Game 8: New Mexico State at Texas A&M

Saturday, October 29

College Station

6:30 PM

Texas A&M

New Mexico State

Tickets

Oct 28, 2016 | Football

Game Notes: New Mexico State

No. 9 Texas A&M looks to rebound from its first loss of the season on Saturday when the Aggies (6-1) open the home stretch of the regular season at Kyle Field by hosting New Mexico State (2-5). Kickoff is set for 6:32 p.m.

Anish Shroff and Ahmad Brooks will have the call of the action on ESPNU. It will air regionally on the Texas A&M Sports Network (Dave South, Dave Elmendorf, Will Johnson), and a Spanish broadcast of the game can also be heard regionally on the Texas A&M Spanish Network (Pedro Vela Almaguer, Noel Orellana).

Both Aggie radio feeds can be heard for free worldwide at 12thman.com/allaccess and inside the Texas A&M Athletics app. The Texas A&M Sports Network broadcast will be available on Sirius Channel 113 / XM Channel 192.

This will mark the first meeting between the schools.

What to watch for: #NMSUvsTAMU

Texas A&M will seek to get back on the winning track with a non-conference matchup with New Mexico State from the Sun Belt Conference at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Aggies will be seeking their 22nd consecutive non-conference victory at Kyle Field, dating back to a 41-23 loss to Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 20, 2008.
It will be the first time Texas A&M has faced a team from the Sun Belt Conference since the Aggies tallied a 21-16 victory over UL-Monroe in 2014.
SEC receptions leader Christian Kirk needs just one catch to reach 50 in his eighth game of the season. Only Ryan Swope (2011) and Jeff Fuller (2010) have reached the 50-catch plateau in eight games in Texas A&M history.

Garrett Set to Join Elite Texas A&M, SEC Groups

Junior DE Myles Garrett, the NCAA FBS active career leader in QB sacks, is just two sacks away from the 30-sack plateau, which has only been reached by six players in SEC history and five players in Texas A&M history.

SEC Career QB Sacks List

1.	Derrick Thomas, Alabama	52
2.	Billy Jackson, Mississippi St.	49
3.	Ben Williams, Ole Miss	37
4.	David Pollock, Georgia	36
5.	Alex Brown, Florida	33
6.	Reggie White, Tennessee	32
7.	Richard Tardits, Georgia	29
	Eric Norwood, South Carolina
9.	Jimmy Payne, Tennessee	28
	Leonard Little, Tennessee
	Jarvis Jones, Georgia
	Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

Texas A&M Career QB Sacks List

1.	Aaron Wallace, 1986-89	42
2.	Jacob Green, 1977-79	37
3.	John Roper, 1985-88	36
4.	Keith Mitchell, 1993-96	34
5.	Von Miller, 2007-10	33
6.	Marcus Buckley, 1990-92	29
7.	Myles Garrett, 2014-present	28
8.	Damontre Moore, 2010-12	26.5
9.	Ray Childress, 1981-83	25
10.	Roylin Bradley, 1997-2000	24

Disruptive Defense

Harkening back to its Wrecking Crew roots, the 2016 edition of defense ranks among the nation's best at QB sacks, TFLs and takeaways.

Defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall have combined for 7.5 QB sacks, 18 QB hurries and 19 TFLs.
Aggies rank No. 12 in QB sacks (3.3/G), No. 2 in TFLs (10.0/G) and tNo. 3 in takeaways (19 total).
DC John Chavis' charges have made at least seven tackles for loss (TFL) in every game and have generated 10 or more in five of seven contests.
Produced a season-high 13 TFLs vs. Auburn on 9/17 and 12 vs. Alabama on 10/22.
Among SEC teams, Texas A&M's 70.0 TFLs (7 gms) are 6.0 more than the No. 2 producer (Alabama with 64 in 8 gms).
The Aggies have gained at least one takeaway in every game, including multiple takeaways in the last four.

New Wrecking Crew?

*Opponent*	*QBS-YDS*	*TFL-YDS*	*QBH*
UCLA	5.0-39	10.0-47	7
PVAMU	3.0-24	7.0-37	7
at Auburn	4.0-32	13.0-55	6
vs. Arkansas	1.0-9	10.0-35	3
at S. Carolina	3.0-23	10.0-41	5
Tennessee	4.0-29	8.0-37	7
at Alabama	3.0-11	12.0-36	2

The Chavis Effect

Veteran SEC defensive coordinator John Chavis was hired at Texas A&M prior to the 2015 season and his influence on the Aggies' defense has been undeniable, especially in scoring and run defense and takeaways.

Defensive Turnaround

Stat Category	2016 (FBS RK)	2015 (FBS RK)	2014 (FBS RK)
Total Defense	439.4 (#96)	380.0 (#51)	450.8 (#104)
Pass Eff. Defense	115.8 rtg (#32)	127.8 rtg (#64)	136.5 rtg (#88)
Run Defense	177.6 (#79)	213.7 (#108)	216.0 (#111)
Scoring Defense	21.1 (#27)	22.0 (#28)	28.1 (t#77)
QB sacks	3.3 (t#12)	2.6 (t#24)	2.7 (t#27)
Tackles for loss	10.0 (#2)	8.5 (t#3)	5.9 (t#60)
Interceptions	1.3 (t#20)	0.9 (t#71)	0.4 (t#121)
3rd D % Against	36.0% (#46)	33.0% (#16)	40% (#67)
Turnover Margin	+0.9 (t#18)	-0.5 (t#102)	-0.5 (t#108)
Turnovers Gained	+2.7 (t#3)	+1.3 (t#79)	1.0 (t#122)

Run-Game Renaissance

A year after ranking No. 66 nationally with a 169.1 rushing average, Texas A&M has improved its rushing attack by over 80 yards per game and nearly two yards per rushing attempt.

Texas A&M ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 15 in the FBS with a 251.4 rushing average and average 6.3 per carry in 2016.
The Aggies have rushed for 200+ yards in six of seven games with five of the six 200+ rushing efforts coming against FBS Power 5 teams (UCLA, AUB, ARK, SC, UT).
Texas A&M is one of 11 FBS teams with two 500-yard rushers -- RB Trayveon Williams (727) and QB Trevor Knight (526).
Opponents have rushed the ball 25 more times than the Aggies but gained 517 fewer yards.

Making and Limiting Explosive Plays

Texas A&M has allowed just three TD plays of more than 20 yards in length while scoring 13 touchdowns of more than 20 yards.

The Aggies have 45 rush or pass plays of 20 or more yards through the first seven games, including 15 plays over 35 yards.
The 45 rush/pass explosive plays have been made by 12 different players.
Opponents have been limited to 31 20-yard offensive plays -- including just 11 over 35 yards.
Opponents have just eight 20-yard+ rushing plays while the Aggies have 19.

Balanced Attack

Texas A&M is one of four FBS teams averaging more than 240 rushing and passing yards per game and those four teams' combined record in 26-2.

Through seven games, rush/pass play breakdown is 1,760 yards on 280 rushes/1,715 on 258 pass attempts.
Texas A&M is one of seven FBS teams with more than 1,700 yards rushing and passing.
The Aggies have rushed and passed for 200-plus yards in six of seven games in 2016.

Transfer Impact

The Aggies have a number of four-year school and JC transfers making significant contributions in 2016.

Transfer Impact in 2016

*Player*	*Pos*	*Former School*
Kalvin Cline	TE	Virginia Tech
#Jermaine Eluemenor	OT	Lackawanna (Pa.)
#Justin Evans	SS	Gulf Coast (Miss.) CC
#Keith Ford	RB	Oklahoma
#Avery Gennesy	OT	E. Mississippi CC
Claude George	LB	Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Jake Hubenak	QB	Blinn (Texas) JC
#Trevor Knight	QB	Oklahoma
Damion Ratley	WR	Blinn (Texas) JC
#Josh Reynolds	WR	Tyler (Texas) JC
#Priest Willis	CB	UCLA
# -- Denotes 2016 starter

True Freshman Impact

Multiple true freshmen from the Aggies' highly-regarded 2016 signing class have been making an early impact.

Early Risers

*Player*	*Pos*	*Hometown*
Austin Anderson	OL	Mineola, Texas
Clyde Chattman	DB	New Orleans, La.
Tyrel Dodson	LB	Franklin, Tenn.
Aaron Hansford	WR	Washington, D.C.
Braden Mann	PK/P	Houston, Texas
Charles Oliver	DB	Fairfield, Texas
#Colton Prater	OL	Bossier City, La.
Trayveon Williams	RB	Houston, Texas
# -- Denotes 2016 starter

Myles Garrett

Defensive End • Jr-2L • Arlington, Texas (Martin HS)

2016 Preseason All-American, All-SEC
2016 Watch List: Rotary Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Ted Hendricks Award
2015 Finalist: Rotary Lombardi Award, Ted Hendricks Award
2015 first-team All-American: Walter Camp, FWAA

Nightmare for QBs, OCs

Junior DE Myles Garrett is, arguably, the nation's most feared pass rusher.

Missed the SC game due to injury, was limited to 3rd down duty in return vs. UT.
Garrett was a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award (college lineman of the year), the Hendricks Award (top DE), a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (defensive POY) and was a quarter-finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.
His older sister, Brea Garrett, was a NCAA Champion thrower for the A&M track and field team. His older brother, Sean Williams, has played for several NBA teams and currently plays basketball overseas.
Among his measurables are: 40-yard dash: 4.46; broad jump: 9 feet, 5 inches; vertical jump: 38.5 inches; power clean: 372 pounds; deadlift: 528 pounds; incline bench press: 355 pounds; leg press: 1,100 pounds.
Described as a "dino-geek," Garrett says of his post-football life: "I want to be a paleontologist, whether it's amateur or professional." (Sports Illustrated, July 27, 2015)

Veteran Leader

One of the keys to Texas A&M's 2016 improvement on defense has been the continued development and leadership for senior LB Shaan Washington.

Washington is regularly referenced by the coaching staff for his physical development over the past year.
Washington arrived at Texas A&M as a 210-pound safety in 2013 but has developed into a 240-pound linebacker in 2016.
Has increased his bench press to over 400 pounds, according to DC John Chavis.
Chavis also believes Washington has a future in the NFL.
Despite battling various injuries over the past two seasons, the Louisiana product or "Louisianimal" ranked No. 2 on the team with 81 tackles in 2015 and No. 4 with 64 in 2014.
Injured for the first three games of 2014, Washington averaged 6.4 tackles per game after returning to lineup which was the best per-game average on the team.

Hall's Growth

While developing into one of the nation's top DEs, senior DE Daeshon Hall has gained nearly 60 pounds since coming to campus on his recruiting visit.

Hall came to Texas A&M on his recruiting visit in 2013 as a 208-pound "basketball player," according to head coach Kevin Sumlin. He has bulked up to 270 pounds as a senior.
Hall's nickname is "Dae Dae."
Hall moved from Seattle, Wash., to Lancaster, Texas in high school. His high school coach Chris Gilbert got his first glimpse of Hall playing basketball. "He was just like hammering dunks," Gilbert said. "He was a little thin, but I could tell he was strong. He said, 'Coach, I love basketball but everybody tells me they think I can play on Sundays, and I think I can.' '' (Dallas Morning News, Sept. 12, 2014)
Hall's four-sack effort vs. Arizona State in 2015 tied for second-most in a single game in school history, trailing only the five-sack performance by Alex Morris vs. Houston in 1987. Hall matched the sack total of three first-team All-Americans: Jacob Green, Ray Childress and John Roper.
Teams with Myles Garrett to give the Aggies one of the nation's top defensive ends combos. Last year, Hall and Garrett combined to average 1.50 QB sacks per game, which was more than any other tandem in the SEC.
Garrett said of the pair's friendly competition to get to the quarterback, "It's a race to get to the quarterback every time."

Big-Play Ability

Junior FS Armani Watts is the SEC's only player to have registered at least one QB sack, tackle for loss, QB hurry, interception, pass breakup, forced fumble and recovered fumble.

Earned SEC Defensive Player the Week after the Aggies' 2016 win over Arkansas. He posted a pair of game-changing plays with a strip and fumble recovery at the goal line and a fourth-down TFL vs, ARK.
Had a record-setting season in 2015 with six double-digit tackle games, including a 20-tackle effort vs. Ole Miss, and he ranked No. 2 in the SEC with 126 tackles (9.7 per game).
With 126 tackles, Watts was the first Aggie to hit the century mark since LB Michael Hodges had 115 in 2010. Only a handful of Aggie DBs have reached 100 tackles in a season, most recently Jaxson Appel had 135 in 2003.
Watts led the SEC with an amazing 83 solo tackles.
His 20-tackle game vs. the Rebels was the second-most prolific tackle game by a DB in school history. Safety Larry Horton matched the overall school record with 24 tackles vs. Baylor in 1990 (originally set by LB Larry Kelm in 1985).
Watts finished 2015 tied for 14th nationally with 126 tackles.
A consensus 4-star recruit out of North Forney HS, Watts earned all-state honors at safety and was an all-district pick on offense and defense and as a return man.

Record-Setting Reynolds

Senior Josh Reynolds is the only player in Texas A&M and SEC history and FBS's only active player with two 90-yard plus catches -- a 95-yarder vs. Vanderbilt in 2015 and a 92-yard vs. Arkansas in 2016.

Reynolds led the SEC with a 17.8 per catch average among players with more than 35 catches in 2015. He's on the same track in 2016 with a 21.8 average, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC among players with double-digit catches.
Reynolds' 13 receiving TDs in 2014 broke the school record of 12 originally set by Jeff Fuller in 2010 and matched by 2014 NFL first-round pick Mike Evans in 2013.
Overlooked by FBS programs out of HS, Reynolds went to Tyler JC as a full qualifier and then transferred to A&M with three years of eligibility in 2014. The FB coaching staff was tipped off to Reynolds by TAMU T&F coach Pat Henry, who had recruited Reynolds as a high jumper.
Reynolds' younger brother, Moses, is a true freshman defensive back for the Aggies.

TAMU Career Receiving TDs

*Player, Years*	*TDs*
Jeff Fuller, 2008-11	34
Ryan Swope, 2009-12	24
Josh Reynolds, 2014-	23
Bob Long, 1966-68	19
Uzoma Nwachukwu, 2009-12	19

Honey Badger Redux

Junior nickel back Donovan Wilson has drawn comparisons to former LSU playmaker Tyrann Mathieu or the "Honey Badger" because of his penchant for making big plays.

Wilson ranked third in the SEC with five interceptions in 2015, which matched the entire Texas A&M team's output in 2014.
Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis says of Wilson, "We need that catalyst and he's been that catalyst force. He's made big play after big play. (Former LSU All-American Tyrann Mathieu) had the 'it' factor. We're starting to see some of that with Donovan." (Bryan-College Station Eagle, Oct. 7, 2015)

2015 Wilson (13 gms) vs. 2011 Mathieu (13 gms)

*Player*	*TFL*	*QBS*	*INT*	*PBU*	FR	FF
Wilson	8.5	2.0	5	3	2	3
Mathieu	7.5	1.5	2	9	5	6

Wilson fills the stat sheet like few other defenders. He ranked No. 4 on the team in tackles (63), had 8.5 TFL, 2.0 QBS, three FF, two FR and three PBUs, along with his five INTs last season.
A late addition to the Aggies' 2014 signing class, Wilson led the Shreveport, La., area with 13 interceptions while earning All-City Defensive POY (Shreveport Times) and Louisiana Class 4A all-state honors.

Captain Kirk

Sophomore WR/RS Christian Kirk burst onto the scene in 2015 as one of the most dangerous and versatile players in the nation. He was named SEC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year in 2015 and was a preseason All-SEC pick as a receiver, return specialist and all-purpose.

Kirk posted a career-high 12 catches vs. South Carolina.
Kirk led all SEC freshmen in touchdowns (8), receptions (6.2/G), receiving yards (77.6/G), punt return average (24.4), all-purpose yards (1,789).
He set the freshman school record with 1,789 all-purpose yardage and was just off the overall school record of 1,806 set by Cyrus Gray in 2010.
Kirk was a game-breaker for the Aggies as a punt returnerwith two returns for touchdowns and an NCAA-best three returns of 50 yards or more (tie).
A consensus 5-star recruit out of Saguaro HS in Scottsdale, Ariz., Kirk was an early enrollee in January of 2015.

Tough Matchup

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, junior WR Ricky Seals-Jones ranks as one of the toughest matchups for defensive backs in the nation.

Seals-Jones missed the SC and UT games due to injury, but returned vs. ALA.
Seals-Jones has been consistently praised as one of the team's top blockers on the perimeter.
Seals-Jones has been the team's third-leading receiver the past two seasons with 49 catches in 2014 and 45 in 2015.
His receptions single game high is 10 catches vs. Mississippi State in 2014, which ranks as one of five double-digit catch games by a freshman.
RSJ played in two games as a true freshman in 2013 before suffering a season-ending injury. In his first career game, Seals-Jones reeled off a 71-yard TD catch and run against Rice that remains his career long.
The early-season showdown of future Texas A&M signees Seals-Jones of Sealy HS and QB Kohl Stewart of St. Pius in 2012 was the first destination of the "Swag-copter" when head coach Kevin Sumlin used a helicopter to get from College Station to St. Pius' Parsley Field in Houston.

Graduate Transfer QB

Graduate transfer Trevor Knight is the first upperclassman QB starter of the Kevin Sumlin era at Texas A&M with a caveat: Junior Matt Joeckel started the 2013 season-opener vs. Rice in place of Johnny Manziel, who was suspended for the first half.

Named Midseason National Offensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com.
Knight joined the Aggies in January as a graduate transfer after playing three seasons at the University of Oklahoma.
Has already established career highs in total offense (422 vs. PVAMU) and rushing yards (157 vs. ARK).
Named Davey O'Brien National QB of the Week and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose POTW after rushing for 157/2 TDs and passing for 225/2 TDs in win over ARK (9/24).
At OU, Knight started 15 games, including two bowl games.
Knight's stats at OU were 3,424 passing yards/25 TDs and 852 rushing yards/8 TDs. He was named the MVP of OU's 2014 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama after connecting on 32-of-44 passes for 348 yards and four TDs.
Knight had four 300-yard passing games and two 100-yard rushing games at OU.
His fraternal twin brother, Connor, is a senior fullback for the Sooners.
Knight earned his bachelor's degree in finance at OU and is pursuing his master's degree in management at Texas A&M.
Knight helped spearhead the Aggies' humanitarian trip to Haiti last summer, and had made previous trips to the impoverished nation while at OU.

Ball Hawk Safety

Senior SS Justin Evans has a well-earned reputation as one of the SEC's biggest hitters. He added ball-hawk to his repertoire with four pickoffs in 2016, which is tied for the SEC lead.

Named Midseason National Defensive POTY by NFL.com...Semifinalist for the Thorpe Award (best college DB).
Evans was spectacular in the season-opener against UCLA with a pair of interceptions, another broken up pass, a 21.0 average on kickoff returns and eight tackles. He earned Nagurski and Thorpe National Player of the Week honors.
After the Auburn game, Evans was named SEC Defensive POTW after making a game-high 12 tackles and breaking up a pass against the Tigers.
Evans ranked No. 3 on the team with 78 tackles in 2015, and he also contributed an interception and three broken up passes.
He had a season-high 10 tackles in SEC games against Alabama and Vanderbilt.
Evans joined the Aggies as an early enrollee after transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Was also a standout baseball player in high school, batting .495 as a senior at Wiggins High School.

Instant Impact

True freshman RB Trayveon Williams still isn't listed as the Aggies' starter at running back, but his impact on the Texas A&M rushing attack is undeniable.

Williams ranks No. 3 in the SEC with an average of 103.9 rushing yards per game, while averaging 8.0 yards per rush.
With 217 rushing yards against UT, Williams became the first Aggie true freshman to surpass the 200 rushing yards plateau. His 89-yard sprint vs. AUB was the second-longest by a freshman in A&M history.
His 367 rushing yards against current AP Top 25-ranked opponents lead the nation. His 712 rushing yards against Power 5 opponents ranks No. 3 nationally.
Was an early enrollee at Texas A&M in January 2016. A four-star recruit, Williams was District 15-5A MVP in 2015 after rushing for 1,409 yards and 20 TDs as a senior at C.E. King. Rushed for nearly 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns his final two seasons.

Big Maroon Goons

Calling themselves the Maroon Goons since 2012, the Aggies' typical starting lineup of tackles Jermaine Eluemenor and Avery Gennesey, guards Colton Prater and Connor Lanfear and center Erik McCoy weigh in at 1,555 pounds, or 311.0 pounds per goon.

Collectively, they are the second-heaviest starting five in school history, just behind the year-ending starting five in 2014 that averaged 312.0.

Here's the Beef

*Goon*	HT	WT	*Starts*
Jermaine Eluemunor, RT	6-5	315	8
Connor Lanfear, RG	6-6	315	7
Erik McCoy, C	6-4	305	7
Colton Prater, LG	6-4	295	7
Avery Gennesy, LT	6-5	315	20

Goon Facts

Texas A&M has produced a NFL first-round pick at offensive tackle for the past four seasons -- Luke Joeckel in 2013, Jake Matthews in 2014, Cedric Ogbuehi in 2015 and Germain Ifedi in 2016.
Easily the most experienced Goon, senior LT Avery Gennesy started all 13 games in 2015 and has 20 career starts.
Entering 2016, RT Jermaine Eluemenor was the only other Goon with starting experience -- he started one game at guard in 2015 (bowl game vs. Louisville).
Eluemenor is nicknamed "London" because he grew up in London, England before moving to New Jersey as a teen.
Eluemenor was the "hot chicken eating" champion at last year's Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.
Texas A&M starting QB Trevor Knight has been sacked just nine times while attempting 246 passes (35.1 passes/game) in 2016.
The Aggies have rushed for 200+ yards in six of seven games, including 366 vs. ARK which was the most against a SEC opponent since joining the league.
Texas A&M hadn't rushed for 200+ yards in the first six games of a season since the days of Emory Bellard's famed Wishbone offense with Bubba Bean and George "Big Woo" Woodard in 1975.
Texas A&M (6.3) and LSU (6.7) are the only teams in the SEC averaging more than six yards per carry.
The first Goon off the bench has been 305-pound swing tackle Koda Martin, who relieved an injured Gennesy at LT vs. UCLA and started in place of the injured Eluemenor at RT against South Carolina.

Kevin Sumlin

Head Coach

Years at TAMU:      5th (hired Dec. 10, 2011)
Coaching Record    42-17 at Texas A&M / 77-34 overall (9th season)
Birthdate:              Aug. 3, 1964
Hometown:            Indianapolis, Ind.
Wife:                     Charlene
Children:                daughters Courtney and Shelby, sons Jackson and Joey
High School:           Brebeuf Jesuit Prep, Indianapolis, Ind.
College:                  Purdue, 1988

Kevin Sumlin enters his fifth season at Texas A&M in 2016. His 36 wins (36-16 record) after his first four seasons marked the second-fastest coaching start in school history behind R.C. Slocum's 39 wins from 1989-92.
Sumlin was just the second Texas A&M head coach to lead the Aggies to at least eight wins in his each of his first four years.
Sumlin's record against non-conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25 is a perfect 5-0 (wins over No. 22 Louisiana Tech and No. 11 Oklahoma in 2012, No. 22 Duke in 2013, No. 15 Arizona State in 2015 and No. 16 UCLA in 2016).
Sumlin's 11 wins against AP Top 25 opponents rank No. 2 among Texas A&M head coaches in school history. Slocum leads the list with 17 wins vs. ranked opponents.
Sumlin was the first Texas A&M coach to win three straight bowl games (2012-14). His three bowl wins match the most by a Texas A&M head coach (Slocum had three from 1989-2002). He was the second head coach in program history to take his first four squads to a bowl game.
Sumlin was the 2012 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the SEC Co-Coach of the Year by the league head coaches.
Sumlin was a 2009, 2011 and 2012 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year finalist, and a AFCA Coach of the Year finalist in 2011.
Sumlin was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 10, 2011 after four highly successful seasons as head coach at the University of Houston.
He compiled a 35-17 record at UH, and led the Cougars to three bowl games in his four seasons.
He earned his degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Purdue University in 1988. Sumlin was a standout linebacker for the Boilermakers from 1983-86.
Sumlin served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 2001-02. Was hired as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, and he added offensive coordinator to his responsibilities early in the 2002 season after the offense struggled early in the season. With Sumlin calling the plays, the Aggie offense flourished, averaging 33.0 points and 419 yards per game for the remainder of the season after posting just 16.0 points and 286 yards per game previously. A highlight of the season included a 30-26 win over top-ranked Oklahoma with the Aggies gaining 404 total yards to key the victory.
Other assistant coaching stops for Sumlin include: Oklahoma (2003-07), Purdue (1998-2000), Minnesota (1993-97) and Wyoming (1991-92). He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Washington State from 1989-90.
Sumlin is a native of Indianapolis, Ind., and attended high school at Brebeuf Jesuit Prep. He was born Aug. 3, 1964, in Brewton, Ala.

Sumlin vs Top 25

In his ninth season as a head coach, fifth-year Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin has a career record of 15-13 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 (12-12 at A&M).

Sumlin's record against non-conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25 is a perfect 5-0 (wins over No. 22 Louisiana Tech and No. 11 Oklahoma in 2012, No. 22 Duke in 2013, No. 15 Arizona State in 2015 and No. 16 UCLA in 2016).
Sumlin's three road wins over AP top 10 teams is a school record.
Sumlin's five road wins and nine wins away from Kyle vs. AP Top 25 squads are already the most by any coach in school history.
The win over No. 9 Tennessee was Kevin Sumlin's 12th win over an AP Top 25-ranked opponent, which is No. 2 among A&M coaches. R.C. Slocum leads the list with 17 wins vs. ranked opponents.