Bozich Calls Bowden ‘Selfish’ and ‘Immature’ Following Belk Bowl Win

Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden made a victory lap to thank the fans following their Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech Tuesday. (Vicki Graff Photo)

Louisville sports writer Rick Bozich has said his fair share about Kentucky athletics through the years.  First at the Louisville Courier-Journal as a reporter and columnist and now at WDRB-TV.

So, it didn’t surprise Kentucky fans when Bozich called Kentucky’s receiver-turned-quarterback Lynn Bowden “immature” and “selfish.”  What surprised some fans was the timing.  It came after Bowden rushed for 233 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown in Kentucky’s 37-30 Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech Tuesday.

In his article, Bozich threw out some compliments to Bowden, calling him ‘selfless’ for moving to his natural position of receiver early in the season to quarterback after Terry Wilson suffered a season-ending injury prior to the start of the conference schedule.

What Bowden, with the help of Kentucky offensive coordinator Eddie Gran, did afterwards drew the attention of national media and saw the UK junior win national awards.

However, Bozich centered on the pregame festivities where Bowden was captured on video hurling a wayward punch toward Virginia Tech defensive lineman DaShawn Crawford.  This came a few days after Virginia Tech hurled profanity-laced comments toward Bowden at a bowl event in Charlotte.

As a Kentucky fan, you have to feel good that there were no other repercussions from what went down on the field before game.  Of course, this happens throughout the season in highly-charged games, not just bowl games.

But then Bozich brought Louisville into the discussion which some UK fans said showed the Louisville columnist’s true motivation.  Bozich called out Bowden for his “over-the-top taunting” of Louisville during Kentucky’s 45-13 rout of the Cardinals Nov. 30.  The taunting of Kentucky players also drew the ire of first-year coach Scott Satterfield.

Of course, it was Louisville players who began a shoving incident with Kentucky players at midfield before their 2014 Governor’s Cup game that also included then-coach Bobby Petrino putting his hands on a Kentucky assistant coach.  Did Bozich call out anyone from that pregame skirmish, including the Louisville coach?

You can question Bowden’s actions before the game (something he later apologized for).  But when you lump in the Kentucky quarterback celebrating a win over a heated rival in a manner most college kids do these days, then it becomes sour grapes.  And it makes it obvious that Bozich doesn’t like people on his lawn these days.