Quarterback to Back: A Look at Alan Bowman and Cam Rising, the Big 12’s Elder Statesmen

Eight and half years ago, Oklahoma State extended a scholarship offer to Cam Rising. On Saturday, Cowboys coaches will (likely?) get to see him suit up in Stillwater for the first time. Across the field in this Top 15 matchup, will be OSU’s own seventh-year quarterback, Alan Bowman.

Of course, Mike Gundy’s staff has offered a lot of quarterbacks over the last seven years, but this matchup makes for some especially interesting storylines both in terms of comparisons between the two QBs and what this game means for the new-look Big 12 this season and moving forward.

Before we get into what we know and what we can expect from Rising, here’s a look at the two veterans’ numbers side-by-side.

Rising’s Return

Much like Bowman, Rising has both been around college football for a long time seen his resilience tested by injuries.

Back when OSU offered Rising, he was just a high school underclassman, but he had already garnered offers from a handful of brand-name schools and a couple of bluebloods. He would end up picking the Sooners over the Cowboys, then flipping his pledge to Texas — reveling in crossing rivalries. (OSU signed Spencer Sanders that cycle.) Rising spent the 2018 season redshirting in Austin before transferring to Utah.

At Utah, Rising had another redshirt year before getting a short-lived shot in 2020. Against No. 20 USC, Rising attempted exactly six pass attempts before he suffered a season-ending injury. But he rebounded in 2021 and was handed the reins by the start of Utah’s Pac-12 slate. The rest, as they say, is repeated history.

Rising led Utah to consecutive Pac-12 titles and consecutive Rose Bowls, where he suffered a major knee injury in the 2022 edition which left him sidelined for all of 2023 and even sat last week after a suffering a laceration to his throwing hand. But he, once again, is might be back (according to reports), and his team’s trip to Stillwater is the opportunity for him to show it on a big stage.

The Barometer

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham spoke with media ahead of this weekend’s matchup, and he spoke about his QB. In doing so, pointed out one specific stat that he equates with QB excellence.

“He’s a terrific quarterback,” Whittingham said of Rising. “When he’s on his game, he’s typically in the top 10 in the nation in QBR, which again is the barometer that I personally feel is the most accurate and best way to access quarterback play.”

As far as Whittingham is concerned, ESPN’s QBR metric is the top predictor of quarterbacking. While raw passer rating is fairly simple equation based on pass attempts, completions, yards, TDs and interceptions, ESPN’s proprietary stat also takes into account the strength of opposing defense. QBR is a great stat, but there’s a specific reason Whittingham pointed it out.

According to ESPN’s site “To qualify, a player must play a minimum of 20 action plays per team game” which Rising has not yet done so far in 2024. For reference, Bowman shot up 20 spots after his dismantling of Tulsa last weekend. But in 2021 and 2022 — when Rising was running roughshod on the Pac-12 — he ranked sixth at 84.2 and ninth at 82.9 in QBR, respectively.

Which One Will Get Run Support?

Much has been made about the combined age of the Big 12’s oldest QBs, but which one will see his experience translate to success on the field?

Fun fact: The combined age of the starting QBs in Saturday’s Utah-Oklahoma State game is 49.

By comparison, the combined age of the starting QBs in Sunday’s Colts-Bears game is 44. pic.twitter.com/cO7hLZh9Rx

— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) September 16, 2024

Although both have proven the ability to manage an offense, show poise and make plays, they’ll need to rely on those in front of and beside them. Both teams boast a stout offensive line and a proven running back to lean on. Bowman has captained the Cowboys to 3-0 despite his running game underperforming so far, and Rising (and Isaac Wilson in Rising’s absence) has benefited from somewhat of a coming out party for his RB.

OSU’s offensive line hasn’t given up a sack so far this year. Utah’s has given up four in three games but only one was of Rising.

Rising’s own backfield mate has picked up steam the last two weeks. Utes running back Micah Bernard missed most of last season due to an injury of his own, but he looks to break out on the big stage. In four seasons at Utah, Bernard had two 100-yard rushing games coming into 2024. Now he’s coming off consecutive triple-digit games against Baylor and Utah State and is averaging nearly seven yards per carry. If the Cowboys want to help Bowman out, they can figure out how to get his own RB cooking.