No. 24/25 TEXAS A&M (2-2, 0-1 vs. Big 12)
vs.
TEXAS TECH (4-0, 1-0 vs. Big 12)
KICKOFF/DATE: 6:11 p.m. (CT), Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011
SITE: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TEXAS (CAP. 60,454)
TELEVISION: FX (national)
Gus Johnson, play-by-play
Charles Davis, commentary
Tim Brewster, sidelines
RADIO Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Dave Elmendorf, commentary
Tom Turbiville, sidelines
(Opponent call on Sirius channel 93)
RANKINGS:
Texas A&M (24th - AP Top 25/25th - USA Today Poll)
Texas Tech (Receiving Votes - AP Top 25/USA Today Poll)
SERIES HISTORY: Texas A&M leads, 36-32-1 (won 2)
LAST MEETING: Oct. 30, 2010: Texas A&M 45, Texas Tech 27 in College Station, Texas
LIVE AUDIO: aggieathletics.com, radioaggieland.com
LIVE STATS: aggieathletics.com
AGGIES LOOK TO GET BACK ON TRACK VS. RED RAIDERS
Coming off a pair of near-miss losses, the Texas A&M football team will make its first true road trip of the season when it heads to Lubbock for a 6 p.m. date on Saturday with the 4-0 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Official kick time is set for 6:11 and will be televised nationally via Fox College Football on FX.
The 2-2 Aggies will be seeking their third straight win against the Red Raiders and its second straight win in Jones AT&T Stadium, which they haven't done in more than 15 years.
A&M's last three-game winning streak over Texas Tech came in the early 1990s when the Aggies beat the Red Raiders five straight seasons from 1990-94. A&M will be looking to win consecutive games in Lubbock for just the third time since the Bear Bryant era in Aggieland. A&M won consecutive games in Lubbock in 1975 and 1977, and again in 1991 and 1993.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR ...
• It will be a matchup of former members of R.C. Slocum's A&M coaching staffs. Mike Sherman served two stints in 1989-93 and 1995-96, while Tommy Tuberville was defensive coordinator in 1994.
• WR Jeff Fuller needs 68 yards to match Terrence Murphy's career record for receiving yards (2,600).
• RB Christine Michael is 117 yards away from becoming the 17th Aggie with 2,000 career rushing yards.
• QB Ryan Tannehill is 155 yards from becoming the 14th Aggie QB with 3,000 career passing yards.
• RB Cyrus Gray's next kickoff return will be the 100th of his career
• A&M's next fumble recovery will be their first since the 2010 Texas game, a span of five games, 21 quarters and 451 opponent chances on offensive plays, special teams and interception/fumble returns.
• A&M's next INT will break a streak of opponent pass attempts without a pickoff that dates back to early in the season-opener against SMU (174 pass attempts entering Texas Tech game).
AGGIES IN THE RANKINGS
Texas A&M is in both the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today head coaches poll for the 11th straight week dating back to Nov. 7, 2010.
Ranked in the mid-teens last week, the Aggies fell to No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and No. 25 in the USA Today poll after falling to Arkansas on Saturday. The Red Raiders are unranked, but are receiving a significant amount of votes in both polls.
LAST TIME OUT: Aggies fall to Hogs, 42-38
The Aggies shot out to a 35-19 halftime advantage, but couldn't hold off a Arkansas Razorback rally that saw the Hogs take the lead for good at 42-38 with less than two minutes remaining.
• Returning to the starting lineup for the first time since last year's Missouri game, junior Christine Michael exploded for 128 first-half yards on his way to a career-best rushing effort with 230 yards on 32 carries. Two games after the Missouri start, Michael was lost for the season with a broken leg. Saturday's performance was his first 100-yard effort since the injury; in fact, it was his first since rushing for 119 yards vs. FIU in game three of 2010.
• Michael's 230 rushing yards tied for third-most in the A&M record book, and was the most since Darren “Tank” Lewis rushed for 232 vs. Texas Tech in 1990.
• Big 12 sack leader Sean Porter added two more sacks to his season total with a pair of QB takedowns against the Hogs. Porter finished the day with four tackles, two sacks and a QB hurry.
• The Aggies went over 600 yards in total offense for the second time under head coach Mike Sherman, and the 16th time in school history. A&M gained 628 yards, which was the No. 8 effort in school history and the highest of Sherman's head coaching era.
• The 38 points scored by the Aggies were the second-most ever in a losing effort behind the 47 points in 2002's 48-47 overtime loss to Texas Tech.
LEADING (MOST OF) THE WAY ...
The Aggies' first-half brilliance and second-half struggles the past two games has led to an odd statistic: Of the 240 total minutes of A&M's first four games, the 2-2 Aggies have trailed just 20 minutes and 14 seconds -- 18:33 against No. 6 Oklahoma State and 1:41 against No. 10 Arkansas. The Aggies never trailed against SMU and Idaho.
C-MIKE'S BIG DAY
Junior Christine Michael's 230-yard rushing game against Arkansas tied for the third-best rushing performance in the A&M record book. He set career highs in attempts (32), yards (230) and touchdowns (3).
200-Yard Rushing Games
Bob Smith 297 at SMU, Nov. 11, 1950
Darren Lewis 232 Texas Tech, Oct. 6, 1990
Christine Michael 230 vs. Arkansas, Oct. 1, 2011
Curtis Dickey 230 TCU, Nov. 25, 1978
Leeland McElroy 229 LSU, Sept. 2, 1995
Cyrus Gray 223 at Texas, Nov. 25, 2010
Earnest Jackson 219 TCU, Nov. 21, 1981
Bob Smith 215 vs Texas Tech, Sept. 24, 1949
Greg Hill 212 LSU, Sept. 14, 1991
Darren Lewis 212 at Texas, Nov. 24, 1988
Bubba Bean 204 at Clemson, Oct. 6, 1973
Rodney Thomas 201 LSU, Sept. 4, 1993
Darren Lewis 201 at Houston, Oct. 8, 1988
Darren Lewis 201 at Rice, Oct. 28, 1989
NATION'S BEST 1-2 PUNCH AT RUNNING BACK?
Texas A&M is one of just four teams with two rushers ranked among the top 50 in the NCAA statistical rankings, with the Aggies being the only team with two running backs in the top 50.
AGGIE OFFENSE IS ONE OF A KIND
Texas A&M is the only offense ranked in the top 25 of the NCAA bowl subdivision statistics in rushing, passing, total and scoring offense.
Top 25 in NCAA Statistics
Rushing Offense No. 15 -- 223.75
Passing Offense No. 23 -- 294.75
Total Offense TNo. 9 -- 518.50
Scoring Offense No. 24 -- 37.50
AGGIES' SACK ATTACK LEADS NCAA FBS
Entering week six of the college football season, the Aggies lead in the nation in sacks per game with an average of 4.5, while compiling 18 quarterback sacks in the first four games, despite the departure of two-time Big 12 sack leader Von Miller.
Leading the way for the Wrecking Crew are junior outside linebacker Sean Porter and senior defensive end Tony Jerod-Eddie, who have combined for 6.5 of A&M's 14 QB takedowns. Porter has gotten to the QB in every game this season and is tied for third on the NCAA sack list, while Jerod-Eddie is tied for sixth after his three-sack outburst in the season-opener.
PORTER STEPS UP FOR WRECKING CREW
On a team seeking to replace the big-play capabilities of departed All-American Von Miller, junior Sean Porter has been impressive from the outside linebacker spot opposite of Miller's old “Joker” position. After four games, Porter leads the team in solo tackles, QB sacks, total tackles for losses and QB pressures.
Being asked to get to the quarterback is new for Porter, who entered 2011 with just 1.5 QB sacks in his previous two seasons (15 starts in 26 games). Porter got to 1.5 sacks in 2011 in the first two games, and then posted a career-best two sacks in the past two games.
PROTECTING THE PASSER
The Texas A&M offensive front is one of the best in the nation at protecting the quarterback. Entering week six of the college football season, the Aggie O-line has allowed just two sacks while proving protection on 151 pass attempts. A&M's average of 0.5 QB sacks allowed per game is tied for No. 3 nationally, and the Aggies are tied atop the Big 12 with Oklahoma. The O-line has kept the Aggie passers clean in three of four games with both of their sacks allowed coming against Oklahoma State.
BIG BOYS PAVING THE WAY
All five offensive line starters are over 300 pounds, and the average weight of the Aggies' starting five on the offensive line is 310.6 pounds, making them the heaviest group in school history. The Aggie five is also of the few offensive line units in NCAA FBS to not have a senior on it.
Big and Young
LT Luke Joeckel, So-1L, 310
LG Brian Thomas, Jr-1L, 315
C Patrick Lewis, Jr-2L, 306
RG Jarvis Harrison, Fr-RS, 317
RT Jake Matthews, So-1L, 305
BULLOCK SHOWS OFF POWER BOOST
Senior placekicker Randy Bullock's hard work last summer has resulted in more distance on his kickoffs. One of the most accurate kickers in school history with a career success rate of 75.0 percent on field goal attempts, Bullock had registered only 27 touchbacks in 192 career kickoffs (14.1 percent). In 2011, Bullock already has eight touchbacks, and is averaging 66.3yards per kickoff (nearly four-yard improvement from 2010). During fall camp, Bullock referenced the key to his improvement: “The biggest thing is I'm not having to play catch-up,” Bullock said. “Last year I had been sick all summer. This year I came in healthy after working all summer and I'm ready to go.”
Bullock has connected on 8-of-9 field goal attempts, and his 2.00 field goals/game average ranks No. 2 in Big 12 and is tied for No. 5 nationally.
DESOTO PIPELINE
Even though two-time All-American Von Miller (DeSoto Class of '07) has matriculated to the NFL, DeSoto High School will still be well-represented on the 2011 Aggies. Three of the Aggies' most experienced and productive players are former DeSoto Eagles -- true senior running back Cyrus Gray, true senior defensive end Tony Jerod-Eddie and fifth-year senior inside linebacker Garrick Williams.
Making an Impact…………………….2011
Cyrus Gray (DeSoto Class of '08) All-purpose leader at 138.2 yards/game
Tony Jerod-Eddie (DeSoto Class of '08) DL's top tackler with 16 stops, 3 sacks
Garrick Williams (DeSoto Class of '07) No. 4 tackler with 22 tackles
COMING AND GOING
The Aggies are one of the most experienced teams in the nation in 2011 with 18 of 22 position starters returning, including 10 of 11 from the offense. A&M also returns a whopping 60 lettermen, which is EASILY the most in school history. The previous high for returning lettermen was 50 on the 1988 and the 2010 squads.
ELITE 1,000-YARD TRIO
The return of seniors Jeff Fuller, Cyrus Gray and Ryan Tannehill puts the Aggies among a select group of teams in the NCAA FBS that have a returning 1,000-yard receiver, rusher and passer. Joining the Aggies in the elite group are SMU, South Carolina and Toledo.
Teams with 1000 yd passer/rusher/receiver returning
Texas A&M--QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Cyrus Gray, WR Jeff Fuller
Southern Methodist--QB Kyle Padron, RB Zach Line, Cole Beasley
South Carolina--QB Stephen Garcia, RB Marcus Lattimore, WR Alshon Jeffrey
Toledo--QB Austin Dantin, RB Adonis Thompson, WR Eric Page
SIX GRADUATES ON 2011 TEXAS A&M ROSTER
Texas A&M has six graduates on the fall 2011 roster.
Danny Baker August 2011 University Studies (Mays Business School)
Ben Bass May 2011 Ag Leadership and Development
Matt Sherman August 2011 University Studies (Agriculture and Life Sciences)
Lionel Smith August 2011 Ag Leadership and Development
Ryan Tannehill May 2011 Biology
Garrick Williams August 2011 University Studies (Agriculture and Life Sciences)
SIDENOTE: Aggie head coach Mike Sherman gave a rousing speech to the 2011 summer graduates at the commencement convocation ceremony. Included among the graduates were seven current or former A&M football players, including his son, Matt, who is a senior tight end. The complete speech can be found on the University website (tamunews.tamu.edu) or by clicking “12th Man TV” link on the re-designed AggieAthletics.com.
THE VERSATILE RYAN TANNEHILL
No Football Bowl Subdivision player ever can match senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill's versatility résumé. Research has shown that Tannehill is the only player in NCAA FBS history with a 400-yard passing game and a 200-yard receiving game to his credit. The Big Spring High School product had his 200-yard receiving day against Kansas State as a freshman, and posted his 400-yard passing game in his starting debut last season against Texas Tech (ironically, his father's alma mater). In addition, Tannehill remains the Aggies' holder on placekicks and has three career punts to his credit.
2011 Update: Tannehill is on school record pace for completion percentage at 68.0 while completing 100-of-147 passes for 1,139 yards and six TDs. Ranks No. 18 nationally passing yards per game with a 284.8 average. Posted 300-yard passing games against Idaho and Oklahoma State.
Tannehill's Impressive Résumé
Receptions/Single Game 12 vs. Kansas State, 2008 (No. 5 in school history)
Receiving Yards/Single Game 210 vs. Kansas State, 2008 (No. 3 in school history)
Receptions/Season 55 in 2008 (No. 8 in school history)
Receiving Yards/Season 844 in 2008 (No. 4 in school history)
Receptions/Career 112 (No. 4 in school history)
Receiving Yards/Career 1,596 (No. 5 in school history)
Passing Yards/Single Game 449 vs. Texas Tech, 2010 (school record)
Completions/Single Game 36 vs. Texas Tech, 2010 (No. 2 in school history)
Attempts/Single Game 50 vs. Texas Tech, 2010 (No. 7 in school history)
Passing TDs/Single Game 4 vs. Texas Tech, 2010 (tNo. 6 in school history)
Completion Pct./Season 65.0 in 2010 (school record)
Total Offense/Single Game 458 vs. Texas Tech, 2010 (No. 2 in school history)
RECORD-SETTING FULLER
When Jeff Fuller announced that he would forgo the 2011 NFL Draft and stay at A&M for his senior season, it virtually ensured that there would be a new name at the top of every career receiving at the school. Fuller has owned the career receiving touchdowns record since early last season and broke Terrence Murphy's career catches record earlier this season against Idaho. The only major career receiving record in play for Fuller is the career receiving yards mark, and Fuller trails Murphy by 68 yards entering the Texas Tech game.
2011 Update: Gained ownership of A&M's career catches record against Idaho. Poised to break career receiving yards record vs. Texas Tech. Had season-highs with nine catches for 82 yards last week vs. Arkansas. Tied for No. 29 in catches per game.
Fuller's Résumé
• Named to “watch lists” for Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Maxwell Award, the Biletnikoff Award and the Pony Express Award.
• Has caught at least one pass in every game of his career (37 straight).
• School record holder with 30 career TD catches, which is third among active FBS players.
• School record holder with 174 career catches, which is No. 8 among active FBS players.
• Needs 68 yards to match Terrence Murphy's A&M records for career yards (2,600).
• Became Texas A&M's first 1,000-yard receiver in 2010.
• Owns three of the top five single season receiving touchdowns efforts in school history.
• Set the season catches record (tie with Ryan Swope) with 72 catches in 2010.
SWOPE'S SHORT GAME SETS TABLE FOR AGGIES
Lining up all over the field, slot receiver Ryan Swope was Mr. Inside to Jeff Fuller's Mr. Outside in 2010. From the first game of the season, Swope helped the Aggie offense hum with his repertoire of bubble screens, sweeps and over-the-middle catches, along with his defense-stretching speed (he's regarded as the fastest receiver on the team).
Swope finished 2010 with a school-record 72 catches (tie with Fuller) for 825 yards. He challenged the Aggies' single game record for catches in last year's season-opener with 13 catches against Stephen F. Austin. His ability to make plays down the field with his blazing speed helped him put the Oklahoma game out of reach with a career-long 64-yard touchdown reception.
2011 Update: Tied for the team lead in catches with 26, and leads the team in receiving yards with 380. Posted 100-yard games vs. SMU (8-109) and Oklahoma State (7-105).
Swope's Résumé
• Team leader with 21 catches (7.0/gm) for 288 yards and two TDs.
• Named to “watch list” for the Biletnikoff Award.
• Matched Jeff Fuller's 72 catches in 2010 to break Rod Bernstine's long-standing single season record of 65 catches.
• Opened 2010 season with a 13-catch, 106-yard performance against Stephen F. Austin, which tied for the second-most in school history behind Albert Connell's record 18 catches from 1996 vs. Colorado.
• Has five career 100 yard receiving games. .
• Career-long TD catch of 64 yards helped clinched the Aggies' upset of Oklahoma last season.
CYRUS GRAY: ON THE WAY
Preseason first-team All-Big 12 RB Cyrus Gray, a senior from DeSoto, Texas, is the leading returning rusher in the conference after rushing for 1,133 yards in 2010. Always a solid running back, Gray took his game to the next level in 2010. He earned the starting nod at RB over Christine Michael in game seven, and then Michael suffered a season-ending broken leg in game 8 which forced Gray to shoulder the bulk of the carries for the first time in his career. The transformation was stunning as Gray averaged 134.0 yards in the final seven games of the season after gaining just an average of 32.5 yards in first six games of 2010.
2011 Update: Ranks No. 43 nationally in rushing with 90.8 average. Nine-game streak of 100-yard rushing games was snapped against Oklahoma State, one shy of A&M record.
Gray's Résumé
• Named to “watch lists” for Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award and the Pony Express Award
• Big 12's leading returning rusher (1,133 yards in 2010)
• Rushed for a career-high 223 yards on 27 carries in the 2010 regular season finale against Texas, who was a record for an A&M player against the Longhorns and was A&M's first 200-yard rushing game since Leeland McElroy had 229 on 35 carries against LSU in 1995.
• Gray is A&M's game, season and career leader in kickoff return yardage.
• Gray is A&M's career all purpose yardage leader.
TRENDS AND NOTABLES
• Texas A&M's Kyle Field was rated the No. 20 “top venues in sport” by BusinessInsider.com, and was the highest rated college football stadium on the top 100 list. Coach Mike Sherman's old stomping grounds with the Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, topped the list.
• The gameday experience at Kyle Field was rated best in the country in the Sport Illustrated College Football Preview. Texas A&M's traditions were rated No. 3 by the publication.
• Aggies own scoreboard bragging rights on every football-playing team in the state of Texas. A&M's winning streaks over the other Texas schools range from a high of 24 over the TCU Horned Frogs (1973-1995, 2001) down to a one-game streak over Texas.
• The Aggies have won five straight games against teams from the state of Texas, and haven't lost to a Texas school since the regular season finale in 2009.
• Aggies on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame are bare-foot kicking legend Tony Franklin and the winningest head coach in Texas A&M history, R.C. Slocum. Aggie Legends Gene Stallings and Ray Childress were members of the Class of 2010 at the College Football Hall of Fame.
• Jeff Fuller has caught at least one pass in A&M-record 37 straight games, which is every game of his career. Ryan Swope has caught at least one in 23 straight games, including multiple catches in 20 straight games.
• In a unique statistical double, Tannehill has a 400-yard passing game and a 200-yard receiving game on his career resumé.
• In addition to his rare passing/receiving statistics, Tannehill also has three punts to this credit and has been the holder on 190 place kicks.
• Jeff Fuller spent time last summer working with one of the NFL's top receivers, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals. Aggies remember Fitzgerald's trip to Kyle Field as a Pitt Panther when he torched the A&M secondary for seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns in 2003. “I learned tons of things,” Fuller told the Dallas Morning News. “He's extremely competitive, tries to beat me into the ground running and conditions wise. A great role model, great person. One of the things he said is 'there is not substitute for work,' which I think is incredibly true. The way he goes out and works every single day and makes the people around him better as well.”
• Head coach Mike Sherman has made eight bowl trips as a member of Texas A&M's coaching staff. Only R.C. Slocum with 18 bowl trips has been to more as a Aggie coach.
• A&M has four players on the current roster with 1,000+ career receiving yards --- Jeff Fuller, Ryan Tannehill, Uzoma Nwachukwu and Ryan Swope.
• the Aggies will soon have four players on its roster with 100 or more career catches. Prior to 2011, A&M had just nine players in the 100-catch club in its history. Fuller, Tannehill and Swope are already over 100, and Nwachukwu has 93.
Aggies on 2011 NFL Training Camp Rosters
Matt Allen, OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Martellus Bennett, TE, Dallas Cowboys
Michael Bennett, DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rocky Bernard, DL, New York Giants
Red Bryant, DL, Seattle Seahawks
Melvin Bullitt, DB, Indianapolis Colts
Ron Edwards, DL, Carolina Panthers
Mike Goodson, RB, Carolina Panthers
Danny Gorrer, DB, Baltimore Ravens
Geoff Hangartner, OL, Buffalo Bills
Jerrod Johnson, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
Shane Lechler, P, Oakland Raiders
Kevin Matthews, OL, Tennessee Titans
Jamie McCoy, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stephen McGee, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
Don Muhlbach, DS, Detroit Lions
Cyril Obiozor, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Lucas Patterson, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Jordan Pugh, DB, Carolina Panthers
Cody Wallace, OL, Houston Texans
Ty Warren, DL, Denver Broncos
Pat Williams, DL, Minnesota Vikings
Billy Yates, OL, Cleveland Browns
Aggies on NFL Coaching Staffs:
Dennis Allen, Denver Broncos (Def. Coordinator)
Kyle Caskey, Cincinnati Bengals (Off. Quality Control)
Jerry Fontenot, Green Bay Packers (Running Backs)
Johnny Holland, Houston Texans (Linebackers)
Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (Head Coach)
Shawn Slocum, Green Bay Packers (Special Teams Coordinator)