GAME 11: Nebraska (7-3) at Texas A&M (8-2)
Nov 07, 2006 | Football
November 07, 2006
Game notes for Saturday's home finale against 25th-ranked Nebraska at Kyle Field (PDF link to the right)...
GAME 11:
Texas A&M AGGIES (8-2, 4-2 Big 12)
vs.
Nebraska HUSKERS (7-3, 4-2 Big 12)
| GAME INFO |
| Saturday, Nov. 11, 2:30 p.m. (CST) Kyle Field (82,600), College Station, Texas Ticket Info: |
| RECORDS |
| Texas A&M: 8-2, 4-2 Big 12 Nebraska: 7-3, 4-2 Big 12 |
| RANKINGS |
| A&M is ranked 23rd by USA Today and 24th by The Associated Press. Nebraska is rated 25th by USA Today and is receiving votes in the AP poll. |
| TELEVISION |
| Eric Collins, play-by-play David Norrie, commentary Stacey Dales, sidelines |
| RADIO |
| WTAW-AM 1620 (Local) Dave South, play-by-play Dave Elmendorf, commentary Tom Turbiville, sidelines (broadcast time 1:30 p.m. CST) |
| INTERNET |
| Live Audio (Free): (Aggies All-Access) Live Stats: (aggieathletics.com) Live Postgame Press Conference Video (Free): (Aggies All-Access) |
| SERIES |
| Nebraska leads, 9-2 Last Meeting: (10/18/03) Last in CS: (10/26/02) |
| UP NEXT |
| A&M at Texas Friday, Nov. 24, 11 a.m. (CST) Memorial Stadium, Austin TV: ABC (National) |
SERIES INFORMATION
The Aggies trail Nebraska, 2-9, in the all-time series between the two schools, which dates back to the first meeting in 1930. ... In Big 12 play, Nebraska leads 4-1, including three straight victories. ... The most recent victory by the Aggies came in 1998 when A&M upset No. 2 Nebraska, 28-21. ... In the most recent Kyle Field meeting between the schools, A&M roared to a 31-14 lead midway through the third quarter, but Nebraska scored 24 unanswered points for a 38-31 win.
A&M-NU CONNECTIONS
Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne served the same capacity at Nebraska from 1992-2002 ... A&M Senior Assoc. AD for External Operations Jeff Schmahl is a NU grad and oversaw HuskerVision before coming to A&M in 2003 ... NU Associate AD for Football Operations Tim Cassidy assisted or oversaw A&M's football recruiting from 1983-88 and 1991-2004.
AGGIES VS. HUSKERS
The No. 24/25 Aggies (8-2 overall, 4-2 in the Big 12) will host No. 25-ranked Nebraska (7-3, 4-2) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Kyle Field.
Nebraska comes to Kyle Field atop the standings in the Big 12 North after handing North challenger Missouri a 34-20 loss in Lincoln last Saturday.
The Aggies enter the game in third-place in the South Division after dropping a narrow 17-16 loss to current No. 17 Oklahoma at Kyle Field.
RUSHING LEADERS
Texas A&M's rushing attack leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game with 212.7 yards per game. The Aggies haven't led the conference in rushing since joining the Big 12 Conference. The last time A&M led the conference in rushing yards was 1993 when the Aggies led the now-defunct Southwest Conference with 228.6 rushing yards per game.
DOMINATING THE CLOCK
After operating at a time of possession deficit through the first three games of the season, Texas A&M has absolutely grabbed control of the TOP battle in the last seven games (+11:15 over last seven) and ranks No. 2 nationally with an average TOP of 34:08 per game.
NCAA Time of Possession Leaders Rk Team TOP 1. Michigan 34:05 2. Texas A&M 33:52 3. Wisconsin 33:16 4. Air Force 32:58 5. Arkansas State 32:46 Time Management Skills Opponent TOP A&M/Opp. Margin The Citadel 29:24 / 30:36 -1:12 UL-Lafayette 30:23 / 29:37 +0:46 Army 29:30 / 30:30 -1:00 La. Tech 33:39 / 26:21 +7:18 Texas Tech 37:18 / 22:42 +14:36 at Kansas 33:16 / 26:44 +6:32 Missouri 41:30 / 18:30 +23:00 at Okla. State 35:22 / 24:38 +10:44 at Baylor 36:52 / 23:08 +13:44 Oklahoma 31:24 / 28:36 +2:48 Total 33:51 / 26:08 +7:43
FAB FIVE RUSHERS
The Aggies have had the same leading rusher in back-to-back weeks just twice this year. Five different runners have led the team in rushing.
Different Rushing Leaders Team Leader Att.-Yds Citadel Courtney Lewis 13-55 UL-Lafayette Mike Goodson 8-54 Army Stephen McGee 11-142 Louisiana Tech Jamie McCoy 3-42 Jorvorskie Lane 9-42 Texas Tech Jorvorskie Lane 12-77 Kansas Mike Goodson 8-79 Missouri Jorvorskie Lane 28-127 Oklahoma State Stephen McGee 17-86 Baylor Mike Goodson 8-96 Oklahoma Mike Goodson 10-127
TRENDY AGGIES
- The Aggies' average score in conference play is 25.7-23.2 in favor of A&M. A&M has outscored the opposition by just 15 points (154-139).
- In conference play, the Aggies have run an average of 68.0 plays per game, while the opponents have ran an average of 58.3 plays.
- The Aggies have limited their last seven opponents to a 21.2 percent success ratio on third-down tries (14-of-66).
- The last seven games have seen the Aggies dominate the time of possession battle by an average of over 11 minutes per game. In the first three games of the season the Aggies operated at a slight TOP deficit.
- A&M has converted 52.8 percent of third down tries against six conference opponents. In the four-game non-conference schedule, the Aggies converted at a 49 percent clip.
- McGee's favorite target, Chad Schroeder, has produced 23 first downs on 34 catches in 2006.
- The Aggies have posted a Big 12-best 30 red zone touchdowns (tied with Nebraska and Texas), including a Big 12-best 23 rushing TDs in the red zone.
COUNT ON THE J-TRAIN
When the game is on the line, sophomore Jorvorskie Lane has proven that he can be counted on to get the tough yard.
Through 10 games, Lane has produced either a first down or a touchdown 24 times on 27 carries on third or fourth down.
In all, Lane has pounded his way to 38 first downs and 18 touchdowns on his 137 carries in 2006. At his current pace, Lane would score 22 touchdowns in the Aggies' 12-game regular season. The Aggies' school record for touchdowns in a season is 19 by Joel Hunt in 1927 (all rushing) and Darren Lewis in 1990 (18 rush, 1 receiving).
Lane has rushed or passed for a touchdown in 12 straight games.
"$Money Plays" for Lane Train Situation 1st Down TD $ Attempts 1st down rush 13 6 19 81 2nd down rush 6 5 10 29 3rd down rush 16 7 21 23 4th down rush 3 0 3 4 Total 38 18 53 137 $ - "Money Plays" are defined as plays resulting in a first down or a touchdown.
200 / 200 OFFENSE
After being a 200/200 team virtually the entire season, the Aggies fell from the ranks after the Oklahoma game. Only Louisville and Oregon remain as 200/200 offenses in Div. I-A college football.
200 Rushing / 200 Passing Team Rush Pass Rec. Louisville 203.3 289.4 8-0 Oregon 205.8 250.4 7-2
DUAL THREAT McGEE
Sophomore quarterback Stephen McGee is the nation's leader in passing yards and pass efficiency among quarterbacks that average 40 or more rushing yards per game.
Nation's Top Pass / Rush Threat Rk. QB, School Rush/G Pass/G 1. Stephen McGee, Texas A&M 48.2 181.6 2. Drew Stanton, Michigan State 45.0 179.6 3. Matt Grothe, South Florida 59.2 179.4 4. Julian Edelman, Kent State 65.4 165.6 5. Anthony Turner, Bowling Gree 46.3 156.5 Rk. QB, School Rush/G Pass Eff. 1. Stephen McGee, Texas A&M 48.2 138.6 2. Matt Grothe, South Florida 59.2 134.0 3. Julian Edelman, Kent State 65.4 126.8 4. Drew Stanton, Michigan State 45.0 124.5 5. Chris Nickson, Vanderbilt 57.9 121.3
COMPLETION PACE
Quarterback Stephen McGee is on pace to smash A&M's 20-year old record for season completion percentage. McGee is completing over 62 percent of his passes on 152-of-243 passing.
Texas A&M Season Completion % List Rk Player, Year Cmp. % 1. Stephen Mcgee, 2006 62.6 2. Kevin Murray, 1986 60.7 3. Dustin Long, 2003 60.6 4. Mark Farris, 2000 59.9 5. Corey Pullig, 1994 59.9
McGEE STINGY WITH INTs
With just two pickoffs among 243 pass attempts, redshirt sophomore Stephen McGee ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 and NCAA in interception percentage.
Big 12 Fewest INTs/Attempt Rk. QB, School Att./INT Pct. 1. Stephen McGee, Texas A&M 243 / 2 0.82 2. Zac Taylor, Nebraska 252 / 3 1.19 3. Colt McCoy, Texas 246 / 4 1.63 4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech 469 / 9 1.92 5. Paul Thompson, Oklahoma 209 / 5 2.39 NCAA Fewest INTs/Attempt (200 att. or more) Rk. QB, School Att./INT Pct. 1. Stephen McGee, Texas A&M 243 / 2 0.82 .2. Kevin Kolb, Houston 317 / 3 0.95 3. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame 338 / 4 1.18 4. Zac Taylor, Nebraska 252 / 3 1.19 5. Troy Smith, Ohio St. 237 / 3 1.27
USING HIS WEAPONS
Led by first-year quarterback Stephen McGee, the Aggies have done a good job of using a variety of receiving targets in 2006. The Aggies have used 11 different receivers, a school record, in two games this season. A total of 16 receivers have at least one catch in 2006, which ties a school record.
Spreading It Around Position Catches-Yards TD Wide Receivers (8) 88/1,157 4 Tight Ends (2) 39/553 5 Running Backs (5) 30/223 3 Quarterback (1) ?1/?12 0
KO RETURN IMPROVEMENT
Led by junior Kerry Franks and sophomore Pierre Brown, the Aggies have improved from one of the nation's worst kickoff return units in 2005 into one of the nation's best in 2006.
In 2005, the Aggies ranked No. 109 of 117 teams nationally with a 17.5 kickoff return average. After 10 games in 2006, the Aggies are averaging a lofty 28.6 yards per return.
Starting Point 2006 Kickoff Returns 2005 28.6 Kickoff Return Average 17.5 No. 2 Big 12 Rank No. 12 No. 2 NCAA Rank No. 109
EXPLOSIVE FRANKS
Junior Kerry Franks averages 29.2 yard per touch of the football, which is tops in the Big 12 among players averaging more than 50 all-purpose yards per game.
Franks has three of the Aggies' five longest plays in 2006 and a team-best 11 plays of 20 yards in length.
Taking to the House (min. 40 A-P yards/G) Rk. Player, School Yds/Touch 1. Kerry Franks, Texas A&M 29.2 2. Marcus Herford, Kansas 23.7 3. Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State 21.0 4. Maurice Purify, Nebraska 20.1 5. Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State 19.8
BRANTLY'S BEST
Sophomore punter Justin Brantly, who finally has enough punts to qualify for the NCAA rankings, is averaging an impressive 45.7, which ranks No. 4 nationally and No. 3 in the Big 12.
Brantly is within range of NFL All Pro Shane Lechler's school record of 47.1 in 1997.
Brantly 2006 Game by Game Opponent No.-Yds. TB 50+ I20 Avg. Net The Citadel 3-170 0 3 2 56.7 47.3 UL-Lafayette 1-?58 0 1 1 58.0 52.0 Army 3-121 1 2 0 40.3 28.3 La. Tech 5-239 1 2 1 47.8 40.2 Texas Tech 3-155 0 1 0 51.7 42.3 at Kansas 6-232 1 1 1 38.7 26.3 Missouri 4-193 0 2 1 48.3 45.8 at Okla. State 3-152 0 2 1 50.7 46.0 at Baylor 4-178 0 2 1 44.5 36.5 Oklahoma 5-193 0 1 3 38.6 36.4 Total 37-1691 3 17 11 45.7 38.2 Chasing an All-Pro Rk Player Year Punt Avg. 1. Shane Lechler 1997 47.0 2. Shane Lechler 1999 46.5 3. Justin Brantly 2006 45.7 4. David Davis 1992 43.8 5. Cody Scates 2002 43.7
SECOND-HALF CLAMPS
The Aggie defense has allowed only seventouchdowns and 61 total points (6.1 average) in the second half by the opposing offense. This has been key to the Aggies' 8-2 start since A&M has been tied or behind at halftime in five of 10 games this season.
Tied or Down at Halftime Opponent Half Result Army 14-14 W, 28-24 Texas Tech 14-24 L, 27-31 Kansas ?7-10 W, 21-18 Missouri 17-17 W, 25-19 Oklahoma 10-14 L, 16-17
FEWEST PICKOFFS
The Aggies have thrown just three interceptions in 2006, which is tied with five other teams for fewest in the NCAA (Nebraska, Ohio State, Syracuse, Navy and Air Force)
Big 12 Fewest INTs/Attempt Rk. QB, School Att./INT Pct. 1. Nebraska 268 / 3 1.12 2. Ohio St. 261 / 3 1.15 3. Texas A&M 256 / 3 1.17 Notre Dame 342 / 4 1.17 5. Houston 328 / 4 1.22
PAYDIRT FOR J-TRAIN
Touchdown machine Jorvorskie Lane has pounded his way to 18 touchdowns in 2006 and is averaging 10.8 points per game, which ranks No. 2 nationally.
NCAA Touchdowns Leaders Rk Player, Team TD 1. Ian Johnson, Boise State 20 2. Jorvorskie Lane, Texas A&M 18 3. James Davis, Clemson 17 4. Garrett Wolfe, N. Illinois 15 5. Several players 14
BACK IN 1927
Jorvorskie Lane is within a touchdown of matching the second-oldest school record in Aggie record book -- 19 rushing touchdowns by Joel Hunt in 1927. Ricky Williams set the Big 12 record with 27 rushing touchdowns in 1998.
Time Machine - Events in 1927
- Led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, the NY Yankees swept Pittsburgh in the World Series
- Helen Wills and Henri Cochet won the Wimbledon singles titles
- The Kentucky Derby Champion was Whiskery
- Football National Champions were Yale (CFRA) (7-1-0) and Illinois (NCF, HF, DS) (7-0-1).
- The U.S. President was Calvin Coolidge.
- Popular vaudevillian Al Jolson astounds audiences with his nightclub act in The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length talkie.
- Belgian astrophysicist Georges Lemaitre proposes the "big bang" theory.
- The Holland Tunnel opens (Nov. 13) to connect Manhattan and Jersey City, N.J., giving cars a route under the Hudson River and an alternative to ferry boats.
- Charles Lindbergh makes the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight.
- Gasoline cost 14.6 cents per gallon.
Source: Infoplease.com
SOPHOMORE SCORERS
With 27 career rushing touchdowns to his credit, Jorvorskie Lane is tied for most career rushing scores among sophomores.
Super Sophs Rk Player, Team Career TDs 1. Jorvorskie Lane, Texas A&M 27 Steve Slaton, West Virginia 27 3. James Davis, Clemson 26 4. Ian Johnson, Boise State 24
DEFENDING THE PASS
With 10 games in the books, it is clear the Aggie defense has made significant strides against the pass from 2005 to 2006:
The Year After 2006 (NCAA Rk.) Category 2005 (NCAA Rk.) 52.3% Completion % 60.6% 181.5 (#38) Yards/Game 304.6 (#117) 116.40 (#44) Pass Efficiency 142.66 (#104)
A&M'S LEGION OF DOOM
The Aggies are using their tight ends more in 2006 than at any time in recent memory. The duo of sophomore Martellus Bennett and junior Joey Thomas, deemed the "Legion of Doom" by Bennett, have combined for 39 catches for 553 yards or an average of 3.9 catches per game, despite Thomas missing the Louisiana Tech and part of the Army game with an injury.
The most that A&M has ever utilized its tight end was in 1986 when Rod Bernstine led the Southwest Conference with 65 catches (5.9 catches per game) for 710 yards. Bernstine was the only tight end to catch a pass that year.
Utilizing the Tight End Year Top TE Pass Catchers Total Avg./G 1986 Rod Bernstine 65 5.9 2002 Greg Porter 50 4.2 2006 M. Bennett, J. Thomas 39 3.9 1983 Rich Siler 43 3.9 1989 Mike Jones 40 3.6
GRID / HOOPS BENNETT
A&M sophomore Martellus Bennett is one of a handful of Div. I-A athletes to play football and basketball. Last year, Bennett became the first Aggie to letter in football and basketball since Billy Bob Barnett in 1969.
Div. 1-A Football-Basketball Stars Player Position School Martellus Bennett TE Texas A&M Rodney Hannah TE Houston Avery Holley WR Florida Atlantic Jordan Kent WR Oregon Travis Lewis WR Eastern Michigan Carl Sims WR Baylor Matt Trannon WR Michigan State Source: University of Houston
GOING BOWLING
With eight victories, the Aggies are already guaranteed of a bowl trip and have surpassed last year's win total by three. The Aggies are bowl-eligible for the 19th time in the last 22 seasons. It is the second time the Aggies have achieved bowl eligibility in Franchione's four seasons at A&M.
MR. TOUCHDOWN
In a strong return to the lineup, senior wide receiver Chad Schroeder has grabbed a team-high 34 catches for 509 yards and produced first downs on 23 of his 34 catches.
Schroeder missed the final three games of 2005 after suffering a broken leg in game 8 against Iowa State.
Schroeder now has 11 receiving touchdowns on just 66 career catches, which is tied for fourth-most in school history.
The average length of his touchdown catches is 31.9 yards. Adding to his touchdown legacy, Schroeder has also thrown a TD pass (vs. Oklahoma, 2004) and had a TD rush (vs. Texas State, 2005) as a holder on field goal placements.
Quick Strike TD Length Opp. Year 46 Army 2006 15 La.-Lafayette 2006 27 The Citadel 2006 5 Kansas State 2005 44 Texas State 2005 32 SMU 2005 15 SMU 2005 31 Clemson 2005 45 Oklahoma 2004 49 Baylor 2004 42 Baylor 2003 31.9-yard average on TD catches Up the Charts Rk Player, Years Rec. TDs 1. Bob Long, 1966-68 79 19 2. Tony Harrison, 1990-93 89 14 3. Albert Connell, 1995-96 98 13 4. Chad Schroeder, 2002- 66 11 Bethel Johnson, 1999-2002 117 11 Jeff Nelson, 1982-85 92 11 Don Jones, 1980-83 56 11 7. Terrence Murphy, 2001-04 172 10 Jamaar Taylor, 2001-03 108 10
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Texas A&M's finishing schedule is sixth-toughest in the nation and its overall schedule ranks as the third-toughest in the conference, according to the NCAA.
NCAA's Toughest Finishing Schedules Rk Team Opponents Record Pct. 1. Florida State 22-4 .846 2. Alabama 16-3 .842 3. Georgia 15-3 .833 4. Indiana 15-4 .789 Michigan 15-4 .789 6. Texas A&M 14-4 .778 Big 12 Toughest Overall Schedules Rk Team Opponents Record Pct. 1. Oklahoma State 54-36 .600 Texas 54-36 .600 3. Texas A&M 48-38 .558 4. Texas Tech 47-39 .547 5. Baylor 48-40 .545 Source: NCAA
McKING OF THE ROAD
Sophomore quarterback Stephen McGee is 4-0 in starts away from the friendly confines of Kyle Field. Prior to McGee's ascension to starting QB, the Aggies were 3-13 in games away from Kyle in the Dennis Franchione era.
DODGE DEBUT
Twenty-five year old junior college tranfer Mark Dodge, who served in the U.S. Army for four years after high school, has made two starts and been a strong defender off the bench.
- Dodge's Background
- Joins former quarterback Mike Jay (1973-75) as the only scholarship Aggie players with a military background since the war years.
- Weighed 170 pounds as a receiver/safety at Yerington High School in Nevada, but gained 35 pounds of muscle while in the Army. Currently weighs in at 222 pounds.
- Dodge was in the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, traditionally known as "The Old Guard" -- the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the President. The oldest active-duty infantry regiment in the Army, having served the country since 1784, participates in more than 6,000 ceremonies a year.
- Dodge, who earned the rank of sergeant in two years, attended state dinners, a Daytona 500 and an NCAA women's basketball Final Four. He has chatted more than once with President Bush and has met Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks, Mariah Carey, John Travolta and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, among others.
- Was in the Pentagon filling out paperwork on his top-secret security clearance on Sept. 11, 2001 when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. He was called to assist in search-and-recovery efforts.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Three of Dennis Franchione's assistant coaches have been head coaches at some point in their careers: Gary Darnell at Western Michigan (1997-2004) and Tennessee Tech (1983-85); Bob DeBesse at Texas State (1997-2002); and Jim Bob Helduser at Texas State (1992-96).
Six of the nine assistants have coordinated offenses or defense prior to coming to Texas A&M: Darnell (DC at Texas, Notre Dame, Florida, Wake Forest and Kansas State); Les Koenning (OC at Alabama, Houston and Duke); Bill Clay (DC at Oklahoma State, UAB, UTEP, Mississippi State, Temple, SMU and Southern Miss); DeBesse (OC at Minnesota and TCU); Stan Eggen (DC at UNLV); and Mark Tommerdahl (OC at Wyoming).
TURNOVER ADVANTAGE
During the Dennis Franchione era at Texas A&M, the Aggies are 17-2 in games with a turnover margin advantage. In games with an even or minus turnover margin, the Aggies are 7-19.
Games with Turnover Advantage, Fran Era Opponent Year Turn Take +/- Result Baylor 2003 -2 +4 +2 W, 73-10 Kansas 2003 -1 +3 +2 W, 45-33 Wyoming 2004 0 +3 +3 W, 31-?0 Clemson 2004 0 +4 +4 W, 27-?6 Kansas St. 2004 -1 +4 +3 W, 42-30 at Iowa St. 2004 0 +2 +2 W, 34-?3 at Oklahoma St. 2004 0 +2 +2 W, 36-20 Colorado 2004 0 +2 +2 W, 29-26 (ot) Texas Tech 2004 0 +3 +3 W, 32-25 (ot) SMU 2005 -1 +4 +3 W, 66-?8 Texas State 2005 -2 +3 +1 W, 44-31 Oklahoma State 2005 -2 +7 +5 W, 62-23 Kansas State 2005 -1 +3 +2 W, 30-28 at Oklahoma 2005 -1 +3 +2 L, 30-36 La.-Lafayette 2006 0 +2 +2 W, 51-7 Army 2006 -1 +3 +2 W, 28-24 Missouri 2006 0 +3 +3 W, 25-19 at Baylor 2006 0 +1 +1 W, 31-21 Oklahoma 2006 1 +2 +1 L, 16-17
NEWCOMER IMPACT
Ten members of the Aggies' 2006 signing class, including seven true freshmen, have seen action so far this season.
Junior college transfers Mark Dodge, Misi Tupe and Johnathan Batson have combined to make 64 tackles on defense.
True freshman that have seen action include running back Mike Goodson, placekicker Matt Szymanski, cornerback Jordan Pugh, wide receiver Cody Beyer, deep snapper Corey Gibas, wide receiver E.J. Shankle and linebacker Anthony Lewis.
LEWIS MOVES INTO TOP 10
Senior running back Courtney Lewis ranks in the top 10 in career rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
A&M's Career Rushing Yards List Rk Player, Years Yards 1. Darren Lewis, 1987-90 5,012 2. Curtis Dickey, 1976-79 3,703 3. Greg Hill, 1991-93 3,262 4. Rodney Thomas, 1991-94 3,014 5. George Woodard, 1975-77, 79 2,911 6. Bubba Bean, 1972-75 2,846 7. Dant? Hall, 1996-99 2,818 8. Courtney Lewis, 2003- 2,705 9. Johnny Hector, 1979-82 2,587 10. Roger Vick, 1983-86 2,471 A&M's Career Rushing TDs List Rk Player, Years TDs 1. Darren Lewis, 1987-90 44 2. Rodney Thomas, 1991-94 41 3. George Woodard, 1975-77, 79 35 4. Curtis Dickey, 1976-79 34 5. Greg Hill, 1991-93 33 6. Courtney Lewis, 2003- 30 Joel Hunt, 1925-27 30 Bucky Richardson, 1987-91 30 9. Leeland McElroy, 1993-95 29 10. D'Andre Hardeman, 1995-99 28
WATCH LIST WATCH
Five Aggies have been mentioned on "watch lists" for various national awards:
Preseason Accolades Player Award (s) Justin Brantly Ray Guy Red Bryant Bednarik Chad Schroeder Draddy Scholar-Athlete Cody Wallace Rimington Justin Warren Bednarik, Butkus, Nagurski, Lott
PREP QBs AT WR
Texas A&M has several former prep quarterbacks excelling at wide receiver.
HS QBs Making Difference at WR 2006 Player Hometown (HS) Rec./Yds/TD Pierre Brown Duncanville (DHS) 10/86/0 ?Senior HS Stats: 1,734 total offense, 23 TDs Michael Corey Delta, Utah (DHS) 1/6/0 ?Senior HS Stats: L'Tydrick Riley Crockett (CHS) 16/148/0 ?Senior HS Stats: 1,717 total offense, 24 TDs Chad Schroeder Austin (Westlake) 34/509/3 ?Senior HS Stats: 3,436 total offense, 37 TDs
AGGIE ADDITIONS
Franchione added three more scholarship players to his teams over the summer: placekicker Matt Szymanski from College Station; deep snapper Corey Gibas from Covina, Calif., and defensive back Will Harris from Lakewood, Ohio via Solano JC in California.
ACTIVE TACKLERS
The Aggies have 14 defenders with more than 50 career tackles, including Justin Warren, Melvin Bullitt and Brock Newton who have 100 or more.
A&M Active Career Tackles Leaders Rk Player Tackles 1. Justin Warren, LB, Sr. 256 2. Melvin Bullitt, DB, Sr. 160 3. Brock Newton, DB, Jr. 111 4. Jason Jack, DL, Jr. 95 5. Japhus Brown, DB, Jr. 93 6. Chris Harrington, DE, Jr. 87 7. Red Bryant, DL, 2004, Jr. 81 Devin Gregg, DB, So. 81 9. Nurahda Manning, LB, Sr. 71 10. Danny Gorrer, DB, So. 71 11. Bryce Reed, DL, Sr. 60 12. Marquis Carpenter, DB, Jr. 54 13. Misi Tupe, LB, Jr. 53 14. Marques Thornton, DL, Sr. 51
3rd DOWN TURNAROUND
The Aggies have made huge strides in third-down situations, both offensively and defensively.
On offense, the Aggies are converting their third-down tries at an impressive 51.5 percent clip (70-of-136), which is a significant improvement over last year's 35.4 percent success rate.
Defensively, the Aggies have limited their opponents to a 26.8 percent success rate on third-down tries in 2006. Last year, opponents converted 47.9 percent of their third-down situations against the A&M defense.
Aggies Stay On/Getting Off the Field 2006 (Big 12) Third Downs 2005 (Big 12) 51.5% (#1) 3rd Down Offense 35.4% (#6) 26.8% (#1) 3rd Down Defense 47.9% (#12)
STARTING POINT
The Aggies have 43 players with at least one career start to their credit, including 23 with double digit starts. Leading the way is last year's conference tackle leader Justin Warren with 34 career starts.
A&M Active Career Starts Leaders Player Starts Justin Warren, LB, Sr. 35 Kirk Elder, OL, Jr. 32 Red Bryant, DL, Jr. 31 Jason Jack, DL, Jr. 28 Melvin Bullitt, DB, Sr. 22 Chris Harrington, DL, Jr. 21 Corey Clark, OL, Jr. 21 Cody Wallace, OL, Jr. 21 Earvin Taylor, WR, Jr. 19 Courtney Lewis, RB, Sr. 18 Chad Schroeder, WR, Sr. 17 Japhus Brown, DB, Jr. 15 Brock Newton, DB, Jr. 15 Martellus Bennett, TE, So. 15 Danny Gorrer, DB, So. 15 Devin Gregg, DB, So. 13 Jorvorskie Lane, RB, So. 12 Yemi Babalola, OL, Jr. 12 Alex Kotzur, OL, Sr. 12 Chris Yoder, OL, Jr. 12 Stephen McGee, QB, So. 11 Grant Dickey, OL, Sr. 10 Travis Schneider, So. 9 Misi Tupe, LB, Jr. 8 Jordan Peterson, Fr. 8 Joey Thomas, TE, Jr. 7 Marquis Carpenter, DB, Jr. 6 Bryce Reed, DL, Sr. 6 Marques Thornton, Sr. 5 L'Tydrick Riley, Sr. 5 Nurahda Manning, LB, Sr. 4 Michael Bennett, DE, So. 4 Pierre Brown, WR, So. 4 Howard Morrow, WR, So. 3 Chris Alexander, FB, Jr. 3 Arkeith Brown, So. 2 Mark Dodge, Jr. 2 Kerry Franks, WR, Jr. 2 Amos Gbunblee, TE/DE, So. 1 Samson Taylor, RB, So. 1 Brandon Leone, RB, Sr. 1 Matt Featherston, Fr. 1 Johnathan Batson, Jr. 1
NFL OPENING DAY ROSTERS
#95 Sam Adams, DL, Cincinnati Bengals #99 Rocky Bernard, DL, Seattle Seahawks #89 Dan Campbell, TE, Detroit Lions #11 Jason Carter, WR, Minnesota Vikings (practice squad) #31 Sammy Davis, DB, San Francisco 49ers #95 Ron Edwards, DL, Kansas City Chiefs #89 Robert Ferguson, WR, Green Bay Packers #26 Aaron Glenn, DB, Dallas Cowboys Jason Glenn, LB, Minnesota Vikings #82 Dante Hall, WR, Kansas City Chiefs #63 Geoff Hangartner, OL, Carolina Panthers #57 Warrick Holdman, LB, Washington Redskins #13 Bethel Johnson, WR, New Orleans Saints (injured reserved) #93 Johnny Jolly, DL, Green Bay Packers #33 Keith Joseph, RB, New Orleans Saints #48 Terrence Kiel, DB, San Diego Chargers #9 Shane Lechler, P, Oakland Raiders #68 Seth McKinney, OL, Miami Dolphins #76 Steve McKinney, OL, Houston Texans #10 Reggie McNeal, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (practice squad) #96 Mike Montgomery, DL, Green Bay Packers #48 Don Muhlbach, DS, Detroit Lions #47 Boone Stutz, TE/DS, Atlanta Falcons #74 Rex Tucker, OL, Detroit Lions #94 Ty Warren, DL, New England Patriots #27 Jason Webster, DB, Atlanta Falcons #94 Pat Williams, DL, Minnesota Vikings #74 Billy Yates, OL, New England Patriots Aggies on NFL Coaching Staffs: Dennis Allen, Atlanta Falcons (Defensive Assistant) Johnny Holland, Houston Texans (Defensive Assistant) Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (Head Coach) Gary Reynolds, Seattle Seahawks (Quality Control/Offense) Zerick Rollins, Seattle Seahawks (Def. Line/Quality Control)
FAMILY AFFAIR
The Aggies have a number of players with family connections to Texas A&M athletics.
Starting strong safety Melvin Bullitt's father, Jerry, lettered for the Aggies from 1980-83 and started at linebacker for three seasons. The elder Bullitt posted 222 tackles and 11 sacks during his career.
Melvin's uncle, Steve Bullitt, lettered for the Aggies from 1983-86.
Junior Chris Harrington is the nephew of former A&M two-sport All-American Dave Elmendorf. Elmendorf, who had an All-Pro career with the Los Angeles Rams, currently serves as the color analyst for the Aggie Radio Network.
Senior L'Tydrick Riley's uncle, Claude Riley ranks as one of the greatest basketball players in A&M history. The "Crockett Rocket" still ranks No. 6 in points and No. 3 in rebounds in the Aggie record book.
Junior Earvin Taylor's older brother, Jamaar, caught 108 passes for 1,705 yards from 2001-03.
Brothers Michael and Martellus Bennett are just one of a handful of brothers whose playing careers have overlapped at Texas A&M.
True freshman Jerrod Johnson's father, Larry, played split end for the Aggies in the late 1970s.
COACH FRAN RANKS AMONG THE WINNINGEST COACHES
The 26th head football coach in Texas A&M history, Dennis Franchione is in his fourth season in Aggieland and his 24th season as a collegiate head coach. Franchione has compiled a 24-21 record at Texas A&M.
With a career record of 179-94-2 as a head coach, Coach Fran is the sixth-winningest active Div. 1-A head coach in college football (by total wins).
Texas A&M is the seventh stop for Franchione as a collegiate head coach, and has coached previously at Southwestern (Kan.) College (1981-82), Pittsburg State (1985-89), Southwest Texas State (1990-91), New Mexico (1992-97), TCU (1998-2000) and Alabama (2001-02).He also served as an assistant coach at Kansas State (1978-80) and Tennessee Tech (1983-84).
Franchione has won eight conference championships and a divisional crown in his 23 seasons. In 2002, Franchione's Alabama squad had the best record in the SEC West but were ineligible for the crown.
Winningest Active Div. I-A Coaches (by Victories) Rk Coach, School Wins 1. Bobby Bowden, Florida St. 364 2. Joe Paterno, Penn St. 360 3. Frank Beamer, Va. Tech 195 Jim Tressel, Ohio State 195 5. Chris Ault, Nevada 183 6. Dennis Franchione, A&M 179 7. Mack Brown, Texas 178 8. Fisher DeBerry, Air Force 169 9. Dick Tomey, San Jose St. 167 10. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina 154
