Tennessee football at Kentucky: Five Wildcats to watch for against Vols

While the front seven of the Kentucky Wildcats will be the key if they beat Tennessee football, their production elsewhere will only come from one player: Lynn Bowden Jr. And we mean production on offense and in the return game.

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Bowden entered this season as the go-to receiver and the return specialist. But after the injuries at quarterback, Mark Stoops went unconventional and turned to him to run the show. And he has kept them on a roll, blowing out the Missouri Tigers 29-7 in their last game to get them to 4-4 by rushing for over 200 yards.

For the year, Bowden leads the team in rushing and receiving yards, but he’s starting the game at quarterback. Think about that for a minute. He has 75 carries for 598 yards and four touchdowns, averaging eight yards a carry. Meanwhile, he has 30 receptions for 348 yards and a touchdown. Then he has completed 15-of-37 passes for 188 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

It’s also worth noting that Bowden has four punt returns for 53 yards and an amazing 13.3 yards per return while also returning seven kickoffs for 163 yards, an impressive average of 23.3 yards. Now, coming off a bye, he is looking to continue his production.

The key for Bowden is making enough efficient passes to keep Tennessee football’s defense honest. That’s what he did against Mizzou. Jeremy Pruitt, who usually destroys one-dimensional offenses, has to make sure that doesn’t happen. Whether or not he does could be the sole factor in this game. That’s why Bowden is the most important player in Saturday’s matchup.