Kentucky head coach announced on Twitter Monday morning that sophomore Patrick Towles will be the Wildcats’ starting quarterback when the season opens up against UT Martin on August 30.
After thorough evaluation and a hard fought competition, we are naming Patrick Towles as our starting quarterback.
— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 18, 2014
This competition has brought out the best in our quarterbacks and I'm confident in Patrick moving our team forward.
— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 18, 2014 Towles battled redshirt freshman Reese Phillips and four-star true freshman Drew Barker for the starting role. All three split reps throughout fall camp, but Towles, a 6-foot-5, 238-pound redshirt sophomore, came out on top.
Towles, a four-star recruit in the 2012 class, redshirted last season, but did see action in five games as a true freshman. In those five appearances, he completed 19-of-40 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. A native of Fort Thomas, Ky., Towles was Kentucky’s Mr. Football and the Gatorade Player of the Year in his home state as a high school senior.
Maxwell Smith, Kentucky’s 2013 starter, underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder in the offseason and Stoops said earlier this month that the junior is not yet at 100 percent.
Towles faces a tough challenge in the SEC East. The Wildcats are coming off a 2-10 season and after non-conference games against UT Martin and Ohio, the Wildcats will face Florida, Vanderbilt and South Carolina in their first three conference matchups.
For more Kentucky news, CatsIllustrated.com.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Patrick Towles named Kentucky's starting quarterback
No comments:
Post a Comment