Is too much being asked of Kentucky football’s Lynn Bowden?
Whether or not Sawyer Smith’s shoulder injury proves to be a lingering issue for the University of Kentucky football team, the Wildcats’ offense sure could use a jolt from Lynn Bowden this weekend in Columbia, S.C.
Bowden, UK’s only skill-position player recognized as an All-Southeastern Conference selection in the preseason, ranks seventh in the SEC with 330 receiving yards but through four games has scored only one touchdown — a last-minute cherry on top of a 38-17 win against Eastern Michigan. That’s the same amount of times that Bowden found pay dirt through four games last year, albeit on far fewer targets: the junior wide receiver was targeted 25 times in a more run-focused offense in Kentucky’s first four contests in 2018; in 2019 he has been targeted 53 times, including a season-high 17 times in the Wildcats’ 28-13 loss at Mississippi State.
Touchdowns are what people remember the most, of course, but their absence can somewhat be attributed to circumstances beyond an individual player’s control (example: a catch results in a huge gain that’s stopped short of the end zone, enabling a running back to more easily score). The more concerning stat is Bowden’s catch rate: he caught 20 of his first 25 targets last year, or 80 percent of the balls thrown his way; so far this season Bowden is 27-for-53, or 50.9 percent.
To enter this season expecting Bowden to reel in 80 percent of his targets this season would have been ridiculous based on the sheer volume of passes bound to come with an increased role in the offense. But he should have caught more balls than he has; at least two obtainable balls he missed against Mississippi State not only cost him percentage points, but likely cost the Cats two TDs — one was dropped right through his hands in the end zone and another came off his fingertips right outside the goal line.
There are several things that could be a factor in Bowden’s inefficiency: Defenses are more attentive than they were last season, when Benny Snell was UK’s fulcrum; the Cats’ injury-prompted change at the quarterback position, meaning a year’s worth of chemistry was lost and has to be re-developed on the fly; in addition to route running, Bowden’s taking snaps in the wildcat formation and returning kicks — more plays, less rest.
That he’s struggling isn’t news to Bowden. Nobody in the locker room has been harder on themselves than he has.
“If I had better hands, I’d be y’all,” Bowden told a group of reporters following UK’s loss in Starkville. “I gotta get back in the lab. I’m dropping too many balls, man. … I don’t blame nobody but myself. I’ve just gotta be better. I just gotta reel ’em in.”
Last weekend’s drops dampened what was otherwise Bowden’s best receiving effort of the year, statistically: he accumulated 129 yards on just seven grabs, none more impressive than a 21-yard pickup on a fourth-and-8 conversion late in the third quarter that kept alive a UK comeback bid. He was nearly brought down early 4 yards short of the first down after coming back on a hurried pass from Smith, but proceeded to shake off a tackle and push Kentucky into the red zone.
The potential for those kind of plays is what necessitates Bowden being so involved in UK’s offense, especially when the Cats are in the midst of rally bids. Head coach Mark Stoops on Monday acknowledged that he and his staff might need to reduce his load, though.
“We have to look at the amount of plays we are giving him and asking him to run all over the field, and sometimes on reverses and things of that nature and taking shots down the field,” Stoops said. “Sometimes back-to-back plays with him. We have got to be smart and try to give him some rest when we can, because he’s doing an awful lot and we appreciate his effort.”
Stoops indicated that sophomore Clevan Thomas could see more action; he’s listed as a backup to Bowden in addition to Allen Dailey Jr. and has played in all four games but has just one reception so far, an 8-yard completion, on four targets (three were last weekend). Bryce Oliver, a redshirt freshman, scored one of the Cats’ six receiving TDs against Toledo but has been thrown two twice since then (he’s 1-for-3 on the year). “There may be an opportunity” for Akeem Hayes, too, Stoops said, going forward; Hayes, a redshirt freshman, missed UK’s first four games due to academic issues.
Bowden’s struggles have been in part mitigated by the emergence of Ahmad Wagner, who has made only 10 catches on 25 targets (40 percent) but drawn five pass interference penalties that were accepted (a sixth one was declined in favor of a TD catch). One could argue that Bowden’s existence has made it easier for Wagner to get loose downfield; if both could get cooking consistently, it’d go a long way in aiding an offense that ranks 68th in the nation (419 yards per game).
Leaning more into the run game could be the simplest solution to help ease the burden on Bowden’s shoulders; A.J. Rose and Kavosiey Smoke have combined for 573 yards on 100 carries, an average of 5.73 yards per rush. In part because it was behind, UK threw the ball 42 times and had only 25 non-sack carries at Mississippi State.
Regardless of how hot or cold any single receiver is, don’t expect that kind of imbalance to be the norm.
“Everyone wants to see the ball thrown 42 times … well, you did,” Stoops said with a laugh. “I hope you’re happy, because I’m not.”
Next game
Kentucky at South Carolina
7:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network)
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 8:40 AM.
