Towles shows grit and promise in loss to No. 1 Mississippi State

of+the+Kentucky+Wildcats+during+the+second+half+of+the+game+against+the+Mississippi+State+Bulldogs+at+Commonwealth+Stadium+on+Saturday%2C+October+25%2C+2014+in+Lexington%2C+Ky.+Kentucky+defeated+Mississippi+State+-.Photo+by+Michael+Reaves
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of the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, October 25, 2014 in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky defeated Mississippi State -.Photo by Michael Reaves

October 26, 2014

By Annie Dunbar

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Offensive inconsistency may have been the dagger in the heart of UK’s opportunities against No. 1 ranked Mississippi State on Saturday, but the matchup showed the heart and toughness of UK quarterback Patrick Towles.

Towles, who was coming off a poor performance against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., made some mistakes against the Bulldogs but overall played one of his best games of his collegiate career.

“(I’m) really excited about how he raised his level,” UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown said. “(Louisiana) Monroe he played so so, last week (LSU) not very well. So for him to bounce back against the No. 1 team in the country … this is as good as he’s played.” 

Towles ended the game throwing 24-43 for a career-high 390 yards, led the team in rushing yards with 76 and scored a career-high two touchdowns. Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said Towles had one heck of a day after the Bulldogs’ 45-31 victory.

But what makes this performance by Towles stand out is the resilience he showed down the stretch. After a sack for a loss, during the third quarter, Towles bounced back and rushed ten yards into the endzone for a touchdown. Following the score, deep into the third, Towles hit wideout Javess Blue for a 58-yard touchdown that put the Cats within one touchdown.  A play that Brown referred to as “wild.”

“He made some throws tonight and he made some throws at Florida that (are) wild throws,” Brown said. “That throw he threw to Javess Blue, that’s a wild throw … He’s got big time arm talent.”

With two minutes remaining in the game, Towles’ resilience showed again. The game manager stepped up and rushed for a four-yard touchdown to once again pull the Cats within one score.

“That’s the good thing about Patrick, he played really well against the No. 1 team in the country but there’s still room for growth,” Brown said.

After a strong performance against a tough defensive squad, Brown was pleased with the way his quarterback played. However, is excited to get back  to work to push Towles to the next level.