With a simple revision, Kentucky makes it even more clear: Lynn Bowden is ‘The Guy.’
There was a slight change to Kentucky’s depth chart ahead of its matchup with Tennessee Martin: Lynn Bowden is the starter at quarterback.
Bowden, of course, has started five straight games at quarterback for the Wildcats. This week’s depth chart, however, is the first in which he’s been listed as the definitive starting quarterback, removing any doubt that might still have existed about whether or not the speedy junior was “The Guy.”
“I didn’t think I was fooling you anymore,” Stoops said with a laugh during his Monday news conference.
Bowden was not listed as an option at quarterback prior to the game against Arkansas, the team against whom he made his first start. In UK’s next three games he was listed with an “OR” along with Sawyer Smith at the position. Smith was listed behind Bowden on the depth chart for Tennessee Martin. Walker Wood, who made his first appearance as a Wildcat at Vanderbilt, was listed behind Smith.
This season, Bowden has run for 822 yards, putting him on pace to finish as one of the Southeastern Conference’s top 10 rushers despite lining up at wide receiver for the better part of Kentucky’s first five games. Kentucky improved to 3-2 with him as its quarterback Saturday, and he’ll have the opportunity to lead it past the bowl-eligibility mile-marker this weekend.
“If you’ve been around me or followed me, it’s a God-given gift that I’ve had for a very long time,” Bowden said of his playmaking ability after UK’s win over Vanderbilt. “I just take pride in everything I do and that’s what I’m trying to get my team to do. I think they’re really buying into it, you know?”
UK center Drake Jackson, who on Monday was named SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week, walked by and was called out to by Bowden while he spoke Saturday.
“Even Drake right there,” Bowden said with a grin. “I get on his nerves multiple times throughout the week. Everybody’s taking pride in it. Coaches, media, even our teachers. They’re taking pride in it and making sure we stay up on everything. I’m a team player. I didn’t have to come out here and score or get whatever I got. I want to win. That’s my ultimate goal. If I do something, I do something.
“That’s what they brought me here for.”
Caution
Kentucky has never lost to an FCS opponent, and UT Martin is 1-27 all-time against FBS schools. It lost 45-0 to Florida earlier this year, too.
With one win standing between the Wildcats and bowl-eligibility, there’s little reason to expect UK not to clobber the Skyhawks come Saturday afternoon. On the flip side, though, UT Martin has nothing to lose in its final game of 2019.
“You know they’re going to throw caution to the wind and take some gambles and some shots,” Stoops said.
UT Martin presents some unique challenges defensively, Stoops said. The Skyhawks have allowed 240.2 passing yards to their opponent each time out but have limited them to 134.7 rushing yards per game.
“They’re very different than anybody we’ve played and can be very multiple and can do some things that are kind of unique, so in that regard it will be very different for us,” Stoops said. “And when you’re playing a team like that, they can create some negative plays because they’re very much kind of all over (the place). So we’ve got to be very detailed in what we’re doing.”
Sawyer Smith
Smith, who started three games at quarterback following Terry Wilson’s season-ending knee injury against Eastern Michigan, has been used sparingly since. Smith told Darrell Bird of The Cats’ Pause after the game that he wasn’t 100 percent healthy until “the last week or so.”
“Warming up on the sidelines is like throwing 10 yards, 15 yards at max. That’s easy,” Smith said. “Anybody can throw it 15 yards. It’s the ones that are out in my range. They’re coming back. They’re getting better. It’s about getting back into it.”
He’s embraced the opportunity to help Bowden make the transition from route runner to signal caller.
“He’s probably the best athlete in the SEC and probably one of the best in the nation,” Smith said. “Seeing him work — and by that I mean making 18 people miss when there are only 11 guys on the field — is pretty impressive. He’s getting hard yards.”
Walker Wood
Wood, a former standout at Lafayette High School, has undergone multiple surgeries since his prep career. Academically, he’s a sophomore at UK, but before Saturday had never gotten to play for the Wildcats.
Stoops was happy to get him on the field at Vanderbilt and continued to direct praise toward the Lexington native on Monday.
“Fortunately we had the lead. ... He made a really good decision when he was getting blitzed, he got backed up and got rid of the football,” Stoops said. “He threw, on the smash, he had the out cut, the hitch, made a good throw there that got brought back for a hold. It was really important. I just have a lot of respect for Walker and I think everybody in our organization does, so it was really important to see him play and I’d love to see him some more.”
Milestone
A Kentucky victory Saturday would push Stoops into sole possession of third place all-time in victories for a UK coach with 42, behind Paul “Bear” Bryant (60) and Fran Curci (47). Stoops currently is tied with Jerry Claiborne and Blanton Collier for that distinction.
Next game
Tennessee Martin at Kentucky
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (SEC)
