PINE BLUFF — Ben Anderson was able to shake off the first interception he threw as Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s quarterback last year pretty easily.
He felt pretty crummy after the second. By the time he threw the third late in the third quarter - then facing a nine-point deficit to NAIA Langston (Okla.) University in the season opener - the Little Rock Parkview graduate playing in his first collegiate game was just about done with it.
“I was just ready to come out of the game,” Anderson recalled last week.
He didn’t tell his coaches, but they complied.
Anderson was pulled in the third quarter for one series, which ended when backup C.J. Branch fumbled.
Anderson re-entered and led two scoring drives, but UAPB lost to Langston 19-12, a loss that started UAPB’s season with a thud.
Despite that, Coach Monte Coleman and offensive coordinator Eric Dooley insist they never lost faith in their choice of starter last year, and Anderson responded by helping the Golden Lions to six victories in their final nine games.
Today, UAPB opens the season at 5 p.m. against the same team - Langston - at the same site - War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
But Coleman and Dooley said there will be a much different Ben Anderson, one who grew along with an evolving UAPB offense thanks to faith from his coaches.
“Ben Anderson has matured probably more than anybody on the whole football team,” Coleman said. “He’s definitely the man for the job. He’s throwing the ball with accuracy. He’s not going to throw the ball into a crowd, similar to what he did last year.”
Despite the freshman’s struggles in the first game - Anderson completed 21of 36 passes for 278 yards and threw 3 interceptions - Dooley never pared his offense. Anderson was going to learn it or he’d find himself back on the bench.
Anderson threw at least 30 passes in four other games and the 309 passes he threw were fourth most in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. But he threw only six more interceptions after the first game, completed 53.7 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,876 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He was named the SWAC’s Freshman of the Year, and during the following spring he was able to focus on making better decisions when plays break down - his biggest weakness last year, he said - rather than learning an offense and winning a starting job.
During the summer, he organized 7-on-7 sessions with his receivers, even once taking them to Star City for an informal scrimmage with players from Arkansas-Monticello.
When fall practice started, his main competition for the job last year - Branch - was moved to tight end, further cementing his hold on a job that suits him a lot better now than last Sept. 3.
“My confidence, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Anderson said. “I have confidence in my teammates, I have confidence in myself. Instead of just playing not to make mistakes, I’m playing to make the big play, playing to help the team get down the field.”
Dooley gives Anderson credit for what he did last year, despite some of the early-season confusion. Now, having to play through those mistakes could pay off this year.
“It’s not a second guess for him,” Dooley said. “Now I know what he knows. So I’m going to turn it up even more. What I didn’t let slide last year, this year, I definitely won’t.”
As for today, Anderson doesn’t so much want to play well to pay back Langston.He just wants to make a better showing in front of his hometown.
“I’ve got to redeem myself being back home,” he said. “That’s a game we’ve got to come out and we’ve just got to win. I’ve got friends from high school, family, all that. So, I got to come out and show better than I did last time.”
At a glance ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF VS. LANGSTON (OKLA.)
WHEN 5 p.m. Central today WHERE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock 2011 RECORDS UAPB 6-5, Langston 7-3 COACHES UAPB: Monte Coleman (19-25 in fifth season); Langston: Mickey Joesph (7-3 in second season) RADIO KUAP-FM, 89.7, in Pine Bluff INTERNET uapblionsroar.com
Sports, Pages 23 on 09/01/2012