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What Could’ve Happened if Lynn Bowden was Ejected from the Belk Bowl?

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Just a few minutes ago, it was announced that the NCAA will now give officials jurisdiction of game 90 minutes from kickoff instead of the previous 60 minutes. This is important because now, whatever happens inside 90 minutes is under watchful eyes of refs.

This rule change is huge for Kentucky, because of what happened on New Years eve of 2019. There are a lot of good memories for the Kentucky Wildcats and BBN on that day, but there is one bad memory that UK and the BBN want to forget, and had this rule been in place before, Lynn Bowden may have not even suited up for the Wildcats.

Lynn Bowden landed a punch on a Virginia Tech DB outside of the 60 minute window. Therefore, unless UK took action, nothing could’ve been done by the NCAA or officials. If the new 90 minute rule had been in place, Bowden would’ve likely been tossed from the game.

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Yes, VT’s players had been taunting him all week, and they even allegedly robbed his car. But, sadly none of that stuff would’ve mattered.

Yes, this rule is basically the “Lynn Bowden rule” because no one talked about this rule until that incident happened.

It’s crazy to think about, but there is a lot that would’ve changed if Lynn Bowden had been ejected from the Belk Bowl.

Kentucky doesn’t win the game in the first place

There’s no way Kentucky comes close to winning that game without Lynn Bowden. Kentucky’s defense couldn’t stop Virginia Tech’s offense really the whole game. Hendon Hooker threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Deshawn McClease ran for 126 yards on 11 attempts and had a touchdown.

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The only reason Kentucky was in the game was because of Bowden, who ran for 233 yards and scored a touchdown. He also *threw* the game-winning touchdown to Josh Ali with time expiring.

No Bowden, no points, no win.

A lot of answers are needed

Bowden was the backbone of Kentucky’s team last year. Without him, they struggle throughout the entire season because of Sawyer Smith’s injuries that plagued his entire season.

I was at the game and I can’t imagine how my grandfather would’ve reacted if I had to read to him that Lynn Bowden had been ejected before his final game as a Wildcat because he threw a punch in pre-game warmups. He would’ve been livid, as well as BBN, and the coaching staff.

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Instead of celebrating a win, we would’ve been busy asking Mark Stoops, Lynn Bowden, and the other players and coaches about the incident. Bowden’s legacy would’ve been tarnished.

Lynn Bowden probably doesn’t get drafted

Forget about what we think about him for a second. If Bowden gets ejected before the game because he landed a punch, that doesn’t sit well with any NFL teams that are thinking about drafting him.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, the Belk Bowl put Lynn Bowden on the map. Yes, he had been dominating all year, but he was doing it against bottom-tier SEC teams. We think it was impressive, but most scouts don’t think twice about it because of who he’s playing.

Plus, all of the money that he will get from being drafted. Let’s say a team in the later stages of the second round decides to take a chance on him and he gets picked. The total value of that contract is $4.5-6 million, with a $1.3-2.3 million signing bonus.

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If this doesn’t happen and he goes in the third round, he gets anywhere from $3.3-4.2 million.

Even if he goes in the last round, he gets $2.5 million.

If the “Lynn Bowden rule” is in place for that game and he gets ejected for throwing a punch. As you can see, a lot changes. But, thank God it didn’t!

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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