Red Raider Sports Magazine - May 2019 by Red Raider Club

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RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 24 Issue 5 Managing Editor Aaron Dickens

Cover Photo Michael Strong

Photographers Norvelle Kennedy Justin Rex

Michael Strong TTU Athletics

Writers Shannon Carrico Al Pickett

Terry Greenberg Brandon Soliz

Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Annual Red Raider Club membership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine. Red Raider Sports is a publication of TRI Productions, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Periodicals postage is paid in Lubbock, Texas. Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Red Raider Sports is not an official publication of Texas Tech University. Postmaster: Send address changes to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. For subscription inquiries contact the Red Raider Club at 806.742.1196. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. ÂŠ2019 TRI Productions. All Rights Reserved.

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Red Raider Club

Update

Andrea Tirey Senior Associate Athletic Director — Development —

If you ever wondered about the value of your investment in the Red Raider Club, what happened this spring should alleviate any doubts you might have had. What an incredible past few months it has been! And your investment in our Fearless Champions played an integral part of what we all experienced. How proud did you feel when you saw the Red Raiders take the floor in the National Championship game in April? We’ve all dreamed of an experience like that and to see it play out on the floor in Minneapolis is an emotional feeling that I, like all of you, will never forget. One of the best parts of the entire experience was enjoying it as a Texas Tech family. We enjoyed hosting hundreds of Red Raider Club members on the charters to each NCAA tournament site. Seeing the arenas filled with passionate Red Raiders was so exciting! We are grateful for each and every one of you for your support during this basketball season. And it was so much more than what happened on the floor. The exposure our university received during the March Madness run is simply unprecedented. Texas Tech Athletics received over 50 thousand editorial mentions across the globe, reaching more than 41 billion people. Our social media engagement for Texas Tech Basketball and Athletics was unmatched by any other school in the country. More fans liked, reposted or quoted our social media than any other school and that includes Virginia and Michigan State, the two teams we faced in Minneapolis. There is not a hotter brand in college athletics right now than the Double T and Texas Tech. We are experiencing success across the board. We’ve seen our baseball team go to Omaha three times in the last five years and they’re making another run this season. Our softball team is poised to go to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. Our men’s track and field team is ranked #1 in the country and just defended their outdoor title in the Big 12. We firmly believe our basketball program will compete again soon for the National Championship. Your support can help them achieve this goal through renewing your season tickets or becoming a season ticket holder. Stay tuned for more details on how you can renew or get on board. We should also be excited about the 2019 football season. Ticket sales for the debut season under the leadership of Head Coach Matt Wells are underway. With your attendance, we can make Jones AT&T Stadium the hardest venue to compete in across college football! We want to make Jones Stadium fun again and it starts with your support and attendance every week. Coach Wells has worked tirelessly to meet each of you. Let’s get behind Coach Wells and have a full house for Montana State on August 31 and every game after. The Campaign for Fearless Champions continues to change the trajectory of Texas Tech Athletics’ facilities. Construction is well underway on the Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center. The Cash Family Nutrition Center funding is complete and we look forward to cutting the ribbon on this facility in the fall. Moving forward, we will focus on several remaining critical campaign goals, including the renovation of the football training facility, and improvements to the south end zone, baseball and tennis facilities. Thank you for all you do for Texas Tech Athletics. We truly appreciate all you do to support Fearless Champions. Please call us if there is ever anything we can do for you! Guns Up!

806.834.3270 andrea.tirey@ttu.edu Andrea 6

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b y S H A N N O N C A R R I CO

One of the most talented and decorated studentathletes to come through the Texas Tech softball program, Jessica Hartwell is one name to not forget. The Galt, California native has etched her name atop some of the Red Raiders’ most hard-to-reach offensive categories. Some may ask, “What is the key to her success?” Her answer simply is, her faith. “If I could attribute my success to anything it has to be Jesus and how He moves through the people around me,” Hartwell said with a smile. “I can never fully express how much my support system here in Lubbock has kept me together and pushed me to be better by pursuing Christ. Yes, I work hard as I can and I have some natural ability to hit a softball, but Jesus’ work in my heart and through others is what has gotten me this far.” The senior All-American’s natural ability to hit the ball has propelled her to become Tech’s all-time leader with 163 RBI and a monstrous 47 home runs entering the final weekend of the regular season. In addition, her 20 home runs in 2018 marked the most launched in single-season history. She ranks among the Red Raiders’ top-10 hitters in eight other offensive categories, but she says that her team is what has pushed her through her four years in scarlet and black. “My role on the softball team is to support my teammates as best as I can, to hit the ball hard, and to catch the ball at first base,” Hartwell said. “My senior season has brought challenges that have truly tested who I want to be, and I am so proud to push through and win with the best people by my side. My coaches and teammates have pushed me to achieve what I have for this team, and I am grateful for their continued support.” A large number of those people are the unsung heroes that work tirelessly to help her through a challenging degree plan. Challenging herself equally off the field, Hartwell chose the path of a mechanical engineering major – a path that is less traveled by than most student-athletes. “I chose to pursue mechanical engineering because I have a passion for problem-solving and I love a challenge,” Hartwell explained. “I have always been a math and science person, so

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this degree seemed to fit everything I wanted out of my college experience. Balancing the workload of engineering and the demands of softball at the highest level has been one of the most difficult, and rewarding, four years of my life. “The Whitacre College of Engineering at Texas Tech has one of the best mechanical engineering programs in the nation. I knew choosing Tech was a great opportunity for me to get a degree that would prepare me for my professional career ahead.” Maintaining academic eligibility is a vital part of every student-athlete’s success on the field or on the court. One advantage that Hartwell and the other Texas Tech student-athletes have is the Marsha Sharp Center, where the three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree admits she spends a great deal of time studying and seeking counsel from a phenomenal staff. “The staff in the Marsha Sharp Center do an outstanding job supporting all of the athletes,“ Hartwell said. “I have had great people to help me succeed every step of the way. The academic resources provided to us are unmatched, and I would not have made it this far without the incredible opportunities and support from the Marsha Sharp Center and the Talkington Leadership Academy.” With the help of numerous staff members and teammates, Hartwell has thrived throughout her four years as a Red Raider. Not only has she been able to live out her dreams on the field, she’s been able to do so while earning a top-notch education that she knows will help her through the years. The senior sensation has learned many valuable lessons since moving to Lubbock and can’t wait to enter the professional world prepared to face life’s challenges. “I could go on forever about how competition has prepared me for life outside of sport,” Hartwell said. “I’ve learned so much about myself, found confidence in myself and discovered who God says I am. I have learned how to set goals and to give all of myself into getting a group to succeed. I have been challenged in the deepest, most humbling ways and I have had to learn how to ask for help when I need it. I am so grateful God showed me all of these lessons through the vessel of sport, and I can’t wait to grow more outside of softball.”

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Endowment

Donor Spotlight

b y T E R RY G R E E N B E R G

Linda & Terry Fuller

Texas Tech Athletic endowments are a perpetual source of support for our student-athletes. The endowment consists of hundreds of individual funds supporting student-athlete scholarships and program support. Endowment gifts are a way for our donors to leave a lasting legacy, fulfill their individual philanthropic goals and invest in the long-term mission of our athletic department.

When Herald Winkler offered a $500 scholarship to entice a young man from Amarillo to study petroleum engineering in 1973, he could not have foreseen how many times Terry Fuller would pay it back. A lot. Terry and Linda Fuller – who also grew up in Amarillo – have endowed scholarships in every sport at Texas Tech and in every college at their alma mater. “I attended my very first Texas Tech football game in 1965 and saw my boyhood hero, Donny Anderson. I saw Dub Malaise play basketball in 1966,” he said of his passion for Red Raider sports. “I’ve been at it now for about 53 years,” Fuller added. Along the way, his philanthropy has made a huge impact at his alma mater and his list of favorite Red Raider sports memories has grown.

It Started with $500 When Fuller was offered that $500 scholarship, tuition was $4 an hour and the opportunity felt like a full ride. “My family had little financial means and it made a huge difference in my life. I graduated with no debt and felt very blessed as a student at Texas Tech,” he said. “I never forgot it and my responsibility to pay that back.” Fuller worked for a major oil company for 15 years after graduating in 1977. Then he started Phoenix PetroCorp. in McKinney – and things went so well he started 10

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paying back that $500 scholarship. He started with endowing a scholarship for football. “As the business became more successful we had more resources to give more and endowed a scholarship in every sport,” Fuller said. “It’s the gift that gives forever,” he added. “We wanted to do it for the long term.” Then there are the endowments in every college. “It’s a university – they all deserve our support,” he said, saying he’s prejudiced toward Engineering and his wife has a soft spot for English and Psychology, which she studied at Texas Tech. “We are so grateful for Terry and Linda and their support and commitment of our studentathletes. Their endowments in every sport will not only leave a lasting legacy for their family but will provide scholarships for student-athletes forever,” said Andrea Tirey, Sr. Associate AD for Development. “They are the first and currently only family to have an endowment in every sport. Every endowment is a special gift and shows their commitment to generations of Red Raiders.”

It’s a Great Time to Be a Red Raider Fuller started giving to the Red Raider Club Annual Fund in 1977 when he bought season seats for football in section 119. He still has those seats and a suite he added on the east side of the stadium nine years ago. Fuller has also served on the Red Raider

Club’s National Board of Directors and as its president. He’s seen a lot of great moments in Texas Tech sports and last month he added a new favorite. “That changed since attending the Final Four in Minneapolis,” said Fuller. But his previous favorite was special in a different and powerful way. Fuller talked about the Corky Classic indoor track meet in 2018 that honored his friend, the late Corky Oglesby, who died of cancer. The pair had a goal of attending certain events after Oglesby’s diagnosis and that track meeting – which was also the opening of the new Sports Performance Center – was on the list. But Oglesby died in late 2017. “That was a very special moment for me,” said Fuller, saying he has many memories of attending basketball games and track meets with Oglesby, who coached both – and golfing in Scotland with Oglesby and former Red Raider coach Bob Knight. Fuller looks at where Texas Tech sports is now and is very excited. “I’m very proud of where we are these days – most every sport is playing at high level of competition. It’s a great time to be a Red Raider fan and a great time to be a Red Raider on the field and in the classroom,” he said, adding that he is proud that he has an endowment in every sport and proud of the student-athletes who work hard and represent the Double T every day.

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Heights of

Moments before the Texas Tech - Virginia men’s basketball national championship game, David Pickering and Chris Boutwell were two of tens of thousands of Red Raider fans filling cavernous U.S. Bank Stadium — home to the Minnesota Vikings. “It was surreal,” said Boutwell. “I had a hard time processing it — it was not just another game. There’s Charles Barkley. This is it. This is for real. It was unbelievable.” “Just walking into the stadium and seeing all the red and black go ing up the stairs — there were so many Texas Tech fans there,” he said. Pickering’s heart was racing as he thought, “I can’t believe Texas Tech is playing for the national championship in basketball.” “I had such a sense of pride,” he added.

Charter Flights are the Way to Go Pickering and Boutwell were also two of almost 350 Victory Circle members filling a pair of charter flights to the Twin Cities for the Final Four games.

Victory Circle members give $10,000 a year to the Red Raider Club. And, as the old American Express ad said, membership has its privileges. Some Victory Circle members give much more than $10,000. Last year the more than 400 Victory Circle members collectively raised a little more than half of the Red Raider Club’s $19 million total. Not everyone can donate well into five figures a year or more. But it’s not just donations – it’s the total of all spending for Tech Athletics. The Annual Fund is made up three “pillars”:

•

Annual Seat Contributions

•

Premium Seat Contributions (club, suite and loge seats for football, basketball and baseball)

The RRC charter flights offered members;

Red Raider Club Excellence Fund (parking)

•

Direct flights from Lubbock.

•

Game tickets

•

Ground transportation

The last time he checked, almost 100 Red Raider fans are within $2,000 or less of being inside the Victory Circle, said Bryan Gates, assistant athletic director – annual fund. Gates outlined a possible scenario that would leave a RRC member just shy of the Victory Circle level:

•

Team access with accommodations in the team hotel

Football (four season tickets)

$1,100

•

Social gatherings

Men’s Basketball Floor (two season tickets)

$6,000

Women’s Basketball (four season tickets)

Baseball Club (four season)

For Pickering, having buses in Southern California for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight wins was worth the whole thing. “I haven’t been to California since going to Disneyland when I was in elementary school,” said the Lubbock native. “The traffic just blew me away,” he said. Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec’s sister lives just 45 miles from Anaheim and it took her two hours to work her way through the infamous traffic to join them, said Pickering. Boutwell echoed Pickering’s thoughts. “Ease is what I like. The Red Raider Club takes care of everything. You don’t have to worry about it,” he said, saying prices for the charters were very reasonable. “I’m not sure you can beat the deal,” if someone tried to arrange the trip themselves, he said. 12

Membership Comes with Perks

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•

$600 $1,500

That’s a total of $9,200. For a donation to the Excellence Fund of $800 this person would be in the Victory Circle. Last basketball season, when the Red Raiders made their historic run to the Elite Eight, a charter took fans to Boston. This season, charters went to New York for the Duke game, Anaheim for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight wins over Michigan and Gonzaga and then to Minneapolis. A charter is being considered for the football game at Arizona this coming season. continued on page 14

Victory

b y T E R RY G R E E N B E R G

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The Red Raider Club offers charters to Victory Circle members first, then opens it up beyond that. Some fans who were not Victory Circle members went to Anaheim, but could not get on the charters for the Final Four, because spots were all taken by Victory Circle members. “We’ve always been big Texas Tech supporters,” said Boutwell, who has football and basketball season seats. “We do some giving above that mainly for the purpose of making the cut for the Victory Circle.” “If you’re going to give money to the Red Raider Club anyway and you’re close to the Victory Circle level, write the check – you’ll get a lot of value in return out of it,” said Boutwell. Gates said the Red Raider Club hosted a pre-game party in Anaheim and took the group to the team send off. They hosted 900 people at a Final Four party and another 1,400 for a party at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. Both Pickering and Boutwell said meeting other Red Raider fans is another benefit. “You get to meet a lot of people you would have never met – Red Raider fans from all over the country,” Pickering said, saying there’s great camaraderie on the flights and Raider Power chants. Boutwell added: “For folks who have not gone on a charter, it’s worth doing. You’ll meet a lot of great people and it heightens access to the program.”

I’m a Lifelong Red Raider Pickering’s dad came to Texas Tech on the GI Bill and attributed his success to his finance degree from the university. He started a company manufacturing irrigation pumps that Pickering and his brothers Jay and Don own and operate. Simflo now makes a number of different pumps. Pickering, his wife and two of their three children went to Texas 14

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Tech. He got a degree in management. Red Raider sports were always part of his life. “When I was in third grade, my dad made me do my multiplication tables before going to a football game,” he said, recalling sitting on the grass and watching Donny Anderson play in the 1960s. “I’m a lifelong Red Raider,” he said. Boutwell got his Texas Tech degree in accounting. He grew up in Waco, but stayed in Lubbock after graduating in 1997. “West Texas was a really nice surprise. I liked the people and wanted to stay,” he said. After working in banking he bought Barricades Unlimited – which provides traffic-control devices for roadwork areas. His favorite memory from this basketball season? “How Brandone Francis played against Virginia and kept us in the game,” he said. For Pickering, it was beating Michigan State to get to the ultimate stage in college basketball. “Winning that game to get to the championship game was unbelievable,” he said.

An Investment Red Raiders The Pickerings have been Victory Circle members since it started, with seats for football, basketball and baseball. For Boutwell, it’s more recent, but he knows besides getting access to the charters and other benefits, his investment does more. “When you get your breakdown and see that the funds you donate provide critical resources for student-athletes from scholarships and academics to nutrition and sports medicine you realize the impact your investment is making. I’ve gotten more educated on the needs for our sports programs and student-athletes and have been fortunate in business so we can contribute more,” he said.

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TAKEOVER red raider

b y A L P I C K ETT

b y A L P I C K ETT A friend’s Facebook post from Minneapolis during the Final Four weekend said it all: “Red Raiders have taken over the town.” From the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in Tulsa, Okla., to the West Regional in Anaheim, Calif., and the Final Four in Minneapolis, Texas Tech fans turned out in astonishing numbers to support the Red Raiders’ historic run to the national championship game. “Everywhere we went in Minneapolis, from Uber drivers to workers at the hotel, they were all commenting about how many Texas Tech fans were everywhere in the city,” said

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Robert Giovannetti, senior associate athletic director for external operations. Giovannetti reported that Texas Tech sold out its entire allotment of tickets from the NCAA at all three venues. “We had 800 tickets for Tulsa, and we burned through them quickly,” he stated. “The Buffalo (Tech’s second-round opponent) playby-play announcer said he thought Lubbock must be only two or three hours from Tulsa (it is nearly a seven-hour drive) because of all the fans we had there. We clearly had the majority of fans in Tulsa. Gonzaga probably had more fans that we did in Anaheim, but

we sold all the tickets we were allotted for the West regional. We also flew a charter to Anaheim, and we filled it. Anaheim was probably our smallest crowd of any of the three venues, but we still had a great turnout.” After the Red Raiders’ upset of top-seeded Gonzaga in the West Regional final, fans began clamoring for tickets to the Final Four. Giovannetti said Texas Tech received an allotment of 3,600 tickets from the NCAA and another 600 tickets for students. “We sold all of those,” he pointed out. “We could have sold as many tickets as they would give us. We believe another 5,000 or

6,000 Tech fans bought tickets from secondary sources, so I think we easily had 10 or 11,000 Tech fans in Minneapolis. It was something I had never experienced before. We had great representation.” How did that compare to the other schools in the Final Four? “Michigan State had a big turnout (for Saturday’s semifinal game), too, but, of course, it was as lot shorter drive for their fans,” he responded. “Auburn’s hotel was across the street for ours, and I know they were trying to sell their tickets to our fans for the championship game on Monday (after the Tigers lost

in the semifinals to Virginia). All four schools sold out their allotments.” Although Texas Tech’s historic season ended with a heartbreaking 85-77 overtime loss to Virginia in the national title game, Red Raider fans will never forget this basketball season that included a school-record 31 wins and the school’s first trip to the Final Four. And Giovannetti said he expects that enthusiasm to carry over to next year. “We averaged 12,098 a game at home this year,” he added. “We had four sellouts and more than 14,000 fans in seven games at the United Supermarkets Arena. I expect

to sell out our season tickets next year.” And why not? The Red Raiders were 17-1 at home this season. Only Tennessee had a better home record in college basketball this year. Giovannetti pointed out that Texas Tech has been 34-2 at home in the last two years and 50-5 in Lubbock in the three seasons that Chris Beard has been the head coach. It was a season to remember, and it was “Guns Up” for thousands of Texas Tech fans who traveled across the country from Tulsa to Anaheim to Minneapolis for three weeks to cheer on the Red Raiders.

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No. 8 Texas Tech secured its third Big 12 Conference Championship in four years after earning an 8-4 win over TCU in the regular-season finale with senior Cameron Warren (pictured with his family) collecting three hits, Braxton Fulford driving in four runs and the pitching staff combining for 16 strikeouts. The Red Raiders (36-15, 16-8) will be the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Oklahoma City having won 13 of their last 15 games going into the postseason. Tech finished the regular season with a 25-6 record at home after taking two of three from the Horned Frogs (29-24, 11-13). The Red Raiders now have five Big 12 titles with four regular-season crowns, which is the second most among active Big 12 schools. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lone senior, Warren finished his night going 3-for-5 with a pair of singles and an eighth-inning triple on senior night. Coach Tim Tadlock secured his 275th win as the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head coach. In seven seasons, he has led the Red Raider Baseball program to three Big 12 titles along with its first three trips to the College World Series.

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On Sunday, May 19th, the No. 15 Texas Tech softball team's historic run came to a close after they fought tooth and nail on Championship Sunday at the 2019 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Needing to win two games to advance to the Super Regional round, the Red Raiders stunned the LSU Tigers and ground out a 5-4 win in game one before they dropped a 5-1 decision in the final game of the tournament. The 42-16 Red Raiders finished their 2019 campaign tied with its second-highest win total in program history. They wrapped up head coach Adrian Gregory's best season with a .724 winning percentage. "We are really proud of this team," Gregory said. "We couldn't have fought any harder than we did. We did everything we came here to do except walk away with the last win. Our team gave everything they could. We are very proud and they should be very proud of themselves. Of course they are gutted and heartbroken, but when you lay it all on the line, all you can do is walk out with pride."

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For the fourth time in as many Big 12 Championships, the Texas Tech men’s team hoisted the team trophy as dominant victors over the rest of the conference. The Red Raiders tallied 164 points – just 11 from the meet record – to take the title and complete their second consecutive indoor/outdoor sweep of the conference championship.

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The No. 22 Texas Tech men’s tennis team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after dropping a 4-1 contest to UC Santa Barbara in first round action at the Stanford Regional. The Red Raiders (15-12) made the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years under head coach Brett Masi. The 2018-19 season was the second time in the last three years that the Red Raiders have recorded at least 15 wins. “Tough way to end the season,” head coach Brett Masi said. “Our guys fought hard. We played a great doubles point and I thought that would give us momentum, but UCSB stole it from us and come out hot in singles. We fought hard to the end.”

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The No. 26 Texas Tech Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tennis team travelled to Los Angeles, Calif., for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tennis Championships. The Lady Raiders (17-8) earned their eighth straight NCAA tournament berth and were the No. 2 seed at the four team tournament. Their season came to an end when Texas Tech fell to UNLV, 4-3, in the opening round. Senior Felicity Maltby continued play at the NCAA Singles Championship in Orlando, Fla.

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Texas Tech needed to finish fifth or better to advance, but were unable to get any momentum going at the Myrtle Beach Regional where the Red Raiders completed the tournament in ninth end their season. “These guys have worked really hard all year and then you have to look them in the eye and tell them you love them for who they are and not for what’s on the scoreboard,” Texas Tech coach Greg Sands said. “Today was tough. These guys have meant a lot and have worked really hard. It’s a tough part of the game.” Ivan Ramirez (pictured) led the Red Raiders throughout the week and finished 12th overall individually at 3-under-par for the tournament. The Red Raiders were 1-over for the in their 18th straight NCAA tournament appearance but would fall short of reaching the NCAA Championships. Ramirez and Junior Sandy Scott will be back in competition playing on Arnold Palmer Cup International Team from June 7-9, a prestigious event that will be played at The Alotian Club in Arkansas.

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Texas Tech’s quest to return to the NCAA Championships for the third time in the last five years fell just short as the Red Raiders closed the Norman Regional in seventh place at the Jimmy Austin OU Golf Club. “I thought the team played hard,” Tech head coach JoJo Robertson said. “They knew exactly what they had to do to start the day. We got off to a slow start again, but we fought hard until the end. It’s a shame to come up three shots short.” Anna Dong (pictured) provided Tech with a much-needed boost down the stretch, turning in a 1-under 71 card. The strong finish was part of an impressive regional debut for Dong, who fell just shy of advancing to nationals as an individual. Next year, Robertson will return all but one member of her regional lineup, which was among the youngest nationally this year.

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BOWM s e c n bou

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MAN BACK

b y B RA N D O N SOLIZ

Posting a 69.4 completion percentage is a challenge for many experienced signal callers. In fact, just seven full-time quarterback starters have reached that mark in the last three seasons. Becoming just the second Texas Tech starter in the last decade to hit that number is especially impressive given the program’s history at the position. Doing all that as a freshman – now that’s something really special. Alan Bowman, a sophomore from Grapevine, reached that statistic despite dealing with a partially collapsed lung for a good portion of the 2018 campaign. Now healthy, Bowman will look to move beyond his 2,638 yards, 17 touchdown debut in a Red Raider uniform with a new coaching staff that includes Matt Wells at the head of the job with David Yost serving as offensive coordinator. Yost followed Wells from Utah State and quickly began familiarizing himself with Bowman, who Yost frequently calls “a football junkie.” “His accuracy is probably as good as I’ve been around. I’ve not been around anybody that probably you’d say would be better,” Yost said about Bowman. “It’s probably on the level when I coached Chase Daniel, as far as he knows where the ball is going. Very seldom does he miss throws. He can throw the ball where he wants to. That’s kind of a special trait he has. Now there’s some footwork things that we’re constantly working on to try and help him even be more accurate, but also kind of keep him in a good arm angle, arm slot type of situation. But he’s extremely accurate with the football.” Yost’s track record with quarterbacks includes the likes of Daniels, who he coached during his

stint at Missouri, along with Blaine Gabbert. Most recently, Yost guided Justin Herbert at Oregon and Jordan Love at Utah State. Bowman said he’s preparing himself to become more of a leader on and off the field to make him an allaround football player with the hopes of becoming another memorable name under Yost. “I know coach has worked with a lot of good quarterbacks,” Bowman said about Yost’s comment on his accuracy. “I do pride myself on accuracy because there’s a lot of guys that can throw the football in this league. But kind of what separates you is if you can put it exactly where you want it and then preparation and your mental state on things.” Wells looks at Bowman’s tape and sometimes wonder how the young quarterback gets it done. He referred to Bowman’s arm angles as a unique feature he brings to the table. Bowman said in high school he ran in a similar offensive style but his front five on the offensive line wasn’t the best – so he improvised by tossing the pigskin any way he could get it out. “Interesting thing, sometimes when his lower body is not in sync and his footwork’s not right, he has the ability to change an arm angle and be a very accurate passer,” Wells said. “Not always the correct mechanics, but it kind of goes to show you his skill level. He’s got the ability to drop his arm down and change arm angles and be pretty accurate.” Referring back to his offensive line, Bowman is now working with a front five that returns four starters. Recent changes have been made at both tackle positions with Travis Bruffy and Terence Steele flipping spots to right tackle and left tackle, respectively.

Texas Tech fans and supporters across the nation remember Bowman’s injury vividly. The then freshman was making a name for himself before things came to a halt on a rush toward the left-front pylon against Oklahoma. Yost commented on the run-pass option, or RPO, utilized in his offensive scheme that could put Bowman in danger again – or keep him out of it. “We can run a spread-option part of it but primarily when (the quarterbacks) pull the football it’s designed to get the ball on the edge in the screen game or with the RPO stuff. It’s not as much to truly run the quarterback as the primary ball carrier. Will it happen? Yes, it does. But we try to eliminate that as much as we can with what we do formationally and what we do philosophically within the option queue. And then understanding when to get rid of the football and not take shots and get out of bounds.” Bowman said he’s been studying Yost’s system since the new staff arrived in December. He added he’s “for sure got it all down” following the team’s first spring scrimmage. Essentially a new language, Bowman said he’ll need to learn some more communication tips and clamp down on signals with a new play-calling system between him and his receivers. Bowman will get the calls from an assistant, unlike last year, while his targets will be looking elsewhere as well. With the spring rolling by quickly, Yost summarized his goal with Bowman and the Red Raiders for the upcoming season with one sentence – “Every team is better when your number one quarterback’s playing all the time.”

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