In a season of change, the Portland State football team's offense figures to change as much as anything.

The Vikings will transition to The Pistol offense which has been popularized at the University of Nevada and been installed in such places as UCLA. While the Pistol has meant a run-heavy attack by the Wolf Pack in recent years, that isn't necessarily the case with the Vikings' version of the offense this season.

Portland State will have a one-back set - directly behind the quarterback - allowing for downhill runs and preventing the defense from getting an early read on the play. But the pass figures to be nearly as prominent as before as new offensive coordinator Bruce Barnum has brought his passing game to the Park Blocks after successful stints at Cornell and Idaho State.

And, considering the veteran quarterbacks that Barnum already has in the fold, the offense should be versatile.

"There is a lot of talent on the field. The quarterbacks, they are all different - good at something and need to work on something," said Barnum.

After nine practices in the preseason Barnum now must decide whose talents are going to be most adaptable. He currently has five quarterbacks on the roster that were in the program last season. Four have started games for the Vikings. But, the time has come to begin the serious evaluation.

"To be game ready somebody is going to have to get more reps," Barnum said. "Right now, our top rep guy in the (Saturday) scrimmage was at 20 plays - including goal line situations. We are going to have to separate the guys who are in contention and get them some heavy reps. That is probably going to start (in this week's practices)."

One of those quarterbacks competing to start, or at least for significant playing time, is senior Tygue Howland. Although he wants more than anything to be on the field this season after a career so riddled with injuries that the NCAA gave him a sixth year of eligibility, Howland takes on a global view.

"Our goal as quarterbacks and as a team is we want to win," Howland said. "All of the guys competing for the job have been here for a couple of years and we have been losing. The bottom line is all the guys, me, Drew (Hubel), Connor - we've all been through the back-and-forth game, 'this guy is starting this game, this guy is starting that game...'. We want it to be competitive all year. But we want a guy to take the team and win. I want to be part of a winning team. Drew wants to be part of a winning team. Connor does, so whoever is playing - as long as we are winning - we're happy."

Howland likes the new offense and its simplicity. "I love it because the Pistol has proven to be a great running offense. We have guys like Cory (McCaffrey) and Connor at quarterback who can run it and be productive.

"The passing offense, I know pre-snap most of the time where the ball is going. I'm not sitting in the pocket trying to read things. I know there is one defender I am trying to read and then get the ball out quick. There is not a lot of room for mistakes mentally."

On the run side, McCaffrey has moved to the backfield after being a wide receiver the last two years. It figures to be a good move, as the junior from Sisters, OR came to PSU as the state of Oregon's all-time leading high school rusher with 8,460 yards, some 3000+ yards more than the second-leading rusher.

McCaffrey joins returning sophomore Ben Bowen (64 carries, 275 yards) and University of Washington transfer Willie Griffin (who ran for 112 yards against Washington State in 2008) as top candidates for backfield duty.

Howland touched on improved depth at wide receiver, as well as pride and toughness on the offensive line that will make a difference in 2010. And, after arriving at Portland State in 2005 Howland has seen enough to know that things are changing in a positive way.

"I feel like all those little mistakes we have seen the last three years in games... the holding, offsides, all those little things that really bite you, we don't have those this year (so far). Everybody has bought in and the coaching staff has held everybody accountable for mistakes. We are really growing and progressing because people are very, very disciplined," he said.

Barnum anticipates the Viking offense to take on some of the smash-mouth characteristics that Nevada's has (and which led the nation at the FBS level in rushing offense in 2009). But it is not quite there yet.

"I think we are short a couple of tight ends to do exactly what we want to do in the run game right now. We might have to pick up some pieces there with what we do up front," said Barnum. "We are still going to run the ball. In the years to come you will see more tights ends probably be more of a force up front and more formations."

But right now Barnum is very happy with how quickly and effectively the team has picked up the offensive scheme. And that is important.

"We are not going to change what we do a lot. I expect perfection and I want these guys to be great at what we do. I'm talking read zone. I'm talking inside zone. I'm talking counter off of it. The run game. The pass game - our inside stuff, our outside stuff. We can add and tweak things, but what is in the system is what these guys will need to do great," Barnum said. "And then we will move on."

Howland echoes the demand for perfection in the Viking program in 2010.

"It starts with the expectations," he said. "We have an expectation each play. We know what we are supposed to do. There is no question about it. If you don't do it, it is pretty cut and dried. We are here from 8 a.m. in the morning to 9 p.m. at night and there is something for us to do every minute. That has helped us tenfold and I think that is why we have progressed so fast."

VIKING NOTES: Portland State will scrimmage again this Saturday beginning at approximately 11:15 a.m... on Sunday, the Viking team will host a free youth football clinic at Stott Community Field. Details can be found here.