New starting QB Nick Anderson.

Posted August 31, 2009

Freshman Nick Anderson will start at quarterback for UW-Platteville Saturday when the Pioneers play host to Buena Vista (Iowa) at 1 p.m.

Anderson is a 2008 graduate of Sycamore (Ill.) who attended UWP last year but sat out the season.

"Nick is a second-year freshman who took last year to get bigger, faster and stronger," Pioneer Coach Mike Emendorfer said. "It's obvious he was well-coached in high school. He has great composure and knowledge of the game."

Anderson is excited about the opportunity.

"It feels good," he said. "Mitch Shadley has had a shoulder injury, and he's a great quarterback, too. I just worked hard over the summer and put plays and learning together, and it just all kind of came together."

Not making the team last year was a bit of a shock for Anderson, but he used that year to his advantage. He now has four years of eligibility remaining.

"It kind of motivated me when Coach E. told me that I would sit out a year and come back the next year," he said. "I worked really hard over the summer and did what I had to do."

Anderson, 6-3 and 205 pounds, threw for 1,970 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 635 yards and another 10 TDs in 2007.

Even though those are gaudy statistics, the intangibles are what impressed the coaching staff. Anderson was pressed to tell what those are.

"Leadership is a skill I have," he said. "I'm not the best thrower, but I make good reads. It's just really fun to be out there with the team."

The team makes its debut Saturday in the 10,000-seat Pioneer Stadium, where a large Student Appreciation Day crowd is expected.

"I'm sure the nerves will be going, and I'll have butterflies in my stomach," he said, "but hopefully we can shake those early on and play a really good game as a team."

Coach Emendorfer released the probable two-deep lineup for the season opener.