STEPPING UP HIS GAME—So far, incumbent Southeastern QB Brian Babin has met all challenges to his starting job through the first weeks of fall camp, but the quarterback derby is still on. Photo by John Lenz

Brian Babin understands the drill.

Just because he started all 11 games at quarterback as a redshirt sophomore last season doesn't necessarily mean he'll be behind center when the Lions kick it off Aug. 30 at Alcorn State.

Not with senior Mike Neville making a last-ditch push for the job in his last season in football, and not with highly touted and cannon-armed FBS-school transfer Tyler Beatty transferring in with his own designs on the job.

But heading into the final two weeks of camp, Babin has responded to the challenge in the best way, and while the job is still officially open, it's looking less and less likely that anyone not wearing No. 10 will be under center for the first snap of 2008.

“Those guys are great quarterbacks; we learn from each other and we're great friends," Babin said. “But that competition brings out the best in everybody. That's what college football is all about. If you don't do the job, they'll find somebody that will. It just makes you (know that), every day, you'd better come to work.”

And Babin has, displaying a deft touch and better command of the offense after a season in which he completed 60.3 percent of his passes, threw for 1,996 yards and tossed 12 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions.

And none of it, Babin knows, was good enough, as indicated by that final 3-8 record. Which is why the job is wide open in the first place.

“It's a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ situation as a coach and as a player," Lions offensive coordinator Tommy Condell said. “Now we have the ability in some positions — some positions, not all of them yet — to take that person out... and get another guy in there.

“The best thing we can do is ... have that at each and every position. If we have that it brings the best out in you. If we can make those practices, those meetings, as competitive as we can make them, those games are going to be pretty darn easy.”

The biggest knock on Babin's play last season was reflected in the 27 sacks Lion quarterbacks absorbed, the second-most in the Southland Conference. That number reflects system-wide breakdowns of course, with the blame also shared by the offensive line and the running backs in pass protection.

But Babin knows he was guilty, too, of hanging on to the ball too long last year. But back then he was a first-year starter in a brand-new system. A year later, the reads and decisions are sparking up much faster.

“Watching film from last year, looking at some of the mistakes, I'm like ‘Man, what was I thinking?’” Babin said. “With that year under me, I've got the confidence. But there's always room to improve, and every time you spend time with (Condell) in the meetings, you learn something.”

“Brian has had a great camp,” Lions head coach Mike Lucas said. “He knows where to go with the football, and his game is better right now than it was last year.”

In fact, Babin has been so solid (8-for-11, 66 yards, 1 TD) that he didn't really get to break much of a sweat in Saturday's scrimmage.

He delivered the pass of the day, a perfect-touch, 18-yard, only-my-guy-can-touch-it touchdown pass to Krishna Muhammad in the back of the end zone before Lucas went with Neville and Beatty for most of the rest of the scrimmage.

Throws like that have allowed him to maintain a death grip on running with the ones so far in fall camp.

“I think his decisions are a lot better, a lot quicker,” Condell said of the not-yet-annointed Babin. “I think you're going to see a brand new and improved quarterback position, whoever sits at the controls.”

Babin craves the chance to make amends, to prove he — and the Lions — are better than last year's record.

“The thing that sticks out the most is those close losses," Babin said. “Central Arkansas, we get the one yard — ballgame. Sam Houston, down there on the goal line, we get stuffed. That really sticks out in your mind and gives you the motivation going into the offseason to work hard.

”Now we've been in those situations and now it's time produce in those situations.”