Gundy Says OSU ‘Working Through’ Who Will Start at Quarterback against Kansas State

STILLWATER — Despite playing “pretty good” against Iowa State and leading the Cowboys to their best offensive output against an FBS team in Ames, Alan Bowman isn’t guaranteed to start Friday’s game against Kansas State — at least not publicly.

In the first full game for any Oklahoma State quarterback this season, Bowman threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing two interceptions and completing just 48% of his passes. Mike Gundy met with reporters Monday for the first time since OSU’s Sept. 23 loss to Iowa State, and at Monday’s media luncheon, Gundy was again keeping his quarterback situation close to the vest.

“We’re working through that this week in practice,” said Gundy when asked whether he would stick with Bowman for Friday’s K-State game.

The 278 yards OSU threw for against the Cyclones was the first time OSU eclipsed 200 passing yards against another FBS team this season (OSU threw for 304 yards against Central Arkansas). Both of Bowman’s touchdown passes were good balls — the first a go route to a split-out Jaden Nixon, and the second a ball in the corner of the end zone to Rashod Owens.

But Bowman also did struggle some. His first interception came with two receivers standing in the same area, meaning there were more defenders in the area than there should have been. His second interception might’ve seemed like a bigger issue because it essentially ended the game, but it came on a fourth down where he had to get the ball out and give someone a chance to make a play.

Scoring 27 points in a game might not seem outstanding based on OSU’s standard, but the Cyclones had played stout defensively entering that game, giving up just 13 points a game through their first three. It was also a significant step up from the seven points OSU scored against South Alabama the week before — a South Alabama team that has given up 34 points to Central Michigan and 31 points to James Madison since playing the Pokes.

Gundy was asked whether he thought the offense’s steps forward in Ames were because there was one guy manning the ship as opposed to the three-headed monster.

“I don’t know, I mean, we’d never know that answer,” Gundy said. “I think the consistency of our offensive line covering guys up in the running game and we protected pretty well until in the end when it was an all-pass situation, might have been a bigger add than one guy playing (quarterback).”

Bowman’s PFF grade against Iowa State was a 46, which was his lowest of the season. Bowman’s season grade at this point is a 54.5, which is the same as Gunnar Gundy’s. Garret Rangel has a 67.4 season grade, but most of his 56 snaps this season came against FCS Central Arkansas. Bowman has 147 snaps this season, nearing triple Rangel’s snaps — increasing the sample size and doing so against better competition.

“He played pretty good,” said Gundy of Bowman’s performance in Ames. “He had some decisions that we wish would have been different, but overall in the total number of plays, he played pretty good.”