Lynn Bowden, Jr. wins 10th Annual Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award
Lexington, Ky. – November 30, 2019 – University of Kentucky (UK) junior quarterback Lynn Bowden, Jr., rushed for 293 yards and four touchdowns and was named winner of the 2019 Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award after leading the Wildcats in a 45-13 win over the University of Louisville today at Commonwealth Stadium. Bowden was selected by a vote of the working media covering the game.
Bowden, who started the year as an electrifying all-purpose receiver/return specialist, led UK to a 5-2 record filling in at quarterback after the Wildcats’ lost their top two signal callers due to injury.
“I’m humbled to help my team however I can,” Bowden said after the Wildcats overwhelmed Louisville with 517 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Bowden’s six-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put UK ahead for good with a score of 14-13, then he added scoring runs of 60 and 46 yards in the third quarter when the Wildcats jumped out to a 31-13 lead. Bowden’s 32-yard, fourth quarter touchdown scamper closed out the scoring.
“What can you say about Lynn,” said UK Head Coach Mark Stoops. “He is truly remarkable in so many ways. You have to recognize his competitive nature, and just how tough and competitive and what a leader he is.”
Bowden finished the regular season with 1,235 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, 330 yards passing with two touchdowns and 30 receptions for 348 yards and one touchdown. He also returned eight kickoffs for 200 yards and four punts for 53 yards. Bowden finished the season with 2,166 total yards.
The Howard Schnellenberger MVP Award, presented annually to the most valuable player on the winning team in the University of Louisville – University of Kentucky football game, was created in 2010 by the Louisville Sports Commission. The Award received the blessing from both athletic departments and honors Schnellenberger, who has remarkable football credentials and is the only person inducted into both the UK and UofL athletic halls of fame.
A Louisville native, Schnellenberger was recruited to UK by the legendary Bear Bryant, earned varsity letters in 1952-53-54-55 and was an All-American tight end for the Wildcats under Blanton Collier as a senior. Schnellenberger was an assistant coach at UK under Collier in 1959 and 1960. As the head coach at UofL for 10 years (1985-1994), Schnellenberger is credited with rejuvenating the football program and \boosting support for a new, on-campus stadium. He led the Cardinals to victories in the Liberty and Fiesta Bowls.
In 2011, Schnellenberger retired as head coach and director of football operations at Florida Atlantic University, having built the Division I program from scratch starting in 1998. From the 1960s through the 1980s, he was an integral part of four college national championships and two Super Bowl victories. His upstart Miami Hurricanes won the 1983 title and he was offensive coordinator under Bryant at Alabama for titles in 1961, 1964 and 1965. At Miami, Louisville and FAU, Schnellenberger-coached teams are a remarkable 6-0 in bowl games. He was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula, including the 17-0 season in 1972, and assistant under George Allen with the LA Rams.
Famed for his offensive football genius, Schnellenberger has influenced a memorable list of quarterbacks, including Joe Namath, Kenny Stabler, Roman Gabriel, Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Bert Jones, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Mark Richt, Browning Nagel, Jay Gruden, Jeff Brohm, and Rusty Smith.
Year-by-Year Howard Schnellenberger Award Winners
2018 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
UK junior quarterback Terry Wilson led the Wildcats in a 56-10 blowout win over UofL at Cardinal Stadium by connecting on 17 of 23 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball 10 times for 79 yards and a two-yard touchdown. Wilson led the Wildcats on scoring drives of 75 and 67 yards that ended with scoring strikes of 28 and 13 yards to Lynn Bowden. Wilson also threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Josh Ali.
2017 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
University of Louisville junior quarterback Lamar Jackson earned his second Schnellenberger Award (he also won in 2015) by amassing 372 yards in total offense and leading the Cardinals to a 44-17 blowout win over rival UK. Jackson completed 15 of 21 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns and ran 18 times for 156 yards. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner accounted for 22 total first downs on the ground and in the air, and averaged 8.7 yards-per-carry and 10.9 yards-per-pass attempt. This was Jackson’s 12th consecutive game with more than 300 yards in total offense and his eighth consecutive game with more than 100 yards rushing, both school records.
2016 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
University of Kentucky junior quarterback Stephen Johnson earned the Award after leading the visiting Wildcats to a wild, 41-38 upset win. Johnson completed 16 of 27 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 83 yards on eight carries in leading UK to its seventh win of the season. Unflustered and precise in front of a raucous crowd, Johnson engineered a masterful, seven-play, 60-yard drive that consumed 1:33 and led to UK’s winning 47-yard field goal with 00:12 remaining in the game. On the gamewinning drive, he was 2-2 passing for 34 yards and scrambled 15 yards for a first down to put the Wildcats in field goal range.
2015 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
UofL freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson earned the Award by rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for one as he led the Cardinals to a 38-24 come-from-behind win over Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium. With the Cardinals down 21-0, Jackson entered the game in mid first quarter to engineer the dramatic comeback by rushing for 186 yards and throwing for 130. Down 24-7 at intermission, UofL score 31 straight points in the second half.
2014 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
UofL junior wide receiver Devante Parker earned the Award with six catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a wild back and forth game in Cardinal Stadium that Louisville won 38-34. Parker, a Louisville native out of Ballard High School, notched his seventh 100-yard receiving game and tied the UofL career touchdown receiving record with 33. The game featured nearly 800 yards in combined total offense and seven lead changes.
2013 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
Teddy Bridgewater captured his second consecutive MVP Award when he threw to seven different receivers in UofL’s 27-13 win over UK at Commonwealth Stadium. For the day, Bridgewater was 16-28 passing for 250 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He lofted a second quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver Devante Parker deep in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score.
2012 Schnellenberger Award Winner. Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater earned the Award with a sterling performance in UofL’s 32-14 win over UK at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. He completed 19-21 passes for 232 yards and no interceptions and set a UofL single-game record with a 90.5 percent completion rate. He led UofL on a 15-play 99-yard scoring drive on the Cardinals’ first possession and a six-play 85-yard scoring drive on their second possession for a lead they would never relinquish.
2011 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
A senior linebacker and Louisville native, Dexter Heyman earned the Award as the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats 24-17 at Commonwealth Stadium. Heyman made 12 tackles, two for a loss, and a forced fumble recovered by a teammate, leading the Cardinal defense that limited the Wildcats to 35 yards rushing in 32 carries.
2010 Schnellenberger Award Winner.
UK senior running back Derrick Locke was named the inaugural recipient of the Award for his performance in the Wildcats’ 23-16 win over UofL at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Locke registered 150 all-purpose yards, including 104 rushing yards on 23 carries. He scored two first quarter touchdowns for a lead UK would never relinquish.