If Sawyer Smith can’t go against Arkansas, who will UK start at QB?
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Game day: Kentucky at South Carolina
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Lynn Bowden maybe should have been Kentucky’s primary quarterback at South Carolina sooner than the final drive, when UK engineered a march down the field for its only score in a 24-7 defeat.
That’s not the suggestion of a hindsight-blinded reporter; that came straight out the mouth of head coach Mark Stoops following the Wildcats’ loss on Saturday night.
“I know everybody’s gonna ask that,” Stoops said before taking any questions from the media. “I don’t know, it’s worth a shot, because we certainly did struggle moving the football.”
Sawyer Smith had his least effective outing as a Wildcat in his third start in place of incumbent starter Terry Wilson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Kentucky’s second game of the season. Smith was 11 of 32 for 90 yards with an interception and a lost fumble.
Smith suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder in the first half of Kentucky’s loss at Mississippi State last weekend. He hurt his wrist two weeks ago against Florida on a tackle that halted an interception return, and likely won’t throw in practice this week.
“Sawyer is giving us everything he can,” Stoops said. “He’s banged up, and that’s the bottom line. We don’t need to make excuses. We all need to a better job. … Sawyer has to heal up, and hopefully he will. We’ve got to get some things checked up on him during this bye.”
Walker Wood, a sophomore, has been listed as UK’s backup quarterback since Smith he became the starter but has not yet seen game action.
Wood has never played a snap at UK. He was a Mr. Football finalist at Lafayette, which he led to two straight Class 6A championship game appearances. He suffered a knee injury in his final high school game and has twice had surgery on his throwing shoulder, including once since arriving on campus.
Amani Gilmore, a true freshman, is Kentucky’s only other scholarship quarterback. Kolbe Langhi, a walk-on, is also available.
“We have confidence in Walker,” Stoops said. “Walker’s gone through a lot of injuries and it’s gonna be tough on any option at that point. You start getting down in the 3 and 4 (stringers), you’re just thin. I love Walker. He gives it everything he has.”
Bowden was deployed frequently in a wildcat formation and was in on every snap of Kentucky’s last offensive possession. He threw twice, completing both passes for a net gain of 7 yards; his first was a loss of 2 yards to Allen Dailey and his second was a 9-yard gain to Josh Ali. Bowden rushed three times for 18 yards.
Smith’s final snap was a loss of 8 yards after being sacked a fourth time. That final hit ensured his night was done, Stoops said.
Co-offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said Smith “probably should have” been removed from the game earlier.
“The kid, looking at him in his eyes, (and) the information that I was getting, he was good,” Gran said. “But as it wasn’t going and it was stalling, I probably could have put (Lynn) in there a little bit quicker.”
Kentucky’s first bye week is coming “at the right time,” Gran said. He called back to Kentucky’s 45-7 loss to Florida in 2016, after which Stephen Johnson succeeded Drew Barker and led the Cats to seven wins. UK in that loss generated 149 yards of offense, its lowest output with Gran in charge.
Third down has been a particular challenge for these Wildcats. Kentucky was 2-for-15 on third-down conversions at South Carolina after going 1-for-12 at Mississippi State. The Cats were 0-for-4 in their final third-down attempts against Florida.
They can go back to the drawing board with a week free of game planning. Whether Bowden’s a bigger part of the game plan as a wildcat quarterback or UK’s outright starter when Arkansas rolls into town on Oct. 12, Gran’s optimistic about what he can accomplish.
“He’ll know where they’re supposed to be. That’s the really good thing about him. He’s gonna know a concept,” Gran said. “If he’s that guy, if he’s the one and we expand that right there, then you do that. He was pretty electric when he was back there, and it’s what he did in high school. He throws the ball well and it’s not just hitches. He throws the deep ball well. … I think his package can certainly be expanded, and it has been as we’ve moved.”
Bowden said he has stayed after practice working on a little bit of everything. If he’s QB-1 in two weeks, so be it.
“I’m a fighter. I’m just fighting for my team ’til the clock says zero zero,” Bowden said. “Whatever I gotta do, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Other injuries
▪ Jordan Griffin, Kentucky’s only available experienced defensive back coming into the season, did not play Saturday because of a knee injury. “When he went last week (against Mississippi State), he was limping and it caused another issue and it set him back,” Stoops said. “So, hopefully, he’ll be back at full strength after the bye.”
▪ Kavosiey Smoke rushed twice for 7 yards before leaving the game with “a heavy migraine,” Stoops said. An update on his status likely will be available Tuesday.
This story was originally published September 29, 2019 at 1:35 AM.
