Terry Bowden hopes Kentucky will pass Saturday because he is not sure ULM can stop the run

Coach Terry Bowden worries Chris Rodriguez will be unstoppable for his team Saturday. (UK Athletics Photo)

Louisiana Monroe coach Terry Bowden might want Kentucky to throw the football more than even UK fans do in Saturday’s game at Kroger Field.

“They’ve publicly stated they want to throw the ball a bit more than they’ve done in the past. They’ve got a great tailback and the strength of their entire team is their offensive line,” Bowden, the head coach at Auburn from 1993-98, said.

“I’m not sure we can stop their running enough to make them pass the football, so I’m kind of hoping that they’ll want to pass it a lot because I’m not sure you can stop that team with the strength of their offensive line and the strength of their running back. They’re still geared to run and throw the football.”

The 65-year-old Bowden was a Clemson intern the last two years and his team is a 29-point underdog Saturday. He understands what ULM is facing. The team has not had a winning season since 2012 and was 0-10 last year and never led in a game.

“If you’re trying to ease into your season or ease into your schedule or your new job, this is not the game you would want. This is not the Kentucky of old,” the ULM coach said.

“When I say that, back to the 90s when I was in the SEC at Auburn, that was a game that was on the lower side. But this is a team that has already been to a bowl five straight times. Mark Stoops has done a great job making this team a contender in the eastern division.”

Bowden said the talent level at Kentucky is like what he has seen at some other SEC schools.

“If you wonder the difference in the talent level, they had six players drafted in the NFL and three as free agents. You might as well be talking Auburn, you might as well be talking Florida when you talk about those kinds of people being drafted in the NFL,” the ULM coach said.

“First rounder, a second-rounder. And they’re lined up with not only good players coming back, but they’ve gone to the transfer portal and gotten some outstanding players.  Offensive line, defense, a wide receiver. Quarterback especially. They’ve done what a lot of people have done, which is going to the transfer portal a little more than normal to fill some immediate needs.

“The way they’re talking up there, they believe they have a chance to have a great year. With that being said, we have prepared ourselves to go up there and play the best we can play. That’s all we can do.”