Nate Night Thoughts: In the midst of pivotal stretch, Bowman must forget about Ames

Most great quarterbacks have short-term memory; it’s a gift and a curse. Even the best quarterbacks make mistakes, it comes with the territory of playing football, but it’s how a player bounces back that defines the good from the great. Will Bowman stay in a slump, or will he shine once again at home?

There’s no secret that Alan Bowman struggled against Iowa State. With a career high 3 interceptions and a costly intentional grounding penalty that wound up in a safety during a tied game, it is time to see what kind of grit Bowman has.

Throughout last Saturday’s game Bowman didn’t look like his usual self. Instead, he finally looked like the True Freshman that he is. Part of his struggles may have been his own, but credit Matt Campbell and Iowa State’s defense. The Cyclones might be the best defense Tech will play all season as the run game was nowhere to be found because of them. As a team Texas Tech rushed for a season low 30 yards on 24 attempts. That’s 1.25 yards per carry. When a team is forced to be one dimensional like Tech was in Ames, it’s no wonder Bowman struggled through the air.

If Bowman and the offense want to have success when Oklahoma rolls into town, the run game will need to get back on track. Before the Iowa State game the Red Raiders were averaging 168.9 yards per game rushing. While the Red Raiders are still a pass first offense, we have seen how important it is to be successful on the ground this season. The run game not only gives the defense rest, but it balances out the offense and helps with time of possession. By keeping the Tech offense on the field, the Red Raiders can control the tempo of the game, especially in late game situations where they need to close a team out.

While Bowman has put together a nice start to his career, it’s been a long time since Tech has had a quarterback with a winning record by the time they leave Lubbock. David Gibbs and the defense have done their part for most of this season, but it’s time for Bowman to prove to Red Raider fans that he can be the next great Texas Tech quarterback. He has two prime chances to show the nation what he can do against OU and Texas in the coming weeks.