FAYETTEVILLE - Something was different, and Arkansas coach John Pelphrey noticed immediately.

Razorback sophomore guard Patrick Beverley just wasn't the same player Wednesday afternoon. He just wasn't the same as he lethargically went through Arkansas' pregame practice. He wasn't the endless worker Pelphrey has grown to love.

The Hogs' Energizer bunny showed up with a dead battery.

Pelphrey knew it. And Beverley knew it. So there weren't any objections from Beverley when he was benched for the start of Arkansas' 67-42 victory Wednesday night over Texas-San Antonio in Bud Walton Arena. Freshman Marcus Britt started in his place, making the Chicago native come off the bench for just the second time in his career.

"I didn't come ready to practice. I was kind of lackadaisical," Beverley said. "He had to make the choice, and I think him and his coaching staff made a great choice. It kind of forced me to go out there and play better.

"That's the most humbling thing about basketball - the bench. No matter who you are, the bench hurts."

Beverley's performance against the Roadrunners proved to Pelphrey that his message was received. Beverley grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. He dished out a team-high five assists. He overcame another tough shooting night to score 10 points.

And he jump-started Arkansas' defense with continual effort. On yet another night when Arkansas struggled in the game's early moments - UTSA took its only lead at 9-8 - Beverley gave Pelphrey a reason to smile.

Other areas bothered Pelphrey. Arkansas committed 20 turnovers and "simply didn't play the way Arkansas basketball should be played," Pelphrey said.

But Beverley was the exception. He sat the first 3 minutes, 54 seconds of the contest but ended up scoring five points and snaring six rebounds in 14 first-half minutes. His 3-pointer capped a 10-0 run by the Razorbacks that put them up 18-9. His soaring, one-handed dunk a few minutes later brought the announced crowd of 11,901 to its feet for the first time.

And his rebounding tenacity and defensive passion kept inspiring his teammates.

"It's not really surprising," Arkansas point guard Gary Ervin said. "In practice, he goes hard all the time. It kind of sounds funny, looking at him being 6-foot-1 and him getting that many rebounds, but he's the type of guy that can get seven, eight or nine rebounds a game because of how hard he goes."

His punishment finished, Beverley started the second half and showed even more intensity. Even with Arkansas holding a 20-point lead, Beverley kept pushing, affecting three straight possessions early in the half.

He stole the ball in the backcourt and found Charles Thomas for a layup. He forced UTSA guard Devin Gibson to dribble the ball off his leg and pumped his fist, drawing roars from Razorback fans in attendance. And he flew in for an offensive rebound, got fouled and converted the free throws.

The lack of points didn't bother Pelphrey. Just part of dealing with "his name being first on the board (of opponents)," Pelphrey said.

That said, as long as Beverley is being vocal with teammates, attacking the boards and diving on the floor, Pelphrey will remain unfazed by rough shooting streaks.

"He can miss 10 shots in a row, as long as he's being Patrick Beverley with his hard hat, his lunch pail and his work boots on out there, bringing the effort and focus and intensity," Pelphrey said. "It's infectious and it rubs off the on the guys. But it also works the other way."

And that's why Beverley found himself on the bench.