Football will have a new look in 2024 after transitioning its offensive style to an “air raid” offense. This change comes after the Wildcats averaged 26 points per game in 2023 and went 5-6 and 3-3 in conference in their 2023 season.

The air raid offense originated with Mike Leach and Hal Mumme during their time as coaches at Iowa Wesleyan College and Valdosta State University. The offense is based on playing simple, fast and spread out. Similar to a spread-style offense, an air raid often puts an emphasis on finding gaps in the defense while pushing the ball vertically and working at a fast pace.

The switch to this new style could bode well for starting quarterback Maverick McIvor who is coming off of a career year in 2023, during which he averaged 179 yards per game, threw 17 touchdowns to only five interceptions and carried a 127.81 passer rating into the end of the season. 

During the United Athletic Conference media day in Arlington in July, McIvor said he was optimistic about the new style.

“It’s a system that I’ve run since I was in seventh grade, we’re really excited about it,” he said. 

McIvor also said the team has been able to build chemistry over the summer and throughout training camp. 

“Confidence comes from player adaptability and reliability within each other,” he said. “This summer has been huge for us. I think we’ve done a really good job of coming together and playing together. Getting to know people’s stories is huge for us at ACU.”

Head coach Keith Patterson, now entering his third year in the role, brought in Rick Bowie as the team’s new offensive coordinator in January 2024. Bowie was mostly recently the offensive coordinator at Valdosta State University, going 12-2 last season and appearing in the NCAA Div. II quarterfinals. Bowie called plays and led the team to win the Gulf South Conference, averaging 36.9 points per game. 

Bowie has been placed by the team’s response to the change throughout the transition and preseason. 

“There’s been a ton of buy-in – I love the excitement the players have,” he said. “I have a ton of appreciation for the guys for that.” 

The buy-in from the players has helped the offense get rolling through camp. Installing a new offensive system can be a long and difficult process, but Bowie is optimistic about the team’s approach and situation.

Bowie had nothing but praise for his new signal caller, McIvor.

“Mav is a guy who is a great example of familiarity with the air raid,” he said.

Bowie also said McIvor had been a leader in the new offense from the beginning and was a huge reason for the offensive buy-in. 

“I’ve been really pleased with what Mav has been able to do, and I’m looking forward to the year,” he said.

Bowie also praised the UAC, noting the number of good teams while respecting that every game will be a good one. 

“In the UAC, there’s no weeks off, so bringing it week in and week out is going to be the opportunity to continue to work on ourselves and see where we’re at,” he said.

The air raid offense is often misunderstood because of the name. Rather than being an all-passing offense or a pass-heavy offense, it is a style that focuses on creating space and using numbers to gain the advantage. 

“It’s not really a series of plays as much as it’s a philosophy.” 

Bowie is confident the Wildcats will be able to run the ball well in his offense, especially when the weather cools later in the season. 

The Wildcats offense also added J.J Henry, a wide receiver from Ole Miss. Henry did not see the field much in his time as a Rebel, despite being a receiver with a lot of talent and athletic ability.

“The ball naturally gravitates towards him because he’s open,” Bowie said. “Good receivers, the ball finds you. The ball just finds him.” 

While Bowie did not say what he was specifically planning to do with Henry, his arrival came at a great time as ACU lost receivers Cooper McCasland and Waydale Jones to graduation after the 2023 season. 

In the preseason coaches’ poll, ACU ranked sixth out of the nine teams in the United Athletic Conference, with 43 points. Central Arkansas University and Tarleton State University headed the list with 77 and 74 points, 20 points ahead of third-place Southern Utah University. This 20-point gap suggests a lopsided year in the UAC after last season’s poll had the top five teams all within 20 points.