At Wednesday’s practice, R.J. Anderson dropped back, fired a spiral and hit an open target. Throw after throw. Repetitiously. Machine-like.

But for one throw, Anderson’s target, Johnnie Morant, was draped by a defender. So as Anderson rolled to his left, he lofted a pass downfield. After the defender and Morant tapped the ball between each other, Anderson watched the receiver drop to the ground, ball securely in hand.

After compiling a 1-6 record as quarterback last season, it seems Anderson, who was replaced in mid-season as SU’s starting quarterback by Troy Nunes, has returned to his 2001 form – which is to say, fortunate.

‘There were games in 2001 when I would throw the ball to a defender and he would drop it,’ said Anderson, who threw just two picks as a sophomore while leading SU to a 10-1 record as a starter. ‘Last year, I would throw a good ball, and it would get tipped and picked. I can’t control things like that. I mean, two picks is lucky. It was like 2001 was guess right every time and last year was guess wrong.’

After throwing eight interceptions last year and completing just 43.3 percent of his passes, Anderson returns as the starting quarterback to much skepticism after Nunes’ graduation.

Nunes took over for Anderson following a 34-7 loss to West Virginia. Then 1-6, Syracuse proceeded to win three of its remaining five games under Nunes. Anderson, the focus of criticism from fans and media alike, sat by as the buildup surrounding the Orangemen at the beginning of last season quickly dissolved into their first losing season since 1986.

Now, after Nunes’ graduation and an anterior cruciate ligament injury to redshirt freshman Perry Patterson – Anderson’s biggest competition – Anderson has won the job without opposition.

‘I don’t care if people think I won the job by default,’ Anderson said. ‘I don’t care what people say. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Not to the fans. Not to the media. Ask my coach who won the job by default.’

Historically, Anderson’s weakness is passing. Though Anderson turned around an 0-2 start in SU’s 10-3 2001 season – opponents outscored SU 46-16 in the first two games with Nunes at quarterback – Anderson completed just 50 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns.

Had Anderson qualified for official NCAA statistics last year – he was one pass attempt short of being eligible – he would have ranked last in the country with a passing efficiency of 97.55.

‘R.J. was really frustrated last year,’ quarterbacks coach Steve Bush said. ‘Now he’s throwing the ball very well. He’s done a better job in the pocket. He’s finding a window, doing a better job of finding the second and third receivers.

‘He’s our No. 1 guy. He’s very confident. This is his fifth year, so he’s experienced. And he understands what we’re doing.’

Anderson has been the favorite among the coaching staff in large part because he can run the option. Street & Smith magazine rated Anderson the Big East’s best option quarterback prior to 2002, while Patterson is slower in both decision-making and foot speed. This year, after losing weight over the summer, Anderson is quicker and stronger.

‘Last year, I accepted the burden of trying to make too much happen,’ Anderson says. ‘I admit that.

‘The thing is, and I’m gonna be honest, when you’re a starter and you start to struggle, the media writes bad things. The players read that and that causes separation on a team. You go into a funk, and you’re gonna get blamed because you’re in the spotlight.’

After falling to the bottom of the talent pool, Anderson expects to once again resurrect a team, this time into the Top 25 and a prominent bowl game.

With a little more luck, he just might get his wish.

Published on August 25, 2003 at 12:00 pm