5 biggest takaways: Towles continues to shine as Kentucky’s quarterback

It took the Kentucky Wildcats two weeks to match their win total from each of the last two seasons, as the Cats beat Ohio 20-3 on Saturday in another well-rounded performance. UK scored touchdowns on each of its first two possessions, despite the absence of tailback Braylon Heard and wideout Javess Blue. The defense allowed just thee points against the Bobcats and has allowed just 17 points for the entire season. Kentucky is a perfect 2-0 and feeling good heading into next week’s matchup with SEC East rival Florida.

But before moving on to that game, here are five takeaways from Saturday’s win over Ohio:

• Patrick Towles is comfortable as Kentucky’s starting quarterback. Towles followed up an impressive debut as the starter in Week 1 by completing 17-of-31 passes, including a touchdown pass to Dorian Baker. He has yet to commit a turnover as the starter, and hasn’t appeared overwhelmed by the job and the responsibilities that come with it. He’ll face his greatest test to date next week against Florida, but so far, so good for Kentucky’s starting quarterback.
• Ryan Timmons is a versatile weapon for offensive coordinator Neal Brown. Timmons caught 10 balls on Saturday by lining up all over the field for the Wildcats. He is a threat to run the ball on an end-around sweep, and can line up in the slot or on the outside. He has tremendous speed and quickness, and although he is not very big he is as much a threat to break a big gain on a screen pass as he is on a deep pass down the field. When Blue returns to the lineup, he and Timmons could be a lethal combination ahead of UK’s bevvy of true freshmen receivers.
• A.J. Stamps was at it again on Saturday. The Juco transfer didn’t duplicate his incredible one-handed interception from last week. but he did lead UK with six tackles, making every one of them count. He was good in coverage and great when called closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing his aggressive nature to help him limit the Bobcats to just 74 yards on the ground. Stamps has the ability to make an impact on every play he’s on the field for, and is the kind of player opposing offenses gameplan around. He’ll definitely be of use when the Cats face some dangerous passing offenses down the line this season.
• The Cats’ defense is fundamentally sound, as expect on a Mark Stoops-coached team. Opposing offenses may beat the Wildcats on plenty of plays this season, but Kentucky will rarely beat itself on the defensive side of the ball. Unlike the offense, the defense is a much more veteran unit, and most players understand their roles in that unit despite a short amount of time together. The Cats kept both the UT Martin and Ohio offenses under wraps, showing dramatic improvements from last season in tackling and limiting big plays. Kentucky’s greatest tests are yet to come, but Stoops will have this defense ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
• Kicker Austin MacGinnis may not be accurate, but he’s got a huge leg. MacGinnis missed 2-of-4 field goal tries on Saturday, but drilled a kick from 53 yards away with less than two minutes in the first half to extend the Kentucky lead to 17-0 at the break. Not many kickers in the nation can make a kick from 53 yards out, but MacGinnis can, which is great for Kentucky. No, he wasn’t accurate. He’s also 19 and just two games into his first season of collegiate eligibility. Composure can be taught, but drilling a kick from beyond 50-yards as a freshman requires some special talent that cannot be coached. MacGinnis will be a real asset to Kentucky in close games if he can develop his accuracy throughout the next four years.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.