Virginia Tech Gives Lynn Bowden Extra Motivation After Pre-Belk Bowl Skirmish

Lynn Bowden Jr. wasn't going to need any extra motivation from anyone heading into what will be his last college football game ever for the Kentucky Wildcats. The three-year wide quarterback/receiver has already solidified himself as one of the great all-purpose players in Cat history, and a win in their Belk Bowl matchup against Virginia Tech would be his ideal sendoff onto an NFL roster - and would vault the Wildcats to their third Bowl win under head coach Mark Stoops.

It wasn't needed, but extra motivation did come in the firm of pre-game trash talk from Kentucky's opponent Tuesday. Several players from Virginia Tech apparently hurled various profanity-filled insults and slurs at Kentucky as they made their way through the Charlotte Motor Speedway Monday. Moments after, Bowden posted a blacked out image to his Twitter account with the words "you'll see" plastered in bold lettering near the center of the picture.

Uh-oh. Trash talk isn't uncommon in the days leading up to big games in college football, but targeting the opposing team's All-American doesn't seem like it's the best idea.

“I don’t want to talk about them, they'll be alright," Bowden said as he sat yards away from Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker, telling reporters his week had been "kinda ruined" by the altercation.

“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. 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.”

As for Stoops, he wouldn't say a word about the petty talk, only ensuring that his guys would be ready come kick-off. So too, will my popcorn.