Virginia Tech Football: 3 takeaways from late Belk Bowl loss to Kentucky

3. Lynn Bowden Jr. aced his final opportunity at quarterback

Lynn Bowden Jr. is headed to the NFL, and he will likely make his mark at wide receiver. Entering the year, he was the best pass-catcher on the team. Bowden ended 2019 as the Wildcats quarterback, and he was critical in his emergency role as the best athlete on offense for Kentucky as they chugged to eight wins.

Bowden made news for a more dubious reason in the pregame fracas between the two teams, throwing a punch that fell outside the jurisdiction of the officiating crew. Once he was on the field, Bowden landed punches of a different sort.

Throughout the season, Bowden did most of his damage with his legs once he took over at quarterback. It wasn’t much different in the Belk Bowl against Virginia Tech in Bud Foster’s final game as the defensive coordinator of the Hokies. Bowden finished the game with 233 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground as he carried the ball 34 times. He also put in a 20-yard kick return for good measure to highlight his versatility in his final college game.

Bowden’s final memory, though, will be the 13-yard touchdown strike he threw to Josh Ali with 15 seconds remaining. The quarterback finished 6-of-12 for 73 yards with the late score to go with an earlier interception. That play gave Kentucky the lead for good and sent Bowden off to the pros with a 5-2 record as a starting quarterback as he  looks to shift back to his more natural position.