WBN Nightcap: A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

Oct 13, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Jalen Whitlow (13) looks to pass as Arkansas Razorbacks defensive tackle Jared Green (57) closes in during the first quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky coaches recently confirmed what most of had been hearing since the Spring, that the quarterback battle has been narrowed primarily to Jalen Whitlow and Maxwell Smith.

The coaches also confirmed that both quarterbacks are expected to play against Western Kentucky next weekend. Most believe that one is likely to get a lion’s share of the snaps but the coaches claim that they will ride the hot hand so to speak. But that may be a bit of gamesmanship, as both Mark Stoops and Neal Brown have alluded to the fact that they aren’t going to do WKU any favors by letting their offensive plans be known.

There has been plenty of disappointed talk since the announcement by folks who were expecting one player or another named the starter. And I agree that ideally one player would be much better than the others and take the job. But that hasn’t happened and we need to adjust. And please stop with the “If you have two quarterbacks, you really have none.” Nonsense.

I’ll reiterate that the two-quarterback system isn’t ideal. But it can be beneficial for a struggling team. Each quarterback has their own strengths and weaknesses that can be utilized during a game. Whitlow has great running ability and can throw the long ball well. His accuracy has reportedly improved quite a bit since last year. On the other hand, he has a tendency to bail on the pocket too early at times and look to run when he has receivers running free down the field. Accuracy would need to come a long way to be in the range of Smith. Smith is easily the most accurate passer on the team. He sees the field well and get the ball out quickly. But his pocket presence has always been poor, he has next to zero escapability and he is injury-prone. No a good combination to bet everything on.

So here is what I think will happen. I think the coaches really will ride the hot hand down in Nashville. I expect Whitlow to be that guy with his running ability and WKU breaking in a new defensive line. I think you will also see both quarterbacks on the field a few times and a couple of trick plays out of that personnel package. Assuming that they have some success against the Toppers, I would expect the same thing against Miami (OH) but after that I think the coaches would like someone to separate from the other. At some point a starter should be named.

If his accuracy is decent, I would think that Whitlow will be that guy. His ceiling is higher, and his skill set fits the offense that UK would like to run with the current roster. Again, if he can keep a defense honest with his arm it opens everything up. With a roster stocked with running backs and tight ends, don’t be surprised to see Neal Brown line up the Pistol and have Whitlow running the read-option. The coaches think he could be Kaepernick-esque.