COMING UP IN VIKING FOOTBALL

Tuesday's season preview

Wednesday: Local players dot the roster

Thursday: Practice begins/Single game tickets are on sale

Friday: Impressions from Thursday's opening practice

It was cool and cloudy - unseasonably so - at the beginning of practice. But the Viking football team brought its own heat to day one as Portland State opened the 2013 practice schedule at Stott Community Field.

Practice began with the usual optimism. Head Coach Nigel Burton summed up day one with one word: “Excitement.”

“I'm very excited to see how our team has continued to develop from the spring to the summer. I am excited to see how some of our transfers play that have come in and worked really hard (in the off-season). This is the day everybody is excited, ramped up and ready to go.

“Our big thing is going to be what got us that successful turnaround (in 2011); really emphasizing finishing practice, finishing plays, finishing games… that's the difference between winning and losing.

The reference to transfers could prove to be significant this season. Portland State has 11 new Division I FBS transfers on the roster. While there are always a few transfers from FBS schools, the 11 this year may be the most ever for the PSU program. As the Vikings look to improve defensively, the group of 11 is defense-heavy with seven players. Wide receiver Victor Dean is expected to be an impact player on offense. Kyle Loomis and Marcus Kinsella are contending for both punting and kicking duties.

“As long as they are good guys who are willing to work hard and put that their egos aside for the good of the team, they are always welcome,” said Burton, who also stated the program turns away far more potential transfers than it accepts.”

This year's list of FBS transfers includes:

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Hometown (High School/College)

1 Victor Dean WR 6-6 210 JR TR San Diego, CA (Lincoln/Fresno State)

8 Darien Washington CB 5-10 170 FR TR Norwalk, CA (Orange Lutheran/Washington)

13 Davon Dunn CB 6-0 185 JR TR San Diego, CA (Lincoln/Fresno State)

16 Marcus Kinsella P 5-11 185 FR TR Melbourne, Australia (Ringwood/Indiana)

19 Hayden Plinke TE 6-4 255 SO TR Hillsboro, OR (Glencoe/Boise State)

29 Kyle Loomis P 6-3 220 JR TR Roseburg, OR (Roseburg/Oregon State)

34 Mishawn Cummings S 5-10 195 JR TR San Jose, CA (Valley Christian/Foothill JC/Oregon State)

52 Kyle Gardner LB 5-11 230 SO TR Corvallis, OR (Crescent Valley/Oregon State)

69 Joe Lopez DT 6-0 275 JR TR Portland, OR (Central Catholic/Oregon State)

79 Cutter Baldock DE 6-4 245 SO TR Tigard, OR (Tigard/Arizona State)

98 Dame Ndiaye DE 6-4 235 SO TR San Diego, CA (Hoover/Arizona)

The Vikings already had five FBS transfers from previous seasons. They include:

10 DJ Adams RB 5-10 210 SR 1V Atlanta, GA (Norcross/Maryland)

21 Dean Faddis S 6-0 205 SR 1V/RS Ramona, CA (Ramona/Palomar JC/Nevada)

49 Michael Plummer S 6-2 210 SR 3V Gresham, OR (Sam Barlow/Idaho)

63 Junior Alexis DT 6-2 280 SO 1V Los Angeles, CA (Crenshaw/Miami)

90 Nick Alexander DE 6-4 250 SR 1V Inglewood, CA (Crenshaw/Boise State)

Portland State will continue practice on Friday at 10:30 a.m. PSU will practice at 10:30 a.m. every day, except Sundays. Double-days which also include 5 p.m. practices take place on Aug. 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19 and 21.

The Portland State Vikings begin their quest for a bounce-back season under fourth-year Head Coach Nigel Burton. He will try to bring his team back from a disappointing 3-8 campaign in 2012. The Vikings had been 7-4 in 2011 (their best record in five seasons) and appeared ready to make waves in the Big Sky title chase.

In 2013, PSU returns 44 letterwinners and 12 starters. The Vikings return some key elements from an offense that averaged nearly 35 points and 440 yards per game, but will have to shore up a defense that allowed 401 yards and 36 points per contest.