Photo by Keyli Chisesi (Go Big Blue Country)
Freshman wide receiver/kick returner Lynn Bowden Jr. had his best game of his young Wildcat career on Saturday and his confidence is growing each and every week.
Bowden, a native of Youngstown, OH., caught three passes for a career-high 79 yards vs. Vanderbilt and led the Wildcats with 192 all-purpose yards.
The highlight play of the night and his career so far was his 93-yard kick return in the third quarter. Bowden fielded the kick, exploded down the right sideline and then cut back toward the left side of the field. His return came up six yards short of his first career touchdown but it set up a six-yard Benny Snell touchdown run on the next play.
Bowden’s 93-yard kick return is the longest UK return since the 2009 season. For the season, Bowden has 13 catches for 207 yards. In addition, he has added 628 return yards, owning an average of 25.1 yards per return. The freshman has also totaled 30 yards on the ground for the Wildcats.
With each passing week, the Wildcats are calling Bowden’s number more frequently. Fans have waited all season for the freshman to explode and Saturday was a sample of what he can do. The confidence that Mark Stoops and Eddie Gran have in Bowden is evident with their new Wildcat package. When Bowden checked in to take the snap, UK quarterback Stephen Johnson went to the sideline. It is clear that the coaching staff trusts Bowden to make good decisions with the ball, evident by the number of times he has dropped back to pass this season.
There aren’t many players out there like Bowden. The type of player that can change and impact a game in so many different phases. He’s not Randall Cobb, yet. However, he reminds you of the way number 18 could impact games.
There’s no doubt about it, Bowden is a special talent and has a bright future ahead of him.
