Brown says offense can play faster if needed this year

When Kentucky opened the Mark Stoops era against Western Kentucky in Nashville last year, offensive coordinator Neal Brown readily admits the offense “did not play with very good tempo” in the stunning loss.

That’s why he says he’ll have a “simple game plan” against UT-Martin Saturday when the Wildcats open Stoops’ second season — and play their first season-opener at Commonwealth Stadium since 2007.

“We’ll pick our spots in this game. I want to make sure that we’re not playing so fast that we’re hurting ourselves. But we’re in a position now, going into our second fall, that we’re able to play really fast when we need to. And there’s going to be some times in this game where we’ll play at a really quick pace — faster than we ever executed last year,” said Brown.

Brown’s goal is for the fast pace to wear down defenses, something that didn’t happen enough last year because of UK’s lack of consistency on offense. Brown hopes that changes with sophomore quarterback Patrick Towles now the starter.

“It does. It showed in our first big scrimmage we had. I think Coach Stoops talked to y’all about it: We were able to get some big plays toward the second half. And that’s one of the reasons why you do tempo,” Brown said.

Stoops expects a faster, more productive offense.

“I think we’ll be much faster week one this year than we were at any point last year,” Stoops said. “We’re the style of offense, we’ve got to get some production on first down. That’s a big key for us to move the football. We’re not good enough on any side yet to go fast and not get first downs. So we have to move the ball, and even though you’re going fast, you still have to chew up some clock by getting first downs and running plays. But I feel good. I feel like we’re improved, and they’re ready to go.”

Brown would like to see Towles have a fast start in Saturday’s game.

“I think it’s important to get Patrick and everybody. We’ve got a bunch of young guys in that two-deep, especially at the skill positions. So I think we’ve got to be simple. It’s important to get Patrick off to a good start, but it’s also important to get (tackle) Kyle Meadows off to a good start. It’s also important to get (running back) Stanley (Williams), when he gets in the game, off to a good start. All those freshmen wideouts that are going to play,” Brown said.

Towles does have input into the game plan just like every quarterback Brown has coached.

“He can trump me. If he doesn’t like a play, we’ll take it out. There’s no sense — if we’ve got any pass play that he doesn’t feel comfortable with or he doesn’t see, I just ask him,” Brown said. “There’s no sense in repping — if he doesn’t have confidence in it, let’s get it out.

“I think it’s understood that he’s going to be nervous. That’s just part of it. You just go out and play through it. You try to talk to him a little bit, but the good thing is he’s played a little bit. This is going to be the first time I guess he’s truly been the man, but it is what it is. He’s going to be nervous. If he was starting for his fourth straight year he’d be nervous game one two. You assume that, so you take that into the equation your opening few plays. You know he’s going to be juiced up.”

Stoops doesn’t want Towles, who won the job over Reese Phillips and Drew Barker, to put “undue pressure” on himself Saturday.

“The whole team needs to play well. I expect that he will be a little bit antsy, I’m sure. But he’s just got to calm down and stay within himself and operate the offense. And that’s where it is important to get off on a fast start and give him some things that he can manage early until he gets settled in,” Stoops said.

Stoops was encouraged at Tuesday’s practice when the offense produced a touchdown in a two-minute drill.

“The offense got one in, which was good. They needed a touchdown in two-minute drill and got one, so that was good to see. That was the first time that’s happened this camp, where they needed a touchdown and got it in, so that was good,” Stoops said.