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Last night was arguably the worst offensive performance for Kentucky in the Mark Stoops era.
There’s blame to go around. The offensive line struggled. The playcalling made you shake your head at times. Sawyer Smith struggled, but that was mostly due to shoulder and wrist injuries.
Overall, it was a performance we want to forget sooner rather than later.
But with Smith facing multiple injuries, Kentucky decided to move Lynn Bowden to full-time quarterback at the end of the game last night, which sparked a Kentucky touchdown ensuring that the Cats wouldn’t be shutout for the first time since the Vandy debacle that ended the Joker Phillips era.
After the game last night, Stoops admitted that they probably should have made Bowden the quarterback earlier in the game, and Stoops is right. Sawyer Smith has shown that when he’s healthy, he’s more than capable of being Kentucky’s quarterback. But with his wrist and shoulder injuries, he clearly can’t make the throws he needs to make.
With Bowden at QB, the playbook is more limited, but he presents a clear and dangerous threat as a runner and is able to make plays when everything breaks down. He obviously doesn’t have the arm that Smith has, but Smith’s arm is extremely limited with his current health.
All this said, Smith will have two weeks to try to get healed up but if he is still hurt in two weeks when the Arkansas game rolls around, Stoops and Co. will have to make a decision on who to line up at QB and it should be Lynn Bowden.
He’s the best option moving forward and Eddie Gran will simply have to retool the offense to play to his strengths, much like he did when Drew Barker was injured and Stephen Johnson had to take over. This obviously isn’t the same situation but the point stands.
Let the Lynn Bowden experiment begin!
Tweet of the Day
This finish tells me Kentucky’s staff needs to know if Lynn Bowden can be the guy at QB, a la Randall Cobb a few years ago. And ... maybe.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) September 29, 2019
Bowden is showing he’s capable.
Quickies
Can Kentucky find enough offense to save its season? - Herald Leader
The offense will have to make a total 180 from the last two games to do so.
What we learned from last night - Courier Journal
It doesn’t appear the coaching staff has much trust in Walker Wood.
Kentucky limps into bye week - KSR
It’s a good time for a bye week.
Mike Leach rips “fat, dumb” WSU players - ESPN
Leach has never been one to hold back on his thoughts.
Winners and losers from Week 5 - Bleacher Report
It was a good week for Oklahoma and Alabama, not so much for Clemson.
Kentucky among top schools for Cliff Omoruyi - Cats Pause
Some believe Kentucky could be the favorite if they zero in on him.
Justin Verlander earns strikeout 3,000 - Yahoo
A major accomplishment for sure.
Pete Alonso breaks rookie homerun record - SI
53 homeruns in your rookie year? Not bad.
Week 4 Fantasy Start/Sit - CBS Sports
In case you’re making some last minute decisions for your team this morning.