Lynn Bowden's remarks following Kentucky's Belk Bowl win

Lynn, what did it mean to you that the winning touchdown came not with your legs but on a touchdown pass? And also, after the ?? you were up there at the podium, what made you think ?? you got a victory lap and decided to high?five all the fans there. What made you want to do that?

LYNN BOWDEN: The fans, they drove a long way from Kentucky. So they coming down here to support us, you know, I’ve got to show my love for them just as they love me. I wouldn’t feel right if I just left, especially my last game. I want to make sure everybody feel love from me.

What does it mean the winning touchdown came on a pass?

LYNN BOWDEN: Everything. Y’all said I couldn’t throw.

On the sideline I saw you making eye contact with Ahmad Wagner and y’all were looking back and forth. Was that kind of a diversion tactic to make you think you was going to him and went the other way?

LYNN BOWDEN: Yeah, that’s my way of seeing what kind of defense. It’s kind of hard to read every defense, but you know, it’s my kind of way of seeing how they going to play Ahmad, how we should go about if I’m going to throw it to him or not. Every time I look at him, they go 15 yards off of him, don’t want to get dunked on.

If we were to tell you at the beginning of your college career that your last play as a Wildcat would be a touchdown pass to win a bowl game, what would you say?

LYNN BOWDEN: I probably believe. If you told me I was going to play quarterback, you know, I wouldn’t believe, but they get a lot of schemes around me. You know, that’s credit to the coaches, they built the offense around me so I had to step up and I just ran with it, so all the credit to them.

Not sure if you’re aware, but you now hold the record for most rushing yards for a quarterback in a bowl game. Not only that, you’re also second in the SEC for most single season rushing yards by a quarterback joining the list with like Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton. What’s it like to be in the record books with guys like that?

LYNN BOWDEN: Can you repeat that one more time? (Laughs.) I’m just saying though like I want to see how my O?line ain’t win no award. Just look at it, it’s facts. I don’t know what else to say. Rush for 500 our last game before this, 400 before that and 400 again. I don’t get the logic, you know what I mean? Is it because we Kentucky? Is it going to change that? That’s just a question for the world, I want to know. Let me know.

At various times in your career you’ve gone to Mark and said, “Let me return a kick, let me return a punt.” What were you saying in that last timeout before the final play?

LYNN BOWDEN: “Throw a jump ball to Ahmad.” Literally my words, I was begging ’em. Right, Coach? We was going to run the ball.

COACH STOOPS: When Virginia Tech called a timeout ??

LYNN BOWDEN: We were going to run the ball. I kind of went over there to the coaches, I said, “Can we at least just take a shot?” I was begging ’em.

COACH STOOPS: I wanted to let him have the ability to create, so if we have one timeout in our pocket, he could create and scramble for the touchdown.

LYNN BOWDEN: They put it in my hands, you know. Glory to God, my O?line, they held up. Like I said, y’all said I couldn’t throw, so over the top it goes.

Lynn, earlier you got sacked and hit a couple times and you had an interception, but after all those plays, how were you able to get your mind right and go out there and do what you did on that final drive?

LYNN BOWDEN: Football, everything happen for a reason. What, our defense gave up a touchdown or two the whole year? They got scored on today through there ?? like I told Brandon, it’s football, it’s bound to happen. People in the league getting paid to get scored on, so it ain’t nothing like I going to get down on myself because I can’t. If I get down on myself, then my team get down on themself, and I’m the leader, so I got to stay up.

Lynn, what did you see from Josh, his route on that last play, and was that something you guys had worked in practice? The timing looked really good on it.

LYNN BOWDEN: I’m probably going to get in trouble for saying this, I kind of checked out of it. I checked Josh to a post because he’s the best route runner on our team. He played in the SEC every week against the best corners there is in America, and I seen him break in and I just threw the ball up and that’s my guy, so he went and made a play for me.

ESPN showed a video early in the game of you getting in an altercation with Virginia Tech before the game. Can you explain what happened? And it looked like you threw a punch, do you regret that?

LYNN BOWDEN: It’s a lot of emotion. I could have hurt my team and not been out there tonight with them, so I just apologized to my program, my teammates. I did it before the game, I apologized to them guys. We respect Virgina Tech. And if I could go back, I wouldn’t do it. But it’s in the past. You know, champion.

MODERATOR: Thanks, champ.