December 30, 2004
The Aggies held their final workout of the week, a closed 90-minute session at Southern Methodist University. The two head coaches met with the media in the morning, and later in the day the Aggies took a team photo at the Cotton Bowl and took part in another team party.
AggieAthletics.com will chronicle bowl week with photos, video and audio clips, and this daily notebook.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 2 days.
SPOTLIGHT ON THURSDAY:
- Head Coach Dennis Franchione joined Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer in the morning for the final press conference of the week at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas.
- The final practice of the week, and the only one closed to the public, was 90 minutes long and took place in shorts and helmets inside Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
- Following practice, the Aggies went to the Cotton Bowl and took a team photo outside of the stadium. It was the squad's first trip to the stadium this week.
- The team was later in the evening transported to Medieval Times, just a few blocks down I-35, for dinner and a private party.
- As the squad was taking part in that function, staff and official party members joined their counterparts from Tennessee, bowl officials and the media for a private "Margaritaville" theme party at the team hotel.
SPOTTED AT PRACTICE
Former Texas A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill, former A&M quarterback Kevin Murray and current North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey were among those watching the Aggies' practice Thursday at SMU.
The FOX Sports broadcast crew was also in attendance preparing for Saturday's nationally-televised broadcast of the Cotton Bowl.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
on Texas A&M's final practice of the week.
from the head coaches' press conference.
A CLOSER LOOK
PHOTOS: ,
AUDIO: ,
VIDEO: (34 MB, Windows Media format)
ON DECK--FRIDAY
- SBC Big Play Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency.
- Team walk-thru at the Cotton Bowl (closed to the public).
- Texas A&M Pep Rally -- Hall of State in Fair Park (4-5 p.m., free and open to public)
- Midnight yell practice, West End Market Place
FACT OF THE DAY:
Former Texas A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill, who was in attendance at Thursday's practice, has coached in four Cotton Bowls (three with A&M and one with Mississippi State). Only Darrell Royal (10) and Paul "Bear" Bryant (5) have coached in more Cotton Bowls. Coach Fran will be making his first coaching trip to the classic on Saturday, while Tennessee head man Phillip Fulmer has been once before in 2001.