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Texas Tech football: How Alan Bowman stacked up against other FR QBs in 2018

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 20: Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders calls signals at the line of scrimmage during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on October 20, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 20: Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders calls signals at the line of scrimmage during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on October 20, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez

Another Big 10 sophomore QB that is earning quite a bit of preseason love is Nebraska’s, Adrian Martinez.  Last year, the former No. 7 dual-threat QB in the nation and the No. 139 overall player in the class of 2018 threw for 2,617 yards, 17 touchdowns and 8 picks in eleven games.

Those numbers are rather similar to Bowman’s but again, we must consider that Martinez had three more games in his freshman year.  When you break things down by game, Bowman stands out.

Martinez averaged 91.7 yards per game less than Bowman through the air.  He also averaged 1.5 touchdowns per game, over half a touchdown fewer than Bowman’s 2.1.

Martinez attempted 31.5 passes per game, completing 20.3 (64.6%).  Meanwhile, Bowman attempted 40.8 and completed 28.3 (69.4%).  You can spin those numbers to say that Bowman threw for more yards because he threw it more, which is true, but that means he also shouldered a much greater burden for his team in the process.

What’s more, Martinez had one of the worst passing performances of any modern era Power 5 QB in his second career game.  Against a tough Michigan defense, he completed just 7 of 15 passes for 22 yards and an interception before being pulled.  Though in fairness, he was dealing with a knee injury that caused him to miss the previous week.

In Bowman’s worst game last year, at Iowa State, he managed to 322 yards and a touchdown while tossing three picks.  And in his worst half of the year, he threw for 123 yards, a TD and a pick against West Virginia.

Last year, Martinez went just 4-7 as the Huskers had a terrible first season under head coach Scott Frost.  But still, he is being touted by some as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate this fall.  They must have a much lower bar for quarterbacks in Lincoln than we do in Lubbock.

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