March 30, 2005
The Aggies practiced in full pads Wednesday, the 10th practice of spring and head coach Dennis Franchione liked what he saw on offense. "The offense is farther along than they were last week," he said. "The offense has made a gigantic step in the past week."
This progress showed up most in two different full-speed drills Wednesday - the goal line drill and the third-down drill. During the goal line drill, the offense scored three straight touchdowns, a field goal, and then another touchdown.
The first unit scored on a run by fullback Chris Alexander. The second unit then scored on an option play to running back Brandon Leone. Jay Lucas scored for the third unit on a run up the middle. When the first group returned to the field, Todd Pegram converted a 20-yard field goal. After that, Leone scored another touchdown after a shifty inside move.
During the Third Down Challenge that ended practice, in which the offense and defense battle for the best three-out-of-five from different distances, the offense converted on four of the five situations, including touchdowns by tight ends Boone Stutz and Amos Gbunblee. Reggie McNeal threw the first one and Ty Branyon the second. The defense had to do 50 push-ups.
On defense, Brock Newton, Justin Warren, and John Ray all came up with interceptions during team drills. "The defense caused some turnovers today, which is good," Coach Fran said.
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Wednesday's practice went for 2 1/2 hours and the Aggies moved quickly from drill to drill in five-minute periods, taking two breaks. "Our guys understand that we're going to practice 24 periods and that we're going to go hard for all 24," said Coach Fran. "They know how to balance the intensity of practice and get a blow when they get a chance."
Coach Fran does not believe in making his team run extra, however. The Aggies get a lot of repetitions and they run from station to station, therefore Coach Fran sees no need for wind sprints, known as gassers. "When you practice as hard as we practice, you don't have to run afterwards."
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A goal for the Aggies this spring is to become more consistent. "Both sides of the ball made a lot of good plays. Both sides of the ball made some bad plays," said Coach Fran. "We were inconsistent, up and down. We just need to become more consistent."
Two veteran players Coach Fran acknowledged for playing consistently well this spring were seniors Bryant Singleton and Ronald "Ray Ray" Jones. Singleton, who started his career in Aggieland as a wide receiver, is doing well at safety. Jones, who played safety the last two years, has helped fill the void at cornerback left by departing seniors Jont? Buhl and Byron Jones.
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The Maroon and White will practice again Thursday afternoon. On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. they will scrimmage again inside Kyle Field. Both the practice and the scrimmage are open to the public. A crowd of more than 125 high school coaches will be on hand as a highlight of the annual Texas A&M Coaching Clinic that takes place Friday and Saturday.
Practice notes:
* Sophomore defensive end Jorrie Adams has been suspended indefinitely, according to Coach Fran, for academic and personal reasons. He has not practiced since spring break and he continues to attend class.
* Senior linebacker Renuel Green is out with an injured hamstring and is going straight from team and position meetings to study hall at the Bright Building.
* Senior guard Aldo De La Garza is day-to-day with a high ankle sprain.
* According to Coach Fran, Brandon Leone "would be our back-up tailback" behind returning starter Courtney Lewis if the season were starting today.
* Quarterbacks Ty Branyon and Stephen McGee split time with the second-team offense, sometimes taking reps with the first unit. Coach Fran said, "I don't have to name a back-up quarterback right now, so I'm not concerned about it. I'll deal with that when the season starts."
* Earvin Taylor made one of the best catches of the day, falling to his back at the end of his post route and gathering in a pass from Reggie McNeal.
Coach Fran mentioned Justin Warren, Jaxson Appel and Johnny Jolly as standout performers on defense this spring.
Spring practice concludes Saturday, April 9, with the annual Maroon & White Game at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for adults; all students attend free. --- Contributed by Lee De Le?n, Texas A&M