Nigel Burton Era passes its first test

Nigel Burton.

Photo by Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com

On the first play of the Portland State spring game, linebacker Kevin Takeno charged through the offensive line and put a violent tackle on running back Kevin Watts, stopping him cold at the line of scrimmage. And with that, a tone had been set at Hillsboro Stadium - the temporary home for the team next season.

While the spring game served as a scrimmage to end the spring practice schedule, it also provided the last chance to take out frustrations on teammates for the last time until fall camp. The game was filled with big hits, few turnovers, and, most importantly of all, no injuries.

The final score was 14-13 in favor of the white team, which seemed to feature the more consistent offensive unit throughout the 48-minute game.

The team was led by senior quarterback Tygue Howland, who finished 4-of-6 with 88 yards passing and sophomore transfer Nick Green, who threw a 27-yard touchdown to Chaz Morales. Six quarterbacks saw action in the game. The lone quarterback who did not get on the field was senior Drew Hubel, who is recovering from knee surgery.

The quarterbacks seemed comfortable in the new Pistol offense, completing an impressive 21-of-31 passes and throwing for 263 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Leading the way on the defensive end were linebackers DJ Macarthy (Green) and Ryan Rau (White). Both linebackers made multiple tackles in the flat and seemed to be all over the field.

New coach Nigel Burton stressed responsibility and effort to the team throughout the spring, and Saturday was no different.

“Every player here needs to take responsibility and be held accountable for your actions,” Burton told the players after the game. Burton also stressed that every moment in the offseason counts. “I want everyone to ask themselves, is anyone working harder than me? If the answer is yes, you got to get going,” Burton said.

The coaching staff also handed out plastic hourglasses to the seniors following the game - to reinforce that time is ticking on their football careers. For Portland State Vikings fans, the Nigel Burton Era has just begun.