UK Athletics

Press Release

LEXINGTON – Kentucky wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. has been named to the 2019 preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list, it was announced on Thursday by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. The award annually is given to college football’s most outstanding receiver at any position.

 

Bowden, from Youngstown, Ohio, is coming off a sensational 2018 season that saw him break the school record for most receptions (67) by a sophomore in school history, surpassing Derek Abney’s 66 from 2001. He led the Wildcats in catches, receiving yards (745) and touchdown receptions (five) and hauled in the most catches in a season since current NFL star Randall Cobb caught 84 passes in 2010.

 

The junior recently was named to Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Second-Team as a receiver and Third-Team as a return specialist. In 2018, he had seven games with at least five receptions, including a career-best 13 for 166 yards in a last-second victory at Missouri in which he also returned a punt for a score to spark the Cats. In the regular season finale against rival Louisville he caught six passes for 86 yards and a pair of scores and followed that up with five receptions for 84 yards and a punt return for a touchdown in a win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.

 

Bowden enters 2019 needing just 45 receiving yards to become the 30th player in school history to reach 1,000 for their career. With 16 more receptions he would become the 17th UK player to have 100 career catches.

 

The 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner will be presented live on December 12, 2019, at the College Football Hall of Fame on The Home Depot College Football Awards presented by Gildan to be broadcast 7:00 – 9:00pm (EST) on ESPN. The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, a group of prominent college football journalists, commentators, announcers, Biletnikoff Award winners, and other former receivers.

 

Kentucky opens the 2019 season against first-time opponent Toledo on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Noon ET on the SEC Network. The following week, Eastern Michigan returns to Lexington (Sept. 7) for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on ESPNU or the SEC Network Alternate. The three-game home stand will conclude with the conference opener vs. the Florida Gators on Sept. 14 in Kroger Field. That highly-anticipated matchup is set to air at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, the only conference game in the prime time window.

 

Season and single-game tickets are available at UKFootballTix.com.