THE JIMBO FISHER ERA BEGINS
Years at TAMU: 1st (hired Dec. 4, 2017)Coaching Record: 0-0 at Texas A&M / 83-23 overall (9th season)
Birthdate: Oct. 9, 1965
Hometown: Clarksburg, W.V.
Children: Trey and Ethan
High School: Liberty High School, Clarksburg, W.V.
College: Salem College, 1990
- Since the start of The Associated Press poll era in 1935, Jimbo Fisher was just the sixth coach to win a national title, then leave for another school. He was the first to do it since Johnny Majors left Pittsburgh for his alma mater, Tennessee, in 1977. (Source: Gridiron Now)
- Fisher was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 4, 2017 after eight successful seasons at Florida State, which included the 2013 BCS National Championship.
- In his eight seasons in Tallahassee, Fisher established himself as one of the elite coaches in college football. He led the Seminoles to an 83-23 record, winning three Atlantic Coast Conference championships, four Atlantic Division titles and five bowl games.
- Fisher is one of four active coaches to have won a National Championship.
- Twelve of Fisher's FSU players earned consensus All-America honors, with quarterback Jameis Winston winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013.
- Fisher saw 83 of his student-athletes graduate, and NFL teams drafted 51 of his players, including 21 first- or second-round selections.
- The Seminoles set a modern-day NFL draft record with 29 players selected over a three-year period (2013-15), and Fisher had a first-round NFL draft choice every year he was head coach.
- The 2013 Rawlings College Football Coach of the Year, Fisher has twice been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award (2013, 2014) and was a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award in 2014.
- Fisher has been active in the community through his foundation, Kidz1stFund. The non-profit was founded in 2011 to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder that affects thousands, including Fisher's youngest son, Ethan.
- Fisher played quarterback at Salem College for Terry Bowden for three seasons and followed Bowden to Samford for his final season. Fisher became NCAA Division III's national player of the year in 1987 and recently earned induction into Samford's Hall of Fame.
SETTING THE SCENE: NORTHWESTERN STATE AT TEXAS A&M
- KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. CT
- SERIES VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE: First Meeting
- SITE: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas (Capacity: 102,733)
- RANKINGS: Northwestern State: FCS | Texas A&M: Not Ranked
- TELEVISION: SEC Network (National)
Tom Hart, play-by-play
Jordan Rodgers, analyst
Cole Cubelic, sideline - RADIO:
Texas A&M Radio Network (Regional) - The Texas A&M Radio Network provides coverage via nearly 60 stations across the state of Texas. For a complete list of affiliates, please go to 12thMan.com.
Andrew Monaco, play-by-play
Dave Elmendorf, analyst
Will Johnson, sideline
Texas A&M Spanish Network (Regional) - Texas A&M's Spanish broadcast can be heard on radio stations in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, El Paso, Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. Locally, the TAMU Spanish Network can be heard on 1550 AM.
Pedro Vela Almaguer, play-by-play
Noel Orellana, analyst
SIRIUS XM: The Texas A&M Radio Network call of the game can be heard on SiriusXM 93/374.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR #NSUVSTAMU:
- Texas A&M will open its Jimbo Fisher era of football when the Aggies take on Northwestern State (La.) in a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Aug. 30 at Kyle Field. It will be the season-opener for both teams.
- Fisher was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 4, 2017 after eight successful seasons at Florida State, which included the 2013 BCS National Championship. Fisher averaged more than 10 wins per season during his tenure and compiled an overall record of 83-23 with a .783 winning percentage, fourth-best among active head coaches (minimum five years).
- It will also be the debut of new radio play-by-play announcer Andrew Monaco, who replaced the legendary Dave South after more than 30 seasons of calling Aggie football games. Monaco comes to Aggieland after 11 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.
- The Aggies will be seeking their 29th straight home victory over non-conference opponents. Texas A&M's streak of non-conference home wins dates back to 2008 (last loss was 41-23 to Miami (Fla.)).
- Texas A&M is 7-3 in its last 10 season-openers.
- Texas A&M carries a 27-game streak of scoring at least 14 points into 2018, which is the longest such streak in the SEC.
- Fisher will be seeking to become the first Texas A&M head coach to win in his debut game since Dennis Franchione in 2003 (26-11 over Arkansas State).
MILESTONES TO WATCH:
- Junior RB Trayveon Williams needs 145 rushing yards to become the 20th member of Texas A&M's exclusive 2,000-yard club in career rushing yards.
- With his first touchdown of 2018, Williams will surpass the 100-point barrier in career points (he has 96 points on 16 career TDs).
- If sophomore QB Nick Starkel passes for 207 yards or more vs. Northwestern State, he would reach 2,000 career yards in just eight career games. This would match the fastest to 2,000 school record set by Johnny Manziel, who had 1,956 yards through his first seven games.
- Both Starkel and fellow sophomore QB Kellen Mond are less than 300 yards from reaching 2,000 in career total offense. Starkel has 1,751, while Mond has 1,715.
- Senior LB Otaro Alaka needs three tackles to reach 200 for his career. He is Texas A&M's leading active tackler by more than 60 stops.
- Alaka also ranks as the team's most experienced player in terms of career starts and is slated to make the 34th start of his career against Northwestern. The fifth-year senior is the team's only player with 30 or more starts.
- Alaka and junior OL Erik McCoy are the team's leaders in consecutive starts at 26.
- Senior 12th Man (and fullback) Cullen Gillaspia has made 26 consecutive appearances as the Aggies' 12th Man. He is chasing Sam Moeller's school record of 39 starts in the Aggies' hallowed No. 12 jersey.