Aggies Receive Highest AP Ranking since 1999
Aug 20, 2011 | Football
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- The Texas A&M football team will enter the 2011 season with a consensus top 10 ranking after checking in at No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25 media poll, which was released on Saturday.
It was the Aggies' highest preseason rank in the AP poll since 1999 when R.C. Slocum's squad checked in at No. 7 after winning the 1998 Big 12 Championship the season before. Texas A&M will enter 2011 also ranked No. 9 in the USA Today head coaches poll and No. 8 in ESPN.com's Power Rankings.
Fourth-year head coach Mike Sherman's Aggies are coming off a 9-4 season in 2010 that saw A&M win its first share of the Big 12 South division crown since 1998 and earn a spot in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. A&M returns an experienced roster with 60 letterwinners, which is the most in school history, including 18 positional starters.
The Aggies' rugged 2011 schedule includes four teams in AP Top 25: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Arkansas and No. 21 Missouri.
A&M had a 6:30 scrimmage on Saturday at Kyle Field, which mimicked the game time for the Aggies' season-opener against former Southwest Conference rival SMU at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4 in College Station.
The Aggie offense was without several of its mainstay players due to various injuries, and Sherman said it showed in Saturday's scrimmage.
“It doesn't allow you to have the consistency you want, but we should have been better than we were today,” Sherman said. “We've got to get some guys back. We're a pretty banged-up team. Nothing that is going to keep anybody out of any action, but it keeps them out of getting reps at practice. Jeff (Fuller) really hasn't practiced a whole lot. Cyrus (Gray) really hasn't practiced a whole lot until today. I'm anxious to see us with everyone back on the field.”
Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter thought the Aggie defense made some plays, but still has a lot of work to do before the Aggies are ready to face the Mustangs.
“We made some plays, and I was happy that we forced some takeaways, which was good to see,” DeRuyter said. “We've got a lot of young guys in the mix so it wasn't quite as crisp as it needed to be. We had some dumb penalties that we've got to get corrected. But overall, I was fairly pleased.
“I like where we're at, and I like the fact that we have two more weeks to get ready because we have a lot of work to do.”
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PRACTICE GUIDELINES
· PRACTICES TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
· Practices inside the McFerrin Indoor facility are closed to the public due to fire codes.
· Practices are open to players' families, lettermen, current students, former students, faculty and staff with TAMU ID and 12th Man Foundation members.
· No cameras, cell phones or note pads allowed.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE
MONDAY, Aug. 22
7:30 – 9:45 am - Practice #16
TUESDAY, Aug. 23
7:30 – 9:45 am - Practice #17
4 – 5:15 pm - Practice #18 (McFerrin Indoor Facility)
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 24
4:05 pm - Practice #19—NO MEDIA ALLOWED
“Countdown to Kickoff Dinner”
THURSDAY, Aug. 25
8:25 – 10:45 am - Practice #20
FRIDAY, Aug. 26
8:25 – 10:45 am - Practice #21
