MERCER
› 2017 record: 5-6 (4-4 SoCon)› Season opener: Sept. 1 at Memphis› Date against UTC: Nov. 10 in Chattanooga, 1 p.m.› Preseason ranking (coaches/media): 6/4› COMING SATURDAY: East Tennessee State
Kaelan Riley helped lead Mercer to five wins in his first season as the Bears' starting quarterback.
But it was a loss - in Mercer fashion, a close one - that gave him the most confidence.
After earning Southern Conference freshman of the year honors in 2017, Riley returns for his second season with hopes of guiding the Bears to their first Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance in 2018.
The former Calhoun High School standout passed for 2,030 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, but it was a 28-27 loss in early September to league foe Wofford - which went on to reach the quarterfinals in the FCS playoffs - that taught him even more.
Riley was 11-for-15 for 107 yards and a pair of scores in the first half, leading the Bears to 187 yards of total offense and a 21-7 lead at the break. The second half was a different story as he went 3-of-13 passing for 60 yards and three interceptions.
"Even though we lost and I did struggle in the second half, just seeing what happened in the first half, seeing the success we had as any offense, I saw we had a lot of potential," Riley said by phone Thursday. "I felt I could lead those guys the rest of the season."
Mercer coach Bobby Lamb has seen an improved Riley this offseason in part because Riley has had to be better. Former McCallie standout Robert Riddle, a redshirt freshman, has been pushing Riley for the starting job.
"Kaelan has really jumped into a leadership role," Lamb said. "There's so much going on as a freshman: You're trying to read the defense, make sure there's no 40-second violation. Now he's learning how to play the game and be more of a leader."
Riley said the battle has been good for him.
"I believe competition breeds the absolute best success," he said. "It's been great for me to have Robert push me, and I'm sure it's been great for Robert to have me push him. He's a very good quarterback, and I wish all the best success in the world for him, but at the end of the day, we are competing. I want to be out there, and I know he wants to be out there just as bad, so we're going to go out there and try to step up to the level of the competition.
"It's helped me a ton."
Mercer has been on the cusp of a breakthrough since returning as a program in 2013. After 10 wins in their first season back, the Bears have won six, five, six and five games while improving from two wins against SoCon competition to four the past two years. They've shown how close they are, winning two games in 2017 against ranked teams (24-14 at The Citadel, 35-33 against Western Carolina) while also pushing Southeastern Conference West Division champion Auburn into the fourth quarter before falling 24-10.
The Bears' four SoCon losses were by an average of 7.3 points. Three of those were one-possession games, and one was an overtime loss at East Tennessee State in which the Bears led 20-10 going into the fourth quarter.
"We're establishing a winning culture," Riley said. "Winning is a habit, but so is losing. We've lost a lot of tight games to a lot of very, very good football teams. We've got to figure out what we need to do to win games and it will make all the difference for us."
With 15 starters returning - eight of whom were named to preseason All-SoCon teams - Lamb believes the program has enough talent and depth to succeed. At no position is the talent level more clear than at quarterback, where the Bears feel good about the starter and are gaining confidence in his backup, too.
What's next is something that's been wondered around the league for a few years now: Is Mercer ready to take the next step?
"That's the age-old question," Lamb said. "Some may so - 'You're 4-4, so you've been really consistent' - but we've got to find a way to take the next step, and the next step becomes consistent, really hard work in our offseason program. Hopefully our good carryover from the spring will carry over into preseason camp and into the season.
"We've got to be more consistent, and hopefully that comes through this year."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.