March 31, 2001
With the Wrecking Crew tradition alive and strong at Texas A&M, it came as no surprise that defense ruled the day at the Aggies?â„¢ Maroon and White Game with the Maroons holding off the Whites for a 9-7 victory in front of 6,009 fans on Saturday at Kyle Field.
The Maroons used three field goals from Cody Scates to forge a 9-0 lead late in the fourth quarter, but a 43-yard touchdown catch and run by Dwain Goynes brought the Whites within two points with 3:30 remaining in the game. The Whites tried an onside kick to get the ball back, but it was recovered by redshirt freshman Eric Crutchfield and the Maroons were able to run out the clock.
"It was about what you expect from a spring scrimmage," head coach R.C. Slocum said. "The play was pretty ragged. With the number of injuries we?â„¢ve had this spring, it?â„¢s really difficult to divide up and play a game. We only had 10 healthy offensive linemen for both teams going into the game, and then we lost Andre Brooks with a sprained ankle very early in the game. We had a lot of inconsistency, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. I was disappointed with the number of dropped balls that we had.
"I thought the effort was good and I was pleased with the way the teams competed. I thought we had a good crowd for the spring game and was happy that we were blessed with a beautiful day for football. (The Maroon & White Game) is something that we continue to do."
Outside of Scates, who is normally the Aggies' punter, Goynes was the standout of the scrimmage with five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.
"Dwain has been doing this all spring long," Slocum said. "With the loss of (leading receiver) Robert Ferguson, we are looking for a way to fill that void. His speed makes him a dangerous player and he?â„¢s been catching the ball much better. He?â„¢s maturing as a player. We have plans of finding ways to get the ball into his hands."
Sophomore Richard Whitaker of the Maroons led all rushers with 49 yards on 10 carries, while the Whites were led by redshirt freshman Keith Joseph?â„¢s 41 yards on 10 carries. The Whites?â„¢ Mark Farris was the leading passer, completing 8-of-14 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, while Vance Smith of the Maroons connected on 8-of-16 passes for 60 yards. Goynes was the leading receiver with five catches, and sophomore transfer Jamaar Taylor added four catches for 41 yards.
Notes -- Today?â„¢s Maroon & White Game was the first Spring Game of the R.C. Slocum era at Texas A&M (1989-present) ?... After the game, Slocum announced that redshirt freshman linebacker LeBrandon Shepard was held out of the game "due to his poor academic effort this week." ?... Sophomore offensive lineman Andre Brooks left the game with a "badly sprained ankle," according to Slocum, who added that X-rays revealed only a sprain ?... The Aggies have four practices remaining this spring and are scheduled to work out next week Monday through Thursday at the grass practice fields. Practices begin at 4:30 p.m. and are open to the public.
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MAROON & WHITE GAME
March 31, 2001 * Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Attendance 6,009
White 0 0 6 3 -- 9
Maroon 0 0 0 7 -- 7
Scoring Plays
Third Quarter
Maroon -- 35-yard field goal by Cody Scates
Maroon -- 44-yard field by Cody Scates
Fourth Quarter
Maroon -- 33-yard field goal by Cody Scates
White -- 43-yard TD catch by Dwain Goynes from
Mark Farris (Chris Sims PAT)
Rushing
White -- Keith Joseph, 10-41; Mark Farris,
4-1;, Dwain Goynes, 2-(-14).
Maroon -- Richard Whitaker, 10-49; Mickey
Jones, 1-15; Joe Weber, 5-14;
Oschlor Flemming, 6-8.
Passing
White -- Mark Farris, 8-of-14, 116 yards, 1 TD.
Maroon -- Vance Smith, 8-of-16, 60 yards
Combined Dustin Long, 2-of-5, 12 yards
Receiving
White -- Dwain Goynes, 5-90, 1 TD; Ellison
Collins, 1-20; Keith Joseph, 1-4;
Roddy Alexander, 1-2.
Maroon -- Jamaar Taylor, 4-41; Mickey Jones,
2-22; Bethel Johnson, 2-14;
Richard Whitaker, 1-0; Joe Weber, 1-(-5).
Field Goals
White -- Chris Sims, 0-1
Maroon -- Cody Scates, 3-5 (good from 44, 35, 33 yards)
Interceptions
White -- none
Maroon -- none
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TEAM CAPTAIN QUOTES:
Maroon Team Captain Vance Smith -- "I came to Texas A&M to play at Kyle Field, and today I got that chance. You always want to stay ready because you never know when you?â„¢re going to need to come in and win games. It was a great game and a great battle."
White Team Captain Mark Farris -- "It was fun out there today. With the new coaches on offense and a different scheme, this spring has been a learning experience. We didn?â„¢t win on the scoreboard but we did score the touchdown so we got them on that one."