ramirez’s QB skills and instincts.

“I have been absolutely amazed at the way he’s grasped the offense and his presence in the huddle. I’ve been very pleased with that.”

Another strong competitor in the quarterback group is veteran Viking presence Nick Green, a senior who spent the last two seasons on the other side of the ball playing safety. Burton said Green might have a leg up on the other quarterbacks from his defensive experience.

“I think it actually is an advantage, because whereas a lot of quarterbacks struggle in terms of coverage and reads and [pocket presence], not only does he know it, he did it. He knows all the little tricks. He knows how to read body language, and he knows all the calls too, so once he processes the offensive call he can just listen. It’s kind of like stealing, so it’s actually a great advantage for him.”

The look of the Viking team will depend on the depth chart, when it is decided on, but there were already some surprises on the field Friday. Senior tight end Kalua Noa ran in a quick touchdown in a scrimmage from a short pass. Noa, who saw play for the Vikings in 2011 and 2010, could be a strong receiving option for whoever is chosen at quarterback. He had a career-high seven receptions for 94 yards in the last game last year against Weber State.

The Viking defense will also sport a new look. In addition to the hiring of Lester Towns, the new linebackers coach brought in earlier in the spring from the University of Alabama, the football staff picked up a new defensive ends coach, Mike Scheper, just a week before practice drills started. Scheper previously coached at Fresno and in the Canadian Football League.

Burton compared this year’s Viking team to a Ferrari.

“It can go fast, it looks great and it does the deal better than most, but you got to know the rules on how to operate it. Otherwise you’re just going to wrap it around a tree. Right now they’re still learning the rules on how to operate it.

The Vikings will get a chance to demonstrate the new team’s talents May 12, when they head to their spring exhibition game at Jesuit High School.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do before then, especially as an offense,” Monahan said. “But I’m looking forward to the spring game. Once we get there we should be ready to go.”