Lynn Bowden says UK-Louisville like Steelers-Browns. Which one is Kentucky?
University of Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden was asked if he had a message to send Louisville fans before the latest renewal of their rivalry.
To summarize: Keep out.
“Stay where y’all at,” Bowden said. “Don’t jump on our bandwagon.”
Louisville isn’t in danger of losing any diehards — especially with its own program in the midst of an ahead-of-schedule rebuild — but it’d be hard to take fault with casuals out there who might typically cheer for both schools (GASP!) or general college football fans, should they side with Bowden and the Cats this year.
Kentucky’s 6-foot-1 junior hasn’t single-handedly saved the Wildcats’ season — an award-worthy offensive line and a top-20 defense had plenty of say in them reaching bowl-eligibility for a fourth straight year — but he’s the poster boy for a season that, five games in, looked to be headed south.
Bowden, a wide receiver-turned-quarterback, became the focal point of an offensive scheme designed on the fly, and as a result could end this season as the winner of the Paul Hornung Award, handed out to the most versatile player in college football. If he continues at the same pace, he’ll finish the season with well over 1,000 rushing yards as a quarterback (he’s at 951 entering Saturday).
His counterpart at Louisville has fared nicely, too. Micale Cunningham — who last year used the first name “Malik” — assumed the starting job a few games into the season and has thrown for 1,704 yards and 19 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He’s not as efficient as Bowden in the run game, but he’s a threat to go: he’s rushed for 374 yards and six TDs on 95 carries.
Bowden is 1-1 as a Wildcat against Louisville. The prevailing assumption is that he’ll depart for the NFL following this season’s completion. If he’s to finish with a winning record against the Cardinals, another big day on the ground will be necessary.
Seeing the Governor’s Cup trophy in UK’s display at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility every day is a powerful motivator.
“That’s probably our life more than anything,” Bowden said. “We’re gonna do our best to keep it here.”
A lot of “hootin’ and hollerin’” is forthcoming, Bowden said, because of the rivalry. He’s not native to the state, but the game has come to mean a lot to Bowden.
He refused to utter the word “Louisville” following the Cats’ win over Tennessee Martin on Saturday.
“It’s like the Steelers and the Browns,” Bowden said. “You gotta embrace it. That other team over there, they wear the opposite color of us.
“We’re the Steelers. ... We’re definitely the Steelers.”
Saturday
Louisville at Kentucky
When: Noon
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Louisville 7-4, Kentucky 6-5
Series: Kentucky leads 16-15
Last meeting: Kentucky won 56-10 on Nov. 24, 2018, in Louisville.
