By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Mark Stoops makes “no bones about what it” takes to be a starter at Kentucky.
On both sides of the ball, the third-year coach doesn’t give out handouts when it comes to starting roles on his football team.
“There’s a lot of competition that goes on,” Stoops said during the team’s annual Media Day Friday at Commonwealth Stadium. “Nothing’s going to be given to you in this program. You’re going to earn it. You’re going to work for it.”
So even though it would be easy to label junior Patrick Towles, a Fort Thomas Highlands product, as the team’s starting quarterback, considering the junior signal caller started all 12 games last season, not even Towles’ job is safe as the team opens fall workouts in preparation for the Sept. 5 opener against Louisiana Lafayette.
The fact that he’s not been named the starter with less than a month before the season begins isn’t a problem for Towles.
“I’m just worried about going out and playing,” Towles said. “At the end of the day, I’m not the one who is going to be making the decision. I’m just going to do what I can to play well and I hope I can do that. I’ve got to play well and be productive. At the end of the day it’s about scoring points and if I’m not scoring points, I shouldn’t be playing.”
It was more than a year ago that Towles realized he could be a big part of the team’s offense. Stoops still lauds Towles’ improvement last summer when he went from third string to the top of the depth chart and stayed there for the remainder of his sophomore campaign.
“A high-profile, talented quarterback could have put his head down and walked away and quit, and all he did was get better,” the Kentucky coach said. “I’ve asked him to get better from last year to this year and that’s what he’s done.”
Not only has Kentucky’s returning starting quarterback gotten better, the team’s second string signal caller — Drew Barker — also has stepped it up a notch, putting the pressure on Towles to keep looking over his shoulder even more than ever.
“It’s more of a compliment to Drew and his capabilities than anything negative in Patrick, because Patrick has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Stoops said. “He’s getting better. (Drew) deserves that opportunity and we’re going to get a good look at him.”
Barker plans to use a chip on the shoulder mentality in an effort to gain an edge on Towles.
“I always take the field with a competitive edge,” he said. “I just play like that all the time because I’m a competitor. I’m not a trash talker or anything.”
For both quarterbacks, the goal for the upcoming season is simple.
“We want to win every game we play, starting with the first one and we’re just preparing to win that first one,” Barker said.
Personally, Towles hopes he’s the one calling the shots in the pocket once the season begins.
“I would like to be the starter,” he said. “That would be nice.”
The march toward that goal began Friday.