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Texas Tech football: Like Alan Bowman, all the greats had dreadful games

By Matthew Conner

AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders argues a safety call with the referees lates in the second half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - OCTOBER 27: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders argues a safety call with the referees lates in the second half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 40-31 over the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

Patrick Mahomes 2016 vs. ISU

The Texas Tech football team has struggled to solve the ISU defense since the Cyclones brought Jon Heacock in to coordinate their defense in 2016.  Since then, Heacock’s cloud zone coverage scheme has flustered Kliff Kingsbury’s offenses regardless of who has been at QB.

That includes the most talented QB to ever play for Texas Tech.  In 2016, Pat Mahomes threw for just 219 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 18 of 36 passing in a 66-10 loss in Ames.  Mahomes and the rest of the Red Raider offense was never able to build any momentum against the Cyclones on a day that saw the wind chill remain in the 20’s for the entire game.

But ironically, that day could have been the most beneficial of Mahomes’ football career.  That’s because John Dorsey, general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, attended the game posing as a common fan to observe Mahomes who he was interested in drafting.

Though Mahomes had the worst day of his collegiate career, his sideline demeanor impressed Dorsey enough that he would trade two first round draft picks in the 2017 NFL Draft to move up 17 spots to grab the Red Raider QB.

But this was not Pat Mahomes only off day as a Red Raider.  In 2015, he threw for only 233 yards and one touchdown while tossing four picks in a 63-27 drubbing at Oklahoma.

What’s more, on two other occasions, Mahomes was far from spectacular in Red Raider victories.  He had just 243 yards, one touchdown and two picks in a 2015 win at Arkansas and 206 yards, two TD passes and a pick in a 2016 win over TCU.

This year, Mahomes has taken the NFL by storm in his first season as the Chiefs’ starter and it seems that no defense can stop him.  But in college, he struggled on a number of occasions arguably looking even worse than Alan Bowman did this week.

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