CONWAY -- Experience on the offensive line is essential, and it was in short supply from the start for the University of Central Arkansas Bears.
Of the five starting offensive linemen who helped lead UCA to last season's Southland Conference championship, only sophomore left guard Adrian Harris returned this season. He is joined across the front by junior left tackle Hunter Watts, sophomore center Toby Sanderson, senior right guard Curtis Parker, and junior right tackle Dylan Desper.
UCA Coach Nathan Brown said during drills in late August that he expected to see improvement throughout the season. Three games into the schedule, he said he has seen it on a regular basis for the Bears (2-1).
"I have seen improvement each week," Brown said. "It is a work in progress, but we're trending in the right direction. We have some talented guys up there. We just have to continue to gel. It's five guys working as one, and that's hard to do sometimes."
Harris, 6-4, 315 pounds, from John Tyler High in Tyler, Texas, has led the way.
"I think he's naturally the one you look at as a leader," Brown said. "He's going on 15 straight starts now. He's played the most significant snaps. Experience-wise, he's definitely the guy you look at. We fully expect him to continue to grow as a player and also as a leader."
UCA offensive line coach Gunnar Boykin said Harris leads by example.
"The thing that makes Adrian so good is that he has one speed," Boykin said. "He's going to go 100 percent each time. He never takes a play off, and that's what you look for in an offensive lineman."
Harris said he turned a corner under his high school coaching staff, which Brown said was typical of linemen from Tyler.
"In high school, the turning point to take it to the next level really kicked in," Harris said. "We had a very tough coaching staff. If you could play for them, you could play for just about anyone in the country. You just have to be tough, and that's something I brought here."
"Adrian came from a great program," Brown said. "If you look at them on film, they look like a college line, and they play like it. They're well-coached, all those things you look for in an offensive lineman, and we saw that for sure in Adrian."
After a 38-27 loss at Tulsa on Sept. 1, a 26-13 victory over Murray State at Estes Stadium in Conway on Sept. 8, and a 33-25 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La., on Sept. 15, UCA gets an early bye today and consequently two weeks to prepare for Sam Houston State in a game at Huntsville, Texas, scheduled for Sept. 29.
Ten of the 11 Southland head coaches named Sam Houston the preseason conference favorite.
Whereas Brown said he would have preferred a later bye date, he said an extra week of preparation should help.
"We're going to continue to work through the bye," Brown said. "We've seen improvement, and I'm sure we will continue to see it."
Harris said the quality of UCA's line play has progressed as he expected.
"From what I've seen so far, we're starting to pick more things up," Harris said. "Our pre-snap communication on the line has continued to improve. I've also started to notice more upfield movement. We're really starting to push people back, and as far as pass blocking, we're starting to get more physical."
"On the physical side of it, we can be good," Brown said. "We have the size and the ability. We just have to continue to adjust within games. We have to continue to do a better job of that, and I have seen improvement in that each week. We just have to continue to stay on the same page and give us the best opportunity to win football games."
Sports on 09/22/2018