Allen’s progress impresses teammates

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen completed 16 of his 17 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in a scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

FAYETTEVILLE - Brandon Allen hasn’t been named Arkansas’ starting quarterback, but he seems well on his way to winning the job.

As Coach Bret Bielema noted, Allen took every snap with the first-team offense during Saturday’s Red-White game that capped spring practice.

“I haven’t named any starters yet,” Bielema said. “But I mean, he started this game, and he played the entire first half with the ones, so I think we feel good about that.”

Allen, a redshirt sophomore from Fayetteville, completed 11 of 16 passes for 158 yards and 1 touchdown without an interception while going against the first-team defense, as he has all spring.

Senior Brandon Mitchell, who has worked at second-team quarterback throughout the spring against the second-team defense, completed 12 of 17 passes for 138 yards and 1 touchdown. He also threw a pass that safety Tiquention Coleman intercepted at the goal line on a second-and-7 play from the defense’s 11 and returned 49 yards.

“I think Brandon Allen is continuing to move forward,” Bielema said. “Brandon Mitchell does a lot of really good things. He does some things that’ll set you back at times.

“But Brandon Allen, I thought he played his best football here the last two weeks and played really well with the group around him.”

The quarterbacks weren’t made available for interviews after the game, but Allen’s teammates praised his growth since the start of spring practice.

“Seeing him walk in the huddle and command the respect of the guys, it was pretty big today,” senior fullback Kiero Small said. “He has control of the offense, and that’s what you need your quarterback to have. He’s starting to grasp things a lot better.”

Small said Allen wasn’t as sure of himself earlier in the spring as he is now.

“When he first walked in, you didn’t really know if he was sure of the plays, and that’s because he was learning the playbook, too,” Small said. “You know quarterback is the hardest position to learn out of everybody, so we learn one or two things, he’s learning where 11 guys start.

“Now you can see the maturity coming out in him.”

Allen completed 21 of 49 passes (42.9 percent) for 186 yards and 1 touchdown with 3 interceptions last season when he was called on to finish Arkansas’ loss to Louisiana-Monroe and start the loss to Alabama because of Tyler Wilson’s concussion.

Travis Swanson, the Razorbacks’ starting center, said Allen has made “huge strides” this spring.

“Probably the most strides out of anyone on this team, I think,” Swanson said. “He had a quarterback battle the entire spring and he’s just more confident.

” You can hear it in his voice in the huddle calling plays and at the line and making checks. He’s starting to grow up as a leader, which is good to see.”

Senior defensive end Chris Smith said it was beneficial for Allen, as well as the rest of the starters on offense, to go against the first-team defense.

“He’s been calmer in the pocket, and he’s got confidence in himself,” Smith said. “That’s one thing he didn’t really have last year, being young and raw to the game.

“He’s learned the offense more and more each day. He’s done well with that.”

Allen’s touchdown pass Saturday went to Demetrius Wilson in the corner of the end zone for a 26-yard score.

“He continues to impress us, continues to do some things very, very positive,” Bielema said.

“He’s got athleticism, he’s got ability.”

Allen likely has the Razorbacks’ starting quarterback job for next fall, too.

Sports, Pages 32 on 04/21/2013