Newton continuing to progress in offense

For someone who didn’t play in any of the first five games of the season, the UK coaching staff has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly freshman quarterback Morgan Newton has absorbed the team’s complicated offense since being thrust into the starting lineup five games ago.

“What he knew in the Auburn game wasn’t very much,” said UK head coach of the offense Joker Phillips. “And every week we’ve tried to give him more.”

UK quarterback Morgan Newton makes a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against Mississippi State at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. Photo by Adam Wolffbrandt | Staff

Before being forced into the starting role, Newton said he needed to improve on everything before he could see the field. With that in mind, the coaching staff started him out with a few packages he would be most comfortable with.

“We haven’t changed the playbook or anything,” Newton said. “At the beginning, they just made it smaller and focused on certain things. Now, they’re starting to widen it out, run some different stuff.”

But as Newton continues to progress, the coaches are starting to feel more comfortable giving him a chance to make plays. UK head coach Rich Brooks said he’ll expect more out of the passing game this week, and Phillips said UK’s planning on throwing the ball down the field more against Georgia than they did against Vanderbilt.

“I think it means we’ll pass more than seven times,” Newton said. “More than I did this week. I think it’s important that we put the ball in the air. I know they’re going to put eight and nine in the box with the way Derrick (Locke) and Randall (Cobb) have been playing.”

While Newton has been adjusting to the intricacies of the offense, Locke and Cobb have provided enough punch to keep the Cats afloat. Locke had never rushed for 100 yards in a game before UK’s win over Auburn, but he’s done it three times since Newton became the starter. Cobb ran for over 100 yards in the Auburn game and finished with 99 yards against Vanderbilt.

Even though UK is 4-1 with Newton as the starter and a limited playbook, Locke said the Cats will need to mix up the offense to continue winning.

“I’m not going to sit here and say (our offense now is) not simple,” Locke said. “Our offense, a lot of things don’t make sense, you just have to know it. Morgan being a freshman stepping in, I know he was in an easy offense (in high school) because he told me. To step in something so complicated where you have to make all these reads and checks and stuff, we try to simplify it down where you don’t have to think as much.”

Phillips said he can see a difference in the way the freshman walks and talks from how he did a few weeks ago, and those changes have come as he has become more comfortable with the offense.

With that confidence comes an opportunity to learn something new this week, and to show that with an expanded offense on Saturday.

“I’m very excited,” Newton said with a grin.