April 09, 2005
In front of a crowd of 43,600 at Kyle Field, the White team defeated the Maroon team 20-3. The game proved to be a defensive struggle, going without an offensive touchdown until just 29 seconds remained in the fourth quarter, when running back Samson Taylor scored on a four-yard touchdown run.
The highlight of the game came midway through the third quarter on a blocked punt. Sophomore wide receiver Kerry Franks took the ball right off of punter Richie Bean's leg and kept running with it for a 27-yard touchdown. "I don't know if I've ever seen that happen before," commented Coach Franchione. "It was almost like a handoff the way he took it off his foot. He took it into the end zone almost like it was a designed play."
"The up-back didn't block me at all," explained Franks. "I knew I could get there and after I did, I just took the ball right off his foot. I didn't realize I had the punt in my hand until it was there." Franks said that it wasn't the first time he had blocked a punt (something he first did as a sophomore in high school), but he admitted that he had never seen anyone block one the way he did on Saturday.
Sophomore safety Japhus Brown made a big play in the second quarter, picking off quarterback Stephen McGee and returning the ball 13 yards. Brown finished the day with two tackles and a pass breakup, to go along with his interception.
Brown hopes that turnovers like his will be a big part of Texas A&M's defense next year. "We try to focus on taking the ball away. I got an interception today and that's something we work on after practice. It's going to be a very big part of next season - causing turnovers and making big plays."
Another defensive player who put up some good numbers was linebacker Justin Warren. He, along with Jaxson Appel, led all players with 7 tackles and recorded a sack. "Justin has really taken a step as a linebacker," said Coach Fran. "He has good speed. He understands the defense and he's comfortable with what he's doing. He runs and makes plays all over the field."
On the offensive side, senior wide receiver L'Tydrick Riley led all players with 8 catches for 66 yards. According to Brown, who goes up against him every day in practice, "[Riley]'s big and fast and if you throw it up there, he's going to catch it. He's a great receiver overall."
Coach Fran expects to continue seeing big things from Riley in the upcoming season. "L'Tydrick is a veteran with experience and a lot of games under his belt. We have a lot of confidence in him. He has a way of making plays and he doesn't make very many mistakes."
Riley's quarterback Ty Branyon went 19-of-31 for 162 yards. His counterpart on the White team, Stephen McGee went 12-of-15 for 88 yards. With the absence of starter Reggie McNeal, both quarterbacks stepped up and performed well according to Coach Fran. "I wasn't disappointed from the press box (where Fran was providing color commentary during the game on the radio). Their passing percentage was pretty good. They handled most of the pressure as well as they could."
With his third spring practice now under his belt, Coach Fran seemed satisfied with his team's improvement. "In all 15 practices, we got a lot accomplished. This is a team that's comfortable in what they're doing now. The younger ones learn from the older ones, which helps in making progress." ---Contributed by Leo De Le?n, Texas A&M