Previewing the ACU Offense with OC Rick Bowie

ABILENE - The ACU football team has a new offensive coordinator leading them into the 2024 season, and expect things to go fast. 

Rick Bowie was hired in January from Division II powerhouse Valdosta State where his offenses were some of the most prolific in the country. In 2022, the Blazers were the only team to rank in the top 25 in passing and rushing yards in Division II. 

In 2023, Valdosta State reached the Division II quarterfinals with a Bowie-led offense that averaged 37 points per game.

Bowie's system is an up-tempo, Air Raid attack mixed in with some of his own style.

"A huge misconception about the AIr Raid is that throw the ball every down," said Bowie. "We're going to be able to run the football. We pride ourselves on being a physical group. The AIr Raid is about balancing the people who touch the ball and maximizing the space on the field. Space and numbers is what I think are the goals of the Air Raid."

We sat down with Bowie to get his thoughts on each offensive position group before the season opener at Texas Tech on Aug. 31.


On the running backs...
So much of what we believe is diversity of skill set and diversity of body type. The running back room is where you see that. Isaiah Johnson is an older guy who's played a lot of college football. I'm really pleased what he's been able to provide as far as toughness and perspective. You've not going to find a back much bigger than Jordon Vaughn. He has done a great job at buying in.

The ability to score from far away is something that Rovaughn Banks, Jr. and Sam Hicks are really good at. They call themselves "The Stable," and it takes a cavalry to get through a year at the Division I level. Those four guys have been spectacular.


On starting quarterback Maverick McIvor...
College football snaps are a valuable thing. Game reps are hard to replicate. When you get a guy who's played a lot of football like he has, it's an exciting thing. Maverick McIvor is a special and mature kid. We say frequently that the relationship between play-caller and quarterback is one of the most important relationships in all of sports. It's backed in trust, and he's been earning that trust daily. We are really pleased with who he is and the way he leads the group. 


On the quarterback room...
The way I describe it is you're not really competing against each other, you're competing against the defense. The guy who does the best gets the job. Maverick has done the best job to this point of beating the defense and moving the offense. But it's a bright future for a lot of guys in that QB room. That's exciting for me.


On the receivers...
We like to have guys who are good at multiple things because when you want to play fast you don't want to sub as much. When you have guys who are good at multiple things it gives you more diversity of attack. Blayne Taylor has had sustained success at ACU. He's been spectacular. Some of the new guys like Nehemiah Martinez and J.J. Henry have had a really good fall camp. Trey Cleveland has been fantastic as well. Javon Gipson adds depth all over the field.

Receiver is one of those positions where not just four guys can play. It is such a physically taxing position, and I think we have that depth. One guy to keep in mind is Hut Graham. He is not a new guy, but has been spectacular in fitting into what we do. I really hopeful he'll have a big year.


On the tight ends...
What we say is the best five skill guys walk out there. We tell receivers you're not just competing against other receivers. You're competing against tight ends and running backs. And, tight ends you're competing against receivers and running backs. If our best football players come from the tight end room, then you're going to see a lot of those guys.

It's really hard to keep a guy like Jed Castles off the field. There are not a lot of humans like him walking around. He's a longer guy that is a mismatch for defense. I can't say enough about Bryan Henry. I had the privilege of recruiting him to the University of Houston when I was there, and when he decided to get into the transfer portal it made a ton of sense. 'Itty' is everything that is right about ACU, and also the kid can play. I think you will see a larger role from tight ends than people might think.


On the offensive line...
Similar to what we said about Maverick McIvor, can be said about guards Alan Hatten and Jacob Thielen, and center Tay Yanta. It's hard to replace game reps. You're going to be hard-pressed to find three interior linemen that have the game reps they have. Coach Ryan Pugh does a great job with those guys. He talks about them being a unit. They've got to work together as one. They've done a good job pulling the tackles along with them. They set the tone of physicality and toughness. To be a part of that has been really fun.


On the chemistry between offensive players...
It's an older group, a mature group. I'm pleased with some fo the leadership that has arisen, and with that there have been connections made. Football is the greatest game for building lifelong connections.


ACU's offense returns ten players who started at least one game in the 2023 season. This year will also be the first time the Wildcats return their leading passer (Maverick McIvor) and leading receiver (Blayne Taylor) from the previous season since 2019. The first opportunity for ACU fans to see the offense in action is Saturday, Aug. 31 at Texas Tech. The Wildcats play their first home game of the season the following Saturday - Sept. 7 - against West Georgia at 7 p.m.

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