Practice at the University of Hawai'i's preseason football camp begins this afternoon and if there is one unit you'd like to see emerge season-ready and point-a-plenty primed at month's end, it is the offense.

With 29 days until the season opener with Central Arkansas — and just 37 until the first road challenge of Washington State in Seattle — time is of the essence.

Too often in the past the offense has taken its time moseying to a degree of sharpness in a herky jerky start. But this year that is a luxury the Warriors can hardly afford as they begin with the double whammy of a road-heavy early schedule and a rebuilding defense.

Last year at this time, of course, the Warriors were a disheveled team in transition, having to decide upon and then plug in a new quarterback. They had a new head coach, offensive coordinator and rebuilding receivers so you knew it was going to take time. And, it did. Fortunately for their postseason hopes, they had an experienced defense to absorb some of the burden.

But this year it is time for the offense to emerge early and repay the favor in kind. It needs to do the heavy lifting early while the under-construction defense finds its way across an early road map of a schedule that has stops in Seattle, Las Vegas and Ruston, La., in the first four games.

Those three road games, in particular, are going to tell us a lot about not only this team but its fortunes. Open with a 3-1, or better, record and the Warriors' play will portend a particularly promising season. But go 2-2 and things drop off significantly. Anything worse and, well, let's just hope it doesn't come to anything that dire.

And, it shouldn't since you'd like to think the pieces, starting with quarterback Greg Alexander, are in place for the offense to project some early firepower and victories.

Head coach Greg McMackin has vowed to run a "pure run-and-shoot" offense. He's pledged to "let it fly and try to have fun" this season. Which should signal, after seven starts last season, a spring practice and couple of fall camps, an heretofore unseen comfort level for Alexander with the offense.

More to the point, with six other returning starters to surround him, the hope is that the corresponding elements are in place, too. The receivers, beginning with Greg Salas, Malcolm Lane and Kealoha Pilares, are more experienced and there is depth.

Likewise, the plan is that an offensive line that has three returning starters and a new coach can give Alexander the time he needs to operate the offense to efficiency.

The Warriors open practice today and when they step into Aloha Stadium a crisp offense will be a necessity, not an option.