LITTLE ROCK — Between Lynn Bowden’s bio, a heads up from the media and 30 minutes of first-hand observation, the Arkansas defense should have had a good handle on the Kentucky offense with the Wildcats’ leading wide receiver playing quarterback.
Instead, Bowden ran the Razorbacks ragged in the second half and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn certainly noticed, particularly because his most experienced running back will be unavailable Saturday vs. Arkansas.
Bowden racking up 151 of his 196 yards rushing in the final half was instrumental in Kentucky’s 17 points after intermission, but his production was surprising considering there was little chance Bowden would be transformed into an effective passer in two weeks. Against Arkansas, Bowden was credited with 11 pass attempts — more than double his total his first two years in Lexington — and a couple of completions were ultra-safe tosses in the backfield. Also included was a shot-put throw of sorts that was yards short of an open receiver.
Statistics included in Bowden’s school profile confirm he was a run-first quarterback and his 7,387 rushing yards ranks sixth in the history of Ohio high school football. In addition, the resume points out Bowden was the No. 5 “athlete” in his recruiting class and the “a” word is often used to identify a quarterback who is skilled, but whose ideal position is a question mark.
As for Bowden starting against Arkansas, Kentucky trainers told coaches early on that Sawyer Smith — No. 1 on the announced depth chart — needed more time to heal and more than one media outlet cautioned fans not to be surprised if Bowden started.
How Bowden’s effectiveness running the ball will influence Malzahn’s play-calling this week is uncertain, but freshman Bo Nix carried 12 times vs. Texas A&M and 10 times against Florida and double-digit attempts vs. Arkansas seems logical. After all, more than once, Bowden simply headed wide with a pitch man available and turned upfield for a nice gain.
In fact, on the final play of the 75-yard drive for the winning touchdown, Kentucky faced second-and-13 at the Arkansas 24 when Bowden started right where there was no containment and a defensive back playing pass, and scored easily.
Unlike Kentucky, Malzahn will not pretty much abandon the pass. His quarterback has started all six games, but Mississippi State is the only SEC team with fewer pass attempts than Auburn.
As for Arkansas’ offense, the Nick Starkel vs. Ben Hicks quarterback debate continues and getting a gander at freshman K.J. Jefferson in action is becoming more popular. Those who favor playing Jefferson might be encouraged by the fact that he was in uniform in Lexington, but Arkansas normally takes all scholarship quarterbacks on road trips.
That said, why not take advantage of the four-game redshirt rule with Jefferson?
The defenses of Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Missouri are part of the calculation and only the unit of second-ranked LSU is outside the top 18 in the country in scoring defense, but head coach Chad Morris gets big bucks to make such decisions. Those upcoming opponents are 22-2 and only Missouri is likely to lose more than one more game before playing the Razorbacks.
Asking Jefferson to attack those defenses behind an offensive line that gave way at a critical point in the fourth quarter vs. Kentucky could be traumatic for an 18-year-old. On the other hand, limiting his opposition to Western Kentucky and Mississippi State would provide a false sense of the competition he will face regularly in the future.
Undoubtedly, Jefferson’s mechanics are lacking, but film vs. a real opponent would be a useful teaching tool.
If Morris decides to play Jefferson, timing is the question.
If Jefferson enters the game when Arkansas is behind by 14 or so, does that signal the coaches have given up on the outcome?
If he plays when the game is close, does that undercut confidence in the other quarterbacks?
Either way, if Jefferson plays, he must be allowed to use all his skills and keep the ball on occasion instead of being protected to the extreme.
Nobody asked, but the personal choice is to provide Jefferson with a realistic introduction to the SEC either this week vs. a superb front seven or on the road vs. No. 1 Alabama next week.