Saturday, September 5
Houston, Texas
6:00 PM
Texas A&M
vs
Arizona State
Game Day Preview: Arizona State
Sep 02, 2015 | Football
| The Matchup: | (#15/16) Arizona State (0-0) vs (RV/RV) Texas A&M (0-0) |
| Kickoff: | Saturday, Sept. 5 - 6:10 p.m. |
| Venue: | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Watch: | ESPN (Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe) | WatchESPN - ESPN3 Surround |
| Listen: | Texas A&M Sports Network (Dave South, Dave Elmendorf, Will Johnson) | 12thMan.com - TuneIn - Sirius 134/XM 190 |
| Texas A&M Spanish Network (Pedro Vela, Noel Orellana) | 12thMan.com | |
| Westwood One (Dave Barnett, Ross Tucker, Jason Horowitz) | |
| Live Stats: | 12thman.com |
SERIES/GAME NOTES:
• It will be a rare matchup with a Pac-12 Conference school for Texas A&M. Saturday's game with the Sun Devils will be the Aggies' first against Pac-12 team since falling to the Cal Golden Bears in the 2006 Holiday Bowl.
• Since 1985, the Aggies have faced Washington (1987, 1989), Stanford (1992 Pigskin Classic), UCLA (1998 Cotton Bowl) and Cal for the Pac-12. A&M has also faced current Pac-12 school Colorado and Utah before they joined the conference.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: #ASUvsTAMU
• Texas A&M will open its 2015 season with a neutral site matchup with No. 15/16 Arizona State at the home of the Houston Texans, NRG Stadium in Houston.
• The Aggies are opening their season away from Kyle Field for the second straight season. It's the first time A&M has opened on the road in consecutive years since 2004-05 when it dropped road games to Utah and Clemson.
• Aggie head coach Kevin Sumlin has been successful in season lid-lifters with a 6-1 record as a head coach at Houston (4-0) and Texas A&M (2-1).
• Since joining the Texas A&M staff as an assistant head coach/WR coach in 2001, Sumlin's various teams have compiled a 12-2 record in season openers at Texas A&M (2-0 in 2001-02, 2-1 in 2012-13), Oklahoma (5-1 in 2003-07) and Houston (4-0 in 2008-11).
• The Aggies will be seeking its second consecutive season-opening win away from Kyle Field after beating South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., in 2014.
ARIZONA CONNECTION
Texas A&M has three players on its roster that ranked among the most highly rated high school prospects in the state of Arizona (according to ESPN).
• Sophomore QB Kyle Allen was the top rated player in the state and the No. 1-ranked pocket passer QB in the nation by ESPN in 2014. He started the final five games of 2014 for the Aggies and has been announced as the starter for the ASU game.
• Sophomore DE Qualen Cunningham was rated the No. 5 player in the state by ESPN in 2014. He saw action in 12 games in 2014 and is listed as the No. 2 DE behind Daeshon Hall heading into 2015.
• True freshman WR Christian Kirk was rated the No. 1 player in Arizona and the No. 4 WR nationally in 2015. He enrolled early at Texas A&M and is a projected starter at WR.
SIXTEEN RETURNING STARTERS IS HIGHEST OF SUMLIN ERA
With 16 returning starters, the 2015 Aggies will have the most returning starters of the Kevin Sumlin era at Texas A&M.
• The Aggies return starters at eight offensive positions (with two players sharing the starting job at RB returning), and the defense also returns eight starters.
• Texas A&M has 44 lettermen returning from the 2014 team that posted an 8-5 record, beat two top 10 teams on the road and defeated West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl. The 44 returning lettermen is typical of the Aggies during the Sumlin era, which has also had 47 returning letterwinners in 2012, 46 in 2013 and 51 in 2014.
• The Aggies' 2015 roster boasts 18 seniors, which is the most since Sumlin's first Texas A&M squad in 2012. Half of those seniors have started at least five games during their Texas A&M careers, including four that have started 20 games or more (DL Julien Obioha, CB De'Vante Harris, OC Mike Matthews and DT Alonzo Williams).
NO OPPONENTS FROM STATE OF TEXAS ON 2015 SCHEDULE
Although the Aggies play nine games within the boundaries of the state of Texas, Texas A&M will not face a single opponent from the Lone Star State for the first time in program history in 2015.
• The 2015 home schedule features seven home games at the redeveloped Kyle Field, including SEC contests vs. Mississippi State, Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn.
• The Aggies will face just three true road contests in 2015 -- vs. Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and LSU.
NOTABLES: OFFENSE / DEFENSE / SPECIAL TEAMS
Offense:
• Soph QB Kyle Allen was named the starter for the Arizona State game after a strong challenge from true freshman Kyler Murray. Allen started the final five games of 2014, and passed for 13 touchdowns and an average of 211.6 yards in his starts.
• Allen was named Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Aggies to a road upset of Auburn on Nov. 8 (41-38). He was also named the overall Game MVP in the Aggies' bowl game win over West Virginia after surpassing the 300-yard mark in total offense for the first time and throwing for 294 yards and four scores.
• Murray arrived at Texas A&M in June with sparkling credentials, including a perfect 42-0 record as a starter at Allen High School (suburb of Dallas). He was also named the 2015 Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year.
• The Aggies' RB-by-committee was pared down in the offseason when Trey Williams opted to enter the NFL early and six-game starter Brandon Williams shifted to defense. Back is last year's leading rusher Tra Carson, who contributed 581 yards and five scores. Also making a strong bid is James White, who averaged 7.0 yards per carry in limited action last year.
• The Aggies' WR corps returns five players that grabbed 29 or more catches in 2014, including three that grabbed more than 40 -- Josh Reynolds (52-842-13), Ricky Seals-Jones (49-465-4) and Speedy Noil (46-583-5).
• Both Seals-Jones and Noil were in their first year of playing wide receiver in 2014. Both were high school QBs.
• The offensive front returns three of five starters from 2014, including All-America candidates Germain Ifedi (RT) and Mike Matthews (C).
• Ifedi, as a redshirt junior, could have decided to jump to the NFL after the 2014 season but elected to come back for his junior year. Texas A&M has had an offensive tackle selected in the first round of the last three NFL Drafts (Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews and Cedric Ogbuehi).
Defense:
• DE Myles Garrett is a preseason All-American and All-SEC pick after breaking the SEC freshman QB sack record as a true freshman in 2014 (11.5).
• Sparked by Garrett's pass rushing push, the Aggies were significantly better at pressuring the QB in 2014 with 36 sacks (as opposed to 21 in 2013).
• Senior DL Julien Obioha has been a starter at DE for the past three seasons, but has shifted inside to DT for his senior campaign. The usually-sleek Obioha has bulked up to 280 pounds for the new duty.
• The defensive front returns all four starters from 2014 -- Garrett, Obioha, DT Hardreck Walker and DT Alonzo Williams.
• Injuries kept the Aggies' top four linebackers -- Otaro Alaka, Josh Walker, Shaan Washington and A.J. HIlliard -- from going through spring drills under first-year Aggie defensive coordinator John Chavis (previously served as DC at LSU and Tennessee).
• Alaka was the Defensive MVP in the bowl game after making seven tackles, including 1.5 for loss of yardage, against West Virginia.
• Washington was the team's top returning tackler with 64 stops in 2014, despite missing three full games and not making any starts.
• Hilliard started the 2014 season-opener vs. South Carolina at LB, but was lost for the season due to injury early in the third quarter after contributing three solo tackles, a sack and a QB hurry.
• The Aggies' secondary has been boosted by the position change of Brandon Williams from RB to CB. The athletic and competitive Williams was voted a team captain by his teammates. He started six games at RB last year and was a stalwart on the Aggies' kick coverage units.
• CB De'Vante Harris, who has bulked up to a solid 185 pounds, was one of the Aggies' top tacklers last season with 5.3 stop per game. Only Shaan Washington's 6.4 tackles/game was higher.
• Newcomer Justin Evans, who enrolled in January, has strengthened the Aggies with his physical play at safety. The 6-1,195-pound Evans earned all-conference honors at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC in 2014 (47 tackles, 5 interceptions).
• Sophomore DB Donovan Wilson made his first career start (at safety) vs. West Virginia in the bowl game and responded with a game-high nine tackles.
• Sophomore safety Armani Watts led the team with three pickoffs in 2014 and also ranks as the top returning tackler in the secondary (59 tackles).
Special Teams
• Senior punter Drew Kaser is a weapon for the Aggies at punter. He broke the school record for punt average as a sophomore (47.4 average), the school record for coffin corner boots as a junior (22) and enters his senior season on pace to break the school career punting record.
• Fifth-year senior PK Taylor Bertolet returns to the starter's role on field goals and extra points after concentrating on kickoff duties the past two seasons. Bertolet was the Aggies' full-time PK as a freshman in 2012 and connected on 13-of-22 FGs and a whopping 67 PATs that season. He has three career 50-yard plus boots and 154 career touchbacks on kickoffs.
• Preseason All-SEC return specialist Speedy Noil emerged as one of the nation's top returners as a true freshman. He averaged 23.9 on kickoff returns and 12.0 on punt returns, and contributed 19 20-yard plus returns.
ABOUT THOSE WRS
• Texas A&M is the only school in the SEC with three returning receivers that had 40-or-more catches last season. Ole Miss is the only other school with more than one 40-catch plus receiver returning.
• Texas A&M is the only school in the SEC with four returning WRs that had more than 400 receiving yards in 2014.
• Texas A&M is the only school in the SEC with four returning WRs that had four-or-more receiving TDs in 2014. Junior Josh Reynolds, who had 13 receiving TDs last year, is the SEC's only returning receiver with double-digit scores.
OTHER NOTABLES
• Twenty-two players weighing 300 or more pounds dot the Aggies' 2015 roster, which is the most in school history. Leading the way were junior OT Germain Ifedi and freshman DT Daylon Mack, who tipped the scales at 335 pounds.
• The Aggies' streak of four straight bowl wins in four straight seasons is the longest in the nation. Last year's senior class was the first group to win four bowl games in a career in program history.
• Kevin Sumlin's 28 wins after his first three seasons were a record for an Aggie head coach. The previous record was 27 victories by National Football Foundation Hall of Fame coach R.C. Slocum in 1989-91.
• Sumlin is the first Texas A&M coach to win three straight bowl games. His three bowl wins match the most by a Texas A&M head coach (Slocum had three from 1989-2002).
• Changes to the Aggies' 2015 coaching staff include the additions of John Chavis (defensive coordinator/LB), Dave Christensen (run game coordinator/OL) and Aaron Moorehead (WR). 2014 LB coach Mark Hagen, who served as interim defenisive coordinator in the Liberty Bowl, shifted his coaching responsibility to DTs.
• Entering 2015: RB Tra Carson needs 90 rushing yards to join the Aggies' 1,000-yard club. ... QB Kyle Allen's 16 passing TDs as a true freshman put him No. 16 on A&M's career list. ... Texas A&M has six receivers with 29 or more career catches (none over 52). ... PK Taylor Bertolet has 154 touchbacks on 278 career kickoffs. ... P Drew Kaser's career average of 45.5 is on pace to break Shane Lechler's current record of 44.7 (1996-99).
NEW SACK STANDARD
Preseason All-SEC DE Myles Garrett burst on the scene as one of the nation's top pass-rushing threats in 2014.
• Despite missing a game due to injury, Garrett led the Aggies in QB sacks (11.5-67), tackles for loss (14.0/73) and QB hurries (10), and ranked eighth on the team (No. 2 among DL) with 53 tackles.
• In the ninth game of 2014 (his fifth start), Garrett surpassed the old SEC freshman record of eight sacks set by South Carolina All-American and 2014 NFL top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.
• Garrett matched A&M's freshman record of 5.5 sacks (originally set by All-American Sam Adams in 1991 and matched by All-American Damontre Moore in 2010) in the first three games of his career. He took sole ownership of the record in game 6.
• Garrett broke the A&M freshman single game QBS record of two (by Adams and Moore, again) with 2.5 sacks vs. Rice. He rebroke the record with 3.5 vs. ULM, which ranks as the sixth-best single game effort among all classifications at Texas A&M
RECORD-SETTING REYNOLDS
Preseason All-SEC WR Josh Reynolds' impact on the 2014 offense was undeniable. The team leader in receiving yards and touchdowns, Reynolds' 13 receiving scores shattered the school record held by Jeff Fuller and Mike Evans.
Texas A&M Receiving TDs Leaders
Player TDs Year
Josh Reynolds 13 2014
Mike Evans 12 2013
Jeff Fuller 12 2010
Ryan Swope 11 2011
Jeff Fuller 9 2008
Other Notables....
• Of Reynolds' 13 receiving TDs, nine of them came against SEC opponents.
• Reynolds was the only receiver on the team that had at least one catch in every game in 2014.
KASER REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
Senior preseason All-SEC punter Drew Kaser continues his assault on the Aggies' punting record book. He enters 2015 on pace to erase perennial NFL All Pro Shane Lechler's A&M record for career punt average (44.69 average on 268 punts).
• Kaser's career average entering 2015 stands at 45.5 on 108 career boots. Lechler's school record was an NCAA record with a minimum of 250 career punts and remains No. 2 on the NCAA list. For NCAA record consideration, Kaser would need 150 career punts.
• As a junior, Kaser deposited 22 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line, which broke the old school record of 21 set by Lechler in 1998.
• As a sophomore in 2013, Kaser earned All-America honors and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award after leading the SEC and breaking Lechler's season school record with a 47.4 average.
ALLEN TO START
Arizona native Kyle Allen, a sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., was announced as the Aggies' starter at QB for the season-opener against Arizona State. Allen started the final five games of the 2014 and won a position battle in August camp to earn the start vs. the Sun Devils.
• Allen was the first freshman QB to win his starting debut (21-16 over ULM) at Texas A&M since Corey Pullig led the Aggies to a 40-18 win over Louisville in his first start in 1992.
• Allen was the first true freshman QB to start and win a bowl game since Bucky Richardson led the Aggies to a 35-10 win over Notre Dame in the 1988 Cotton Bowl.
• Allen was named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week and SEC Offensive POW after passing for 277 yards and four TDs (19-of-29 pass attempts) in the Aggies' road upset of No. 3 Auburn.
• Allen was the first A&M QB starter NOT from the state of Texas since Bucky Richardson (Baton Rouge, La.) in 1987.
• Allen was the first true freshman QB starter since Reggie McNeal in 2002.
• Allen was the first QB starter named Kyle at the home of the 12th Man. In fact, in a bit of an upset, research reveals just nine lettermen in program history named Kyle.
SPEEDY IMPACT
Preseason All-SEC WR Speedy Noil's impact on the Aggies' receiving corps and return units were impressive in his first season with the Aggies in 2014.
• Despite missing a midseason game due to injury, Noil was the Aggies' leader in all-purpose yardage and punt and kickoff return yardage, and he ranked third on the team in receiving yardage.
• Noil's 1,418 all-purpose yards ranked No. 4 by a freshman in school history.
• He was the fifth freshman (second true freshman) to reach the 40-catch plateau (46) and his 583 receiving yards ranked No. 5 in the freshman record book.
Freshman All-Purpose Yards
Player AP-YDs Year
Cyrus Gray 1,592 2008
Dante Hall 1,551 1996
Leeland McElroy 1,427 1993
Speedy Noil 1,418 2014
Johnny Manziel 1,410 2012
"FAST START"-ERS
One of the opening periods of head coach Kevin Sumlin's practices is called "fast start." Occurring just after warmups, "fast start" features several live-action 11-on-11 series just like a game situation. He started implementing the period when his teams at the University of Houston were getting off to slow starts.
• In 39 games under Sumlin, A&M has scored at least 14 first-quarter points 18 times.
• Texas A&M has scored first in 33-of-39 games under Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies scored first in 10-of-13 games in 2014.
• On opening offensive series under Sumlin, the Aggies have scored 24-of-39 times with an impressive 23 touchdowns. A&M scored on its initial offensive series 7-of-13 times in 2014.
• In first quarters under Sumlin (39 games), the Aggies have outscored their opponents 417-119 or an average of 10.7-3.1.
• A&M has been outscored in the first quarter in just 10 games under Sumlin: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Alabama and West Virginia in 2014, Rice, LSU and Duke in 2013 and Florida, Arkansas and Ole Miss in 2012.
2014 TRENDS & NOTABLES
• A&M used 18 different receivers in 2014, including eight with double-digit receptions.
• A&M had nine receivers with at least one TD and five RBs with at least one score.
• Of the eight Aggie receivers with double-digit catches in 2014, six of them averaged at least 10.0 yards per catch. Three of them averaged over 15.0 yards per catch.
• Texas A&M had at least one rushing TD in 9-of-13 games. The Aggies passed for 2 or more TDs in 10-of-13 games. The Aggies passed for four or more TDs six times. A&M had 400+ total yards in 9-of-13 games.
• After having three or more sacks in just two games in 2013, the Aggies posted at least three QB sacks in seven games in 2014.
• Pressuring the QB greatly improved for the Aggies in 2014. The Aggies had 36 QB sacks (-180 yards) after mustering just 21 sacks (-85 yards) in 13 games of action in 2013.
• The Aggies allowed just 54 points after the third quarter in 2014, outscoring their opponents, 116-54, in the fourth quarter and overtime.
• Texas A&M had a school-record 39 first downs vs. then No. 9 South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. in the season-opener.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Texas A&M has compiled a 15-4 record in games away from Kyle Field during the Kevin Sumlin era.
• In the previous five seasons before Sumlin's arrival, the Aggies were 10-19 away from Kyle Field.
• The last winning record away from Kyle Field prior to Sumlin's arrival in 2012 came in 2006.
TOP 10 ROAD WINS
Head coach Kevin Sumlin's arrival in 2012 has coincided with the Aggies' recent trend of road wins over top 10 teams.
• Sumlin has posted three road victories over top 10-ranked teams -- 29-24 over No. 1 Alabama in 2012, 52-28 over No. 9 South Carolina in 2014 and 41-38 over No. 3 Auburn in 2014.
• Sumlin is the only Aggie head coach in school history with more than two top 10 road victories after just three seasons. (Paul "Bear" Bryant and Emory Bellard both had two).
SUMLIN VS. TOP 25
In his eighth season as a head coach, fourth-year Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin has a career record of 10-10 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (7-9 at A&M).
Sumlin vs. the AP Top 25 (at TAMU)
Opponent, Year AP rank Result
Florida, 2012 No. 24 L, 20-17
vs. Louisiana Tech, 2012 No. 22 W, 59-57
LSU, 2012 No. 6 L, 24-19
at Mississippi State, 2012 No. 17 W, 38-13
at Alabama, 2012 No. 1 W, 29-24
vs. *Oklahoma, 2013 No. 11 W, 41-13
Alabama, 2013 No. 1 L, 49-42
Auburn, 2013 No. 24 L, 45-41
at LSU, 2013 No. 18 L, 34-10
at Missouri, 2013 No. 5 L, 28-21
vs. Duke, 2013 No. 22 W, 52-48
at South Carolina, 2014 No. 9 W, 52-28
at Mississippi State, 2014 No. 12 L, 31-48
Ole Miss, 2014 No. 3 (tie) L, 20-35
at Alabama No. 7 L, 0-59
at Auburn No. 3 W, 41-38
Sumlin vs. the AP Top 25 (at UH)
at East Carolina, 2008 No. 23 W, 41-24
Tulsa, 2008 No. 25 W, 70-30
at Oklahoma State, 2009 No. 5 W, 45-35
Southern Miss, 2011 No. 24 L, 49-28
MOELLER CLOSES IN ON 12TH MAN RECORD
Senior Sam Moeller (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian Prep) has been the Aggies' starter at the coveted 12th Man position in every game for the past two seasons and is closing in on Nick Lamantia's record of 30 starts as the 12th Man.
• Moeller, a valuable member of virtually all the Aggies' special team units, enters 2015 with 26 consecutive starts at 12th Man.
• In 2013, Moeller became the first 12th Man in program history to block a punt vs. Mississippi State.
MAROON GOONS...
• Calling themselves the Maroon Goons since 2012, the projected starting lineup of tackles Germain Ifedi and Avery Gennessey, guards Joe Cheek and Jeremiah Stuckey or Keaton Sutherland and center Mike Matthews weigh in at 1,850 pounds, or 307.5 pounds per goon. Collectively, they are one of the top five heaviest starting groups in school history.
Here's the Beef
(Starters/Possible Starters by career starts)
Goon HT WT Starts 2014
Germain Ifedi, RT 6-6 335 24 11
Mike Matthews, C 6-2 290 23 10
Joseph Cheek, RG 6-7 305 10 10
Avery Gennesy, LT 6-5 305 - -
Jeremiah Stuckey, LG 6-4 305 - -
Keaton Sutherland, LG 6-5 310 - -
DIPLOMA CHASERS
By the end of the 2015 season, there will likely be more than a dozen graduates on the Texas A&M football roster.
• Five Aggies enter the fall semester with their degrees already in hand: TE Brandon Alexander, PK Taylor Bertolet, OG Joseph Cheek, P Drew Kaser and TE Caden Smith.
• Expected to receive their diplomas at Texas A&M's fall commencement include: DB Devonta Burns, RB Tra Carson, DL Isaac Flores, OL Ryan Lindblade, C Mike Matthews, 12th Man Sam Moeller, OL Jeremiah Stuckey, RB Blaine Townsend, QB Jordan Traylor and RB/CB Brandon Williams.
AGGIES ON NFL TRAINING CAMP ROSTERS
A total of 35 Aggie football players were in the various NFL training camps battling for roster spots.
• The longest tenured NFL Aggie is All-Pro punter Shane Lechler with the Houston Texans, who is beginning his 16th season.
• Former A&M walkon Don Muhlbach, begins his 12th season snapping in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.
• QB Jameill Showers, now with the Dallas Cowboys, earned his degree at Texas A&M before finishing out his college eligibility at UTEP.
• For the fifth straight year, the Aggies had a first-round NFL draft pick (Cedric Ogbuehi, No. 21, Cincinnati Bengals).
AGGIES ON NFL ROSTERS
Nate Askew, LB, Tennessee Titans
Donnie Baggs, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago Bears
Michael Bennett, DL, Seattle Seahawks
Red Bryant, DL, Buffalo Bills
Randy Bullock, PK, Houston Texans
Cameron Clear, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Deshazor Everett, DB, Washington Redskins
Terrence Frederick, DB, New Orleans Saints
Jarvis Harrison, OL, New York Jets
Tramain Jacobs, DB, Baltimore Ravens
Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL, San Francisco 49ers
Luke Joeckel, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
Malcome Kennedy, WR, New Orleans Saints—(IR)
Travis Labhart, WR, Houston Texans
Josh Lambo, PK, San Diego Chargers
Jorvorskie Lane, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shane Lechler, P, Houston Texans
Patrick Lewis, OL, Seattle Seahawks
Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
Jake Matthews, OL, Atlanta Falcons
Christine Michael, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
Damontre Moore, DL, New York Giants
Don Muhlbach, DS, Detroit Lions
Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR, Houston Texans
Cedric Ogbuehi, OL, Cincinnati Bengals
Sean Porter, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
Floyd Raven, Sr., DB, Cincinnati Bengals
Jameill Showers, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
Steven Terrell, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Cody Wallace, OL, Pittsburgh Steelers
Trey Williams, RB, Washington Redskins
KEVIN SUMLIN
• Kevin Sumlin enters his fourth season at Texas A&M in 2015. His 28 wins after his first three seasons were a record for an Aggie head coach. The previous record was 27 victories by National Football Foundation Hall of Fame coach R.C. Slocum in 1989-91.
• Sumlin is the first Texas A&M coach to win three straight bowl games. His three bowl wins match the most by an Texas A&M head coach (Slocum had three from 1989-2002).
• During his tenure, Texas A&M players have earned eight first-team All-America awards and won four national individual awards.
• Sumlin was the 2012 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the SEC Co-Coach of the Year by the league head coaches.
• Sumlin was a 2009, 2011 and 2012 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year finalist, and a AFCA Coach of the Year finalist in 2011.
• 2015 will be Sumlin's eighth season as a college head coach.
• He earned his degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Purdue University in 1988.
• Sumlin was a standout linebacker for the Boilermakers from 1983-86.
• Sumlin was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 10, 2011 after four highly successful seasons as head coach at the University of Houston.
• He compiled a 35-17 record at UH, and led the Cougars to three bowl games in his four seasons.
• Sumlin served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 2001-02. Was hired as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, and he added offensive coordinator to his responsibilities early in the 2002 season after the offense struggled. With Sumlin calling the plays, the Aggie offense flourished, averaging 33.0 points and 419 yards per game for the remainder of the season after posting just 16.0 points and 286 yards per game previously. A highlight of the season included a 30-26 win over top-ranked Oklahoma with the Aggies gaining 404 total yards to key the victory.
• Other assistant coaching stops for Sumlin include: Oklahoma (2003-07), Purdue (1998-2000), Minnesota (1993-97) and Wyoming (1991-92). He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Washington State from 1989-90.
• As an assistant coach, Sumlin served under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, R.C. Slocum at Texas A&M, Joe Tiller at Purdue and Wyoming, Jim Wacker and Glen Mason at Minnesota and Mike Price at Washington State.
• Sumlin is a native of Indianapolis, Ind., and attended high school at Brebeuf Jesuit Prep. He was born Aug. 3, 1964, in Brewton, Ala.
KYLE FIELD
• Home of the Aggies since 1905.
• Capacity.: 102,512
• Stadium record crowd is 110,633 (A&M vs. Ole Miss, 10/11/2014).
• Kyle Field is named for former A&M Dean of Agriculture Edwin Jackson Kyle, who donated a 400 x 400-foot area of the southern edge of campus that had been assigned to him for horticultural experiments. It became the home of the Aggies.
• Texas A&M just finished a $485 million redevelopment of Kyle Field that makes the Home of the 12th Man the largest football stadium in the SEC and the state of Texas.
• Texas A&M led the SEC in home attendance with an average of 105,122 per game. It was the first time A&M has been the conference leader in attendance since 1987 in the Southwest Conference (66,623)
KYLE FIELD RECORD CROWDS
110,633 Ole Miss (2014) L, 35-20
105,829 LSU (2014) L, 23-17
104,756 Missouri (2014) L, 34-27
104,728 Lamar (2014) W, 73-3
103,867 Rice (2014) W, 38-10
100,922 ULM (2014) W, 21-16
90,079 Nebraska (2010) W, 9-6
88,645 Texas (2011) L, 27-25
88,504 Mississippi St. (2013) W, 51-41
88,253 Texas (2007) W, 38-30
KYLE FIELD RECORD SEASON AVERAGES
105,122 2014 630,735 / 6 games
87,183 2011 610,283 / 7 games
87,125 2013 697,003 / 8 games
87,014 2012 522,083 / 6 games
82,711 2001 496,268 / 6 games
82,477 2010 577,338 / 7 games
82,207 2007 575,450 / 7 games
82,193 2008 575, 351 / 7 games
80,198 2002 561,389 / 7 games
79,732 2005 478,389 / 6 games
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/ FootballThe Aggie Football Hour (Ep 8)
Wednesday, October 22
The Pulse #12.7 | Put The Ball Down
Wednesday, October 22
LSU Game Week Media Availability: Dalton Brooks
Tuesday, October 21
LSU Game Week Media Availability: Terry Bussey
Tuesday, October 21
