STILLWATER – Across the board, and aside from a handful of plays throughout the game, Oklahoma State played really well against the two-time defensive FCS national champions, South Dakota State.
One area the Pokes were better at to start this season than last is quarterback. And more than just the fact we know who the quarterback is. Alan Bowman is more comfortable with the playbook, the schemes, the team and running the offense from year one to year two.
“The confidence in the offense, and the confidence we had in the game plan coming in, I feel like the coaches have prepared us all throughout camp for this particular game,” Bowman said after the game. “We needed to start out 1-0, so we put some time and effort into these guys, and I felt really comfortable with what they were going to do as a defense, so that let me play freer.”
In fact, this was his best game from a completion percentage since he arrived on campus in January of 2023.
“Alan was good from a mental standpoint, based on what I heard from the headphones,” said head coach Mike Gundy. “He made decisions in what we asked him to do, and his grade in that area, I think, will be really high. That’s where he can help himself and help our team, if he’ll get the ball distributed to the people that we have, because most of what we do is run-pass options.”
Bowman finished the game going 25-of-34 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns. That’s 74% completion, with a quarterback rating of 168.6. He connected with seven receivers, throwing 83 yards to De’Zhaun Stribling, 81 yards and one touchdown to Rashod Owens and 42 yards and one touchdown to Ollie Gordon II.
"He's a great quarterback; he knows how to manage the game,” said running back Ollie Gordon. “He's the leader of the team. This is his team. We're playing for him. So, for him to be able to get out of the pocket and throw the ball and just have a bunch of things to his game, I feel like it's going to be hard for teams to plan against us."
The one connection I’m more excited to watch this season than any other is between Bowman and Stribling. Both transferred into the program last spring and had a chance to make a little magic in 2023 before Stribling went down with a season-ending wrist injury following the Iowa State game last year.
“We just mesh better. We’ve been there for two years as a whole, with Bowman. So, we’ve been meshing better, we know when the ball’s coming, what kind of ball it is. We’re just on the same page and we’re clicking very well.”
The duo will get a chance to improve upon that connection next week as the Pokes host Arkansas next Saturday for an 11 a.m. kick on ABC.
