CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Lynn Bowden likely needed no extra motivation for his final college football game. Apparently, he found some this week at pre-Belk Bowl events anyway.
Lexington television station WLEX reported Saturday that Kentucky and Virginia Tech players “got to a small bit of chirping” when they crossed paths at a pre-bowl event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. By Monday a social media post that appears to be a screenshot of a video shot by a Virginia Tech player during that incident with a derogatory caption about Bowden and his teammates was being circulated on Twitter and Instagram.
It is unclear where that post originated, but regardless of its authenticity, Bowden appears to have taken offense to the incident, refusing to comment on Virginia Tech at any point during the hour-long Belk Bowl media day session Monday.
“I don’t want to talk about them,” Bowden said while sitting just feet away from Virginia Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker. “They be all right.”
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Bowden told one group of reporters his week had been “kinda ruined” by the trash talk. His answers to most questions were mostly short and terse, choosing to focus solely on his motivation to win the game and address any perceived slight with his play.
His teammates were only slightly more forthcoming when asked to elaborate on any bad blood with Virginia Tech.
“I think it’s all out there,” senior defensive end Calvin Taylor said. “You’ll see tomorrow. … Can’t go into it too much, but tomorrow you’ll see.”
“I feel like it’s been one-sided trash talk,” sophomore outside linebacker Josh Paschal said “We know what type of team we are. … We don’t focus on talking another team down. That’s not the identity of our team. We’re a humble group. We love playing the game with our brothers.”
For non-playoff bowl games, motivation can vary widely for teams based on the circumstances under which they arrive at the game.
For some, like Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl a year ago, the stakes are higher as players aim for a specific benchmark like a 10-win season. For teams that might have had loftier goals heading into the fall, a mid-tier bowl game might not present much excitement.
Providing extra motivation to an opponent for a bowl is a dangerous proposition then.
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Asked if he expected the bad blood to have an effect on the game, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops would only guarantee his team would be ready to play. Stoops’ Kentucky program has often thrived, though, off a perceived lack of respect.
That theme has shown up again in Charlotte.
“We’re always underdogs,” Paschal said. “We know that. We go into every game knowing that we’re going to have to prove something. This game isn’t any different than any other game. We’re going in there as underdogs, but we’re going to try to prove something. We’re going to try to play with that motivation and that chip on our shoulder.”
Jon Hale: jahale@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @JonHale_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: https://ift.tt/2zShSql.
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December 31, 2019 at 12:44AM
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Belk Bowl: Tensions high between Lynn Bowden and Virginia Tech after reports of trash talk - Courier Journal
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