2008 Texas A&M Aggies football team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Texas A&M Aggies
football team (often referred to as "A&M" or the "Aggies") represented Texas A&M University
in the 2008-2009
college football
season. The team was led by first-year head coach Mike Sherman
, who replaced Dennis Franchione
after the previous season.
was finishing his offensive coordinator duty for the Houston Texans
, he contacted A&M's orally committed recruits by telephone, and hired former Nebraska recruiting coordinator Tim Cassidy—who had been the recruiting coordinator at A&M from 1989–2004—to serve as the recruiting coordinator for football. Once Sherman commenced his head coaching duties, he and his coaching staff scoured the state for speedy players, recruiting running back Cyrus Gray
, wide receiver Jeffrey Fuller, linebacker Ricky Cavanaugh, defensive backs Terrence Frederick and Trent Hunter, and defensive tackle Eddie Brown. The coaches also signed five offensive lineman and three tight ends, after losing four starting offensive lineman and two starting tight ends from the 2007 season.
The staff was able to retain 18 of the previous coaching staff's recruits, but lost another 3 to other schools. Jeff Fuller, Tommy Dorman, and A&M's only junior college transfer, Matt Moss, enrolled at A&M in the spring to take part in spring practices.
In all, A&M received letters of intent
from 24 players on National Signing Day
, which was on February 6, 2008. Of those 24, 3 ranked in ESPN
's top 150 national players list, and 5 ranked in Rivals.com
's top 250. 22 are from Texas. Rivals.com also included 14 of the commits on its Texas Top 100 ranking. The recruiting class was ranked No. 16 by Rivals, No. 15 by Scout.com, and No. 25 by ESPN
.
Derrick Hall and Blake Chavis were not able to make the team due to academic ineligibility.
last season, and Garrick Williams, his high school teammate, were moved to outside linebacker. Safety Jordan Pugh was shifted to cornerback, which he played in high school. Devin Gregg moved to free safety from strong safety. Jordan Peterson, after playing two seasons at cornerback
, became a safety. Jamie McCoy, who moved from quarterback to wide receiver
the previous season, shifted to tight end
. Defensive back Chevar Bryson and Kenny Brown became wideouts. Running back Jorvorskie Lane
is losing weight to make the move from tailback
to fullback
. Billy Chavis made the move from linebacker to tight end
.
Starting quarterback Stephen McGee
recovered from surgery he had on his non-throwing shoulder in January 2008, causing him to miss most of the spring drills. He competed with sophomore Jerrod Johnson
and freshman Ryan Tannehill for the starting position. He was named the starter for the season-opener against Arkansas State, but will continue to compete for the job for the remainder of the season.
The Aggies are looking to improve their offensive line, after losing three starters, including two who earned all-Big 12 honors. They also are looking to field adequate linebackers and tight ends.
made the preseason All-Big 12 team and was also a Ray Guy Award
candidate. Running back Mike Goodson
and fullback Jorvorskie Lane
were two of 75 college players named to the 2008 Maxwell Award
watch list. Additionally, quarterback Stephen McGee
, along with 25 other quarterbacks, appeared on the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
watch list.
and Tommy Dorman, and the Texas Aggies team, led by quarterbacks Jerrod Johnson
and Ryan Tannehill. The second half consisted of situational work, including the red zone
, overtime
, goal line, and two-minute drills. Two honorary student coaches, who were selected by the coaching staff and players, also served during the game. Each student coach gave their respective team a pre-game speech and interacted with players, coaches, and staff on the sidelines during the game.
On the opening drive of the game, running back Mike Goodson
picked up 58 yards on 8 carries, and McGee ended the drive with a 1-yard bootleg play
to the endzone. On the next drive, led by Johnson, Bradley Stephens ran 41 yards on 5 carries, though the drive ended on a 44-yard field goal by Matt Szymanski. Dorman led the ensuing drive, and Cornell Tarrant eventually scored a touchdown on a 40-yard run. The Texas A&M team defeated the Texas Aggies 14–3. Tarrant became the leading rusher of the game with his 59 yards on 4 carries. McGee was the game's leading passer, completing 5-of-8 passes for 58 yards, though none of the passes were to a wide receiver
. Converted tight end Jamie McCoy was the leading receiver with two catches for 31 yards, including a 25-yard catch thrown by McGee. Tannehill completed 6-of-10 passes for 50 yards, while Johnson was 3-of-5 for 25 yards. In the goal-line drill of the second half, defensive back Chevar Bryson made a length-of-the-field interception return for a touchdown. Jorvorskie Lane
did not play due to a stomach virus.
Head coach Mike Sherman
commended the running backs, especially Mike Goodson
, calling him a "very dangerous weapon". Though the Aggies didn't run any option
plays in the game, the play-calling was run-heavy, as was planned. Sherman stated that they had a running game because they "wanted to show some toughness, not just throw it around".
ranked the team 65th out of 119 Division I FBS teams. A Sporting News writer ranked the team No. 48 in his 2008 top 50 list. Sports Illustrated
ranked the Aggies 51st out of the 119 national teams. A Washington Times columnist placed the team 65th, while a Orlando Sentinel
reporter ranked it 38th.
Another Sporting News writer ranked the team's nonconference schedule the 4th toughest in the Big 12. A Tulsa World
sports columnist rated the Aggies 9th in the Big 12 in July 2008.
In June 2008, ESPN
's Mark Schlabach
predicted the team would face the Oregon State Beavers
in the Brut Sun Bowl. In July 2008, ESPN's Tim Griffin picked the team to go to the Texas Bowl
to face longtime Southwest Conference rival SMU
. The Rivals.com
staff predicted that A&M will not play in a bowl this season. The 2008 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football
predicted the team would finish the season with an 8–4 record. Point-Spreads.com, a spread betting
website, projected the Aggies to go 5–7. The official Big 12 Media Preseason Poll picked the Aggies to finish fifth in the Big 12 South.
The Oklahoman
ranked the wide receiver
corps last in the Big 12. The same writer ranked the defensive line 10th, and the linebackers 10th as well. The Kansas City Star
rated the quarterbacks 10th, the running backs 1st, the offensive line 8th, the wide receivers and tight ends 12th, the defensive line 12th, the linebackers 11th, the defensive backs 5th, and the special teams 6th.
The team did not rank in the preseason AP
or Coaches
polls. It did receive 3 votes in the Coaches Poll, however.
resigned on November 23, 2007, former Green Bay Packers
head coach Mike Sherman
, who was the Houston Texans
' offensive coordinator
at the time, was hired three days later, becoming the 28th head coach of the Texas A&M football program. Sherman chose to finish his term with the Houston Texans
before working full-time as the Aggies' head coach. The Texans ended their regular season
December 30, 2007. During that period, Sherman contacted A&M's orally committed recruits by telephone, and hired former Nebraska recruiting coordinator Tim Cassidy—who had been the recruiting coordinator at A&M from 1989–2004—to serve as the recruiting coordinator as well as the associate athletic director for football. Once Sherman started his job full-time, he named Seattle Seahawks
wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell
to be his offensive coordinator and Reggie Herring
to be his defensive coordinator. Herring, however, resigned a month later and became the linebackers coach
for the Dallas Cowboys
. Sherman worked with Cromwell under head coach Mike Holmgren
at Green Bay. On January 9, 2008, Sherman announced Buddy Wyatt would coach the defensive line. Wyatt had 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 3 seasons at A&M from 2000–02. In 2001, the Aggie defense ranked 10th in the nation. Sherman also retained defensive backs coach Van Malone, who coached under Franchione for the 2006–07 seasons. Malone is the only member from Franchione's staff to be retained. Shortly afterwards, Charles McMillan, who worked at TCU
from 2004–07 as the cornerbacks coach, was announced to also coach the defensive backs. Former Boston College
offensive line coach Jim Turner, as well as former NFL running back Randy Jordan
, will coach the offensive line and running backs, respectively. Former Green Bay Packers coach Tom Rossley
was hired to coach the quarterbacks. Former Alabama
defensive coordinator Joe Kines
was hired to replace Herring, and was also named the assistant head coach. Former Denver Broncos
coach Kirk Doll, who also coached at A&M from 1988–93, was hired to be the tight ends and special teams coach.
{| style="w>dth:100%"
|+
| align="left" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! WR
|-
| Howard Morrow (5)
|-
| Pierre Brown (6)
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! LT !! LG
!! C
!! RG
!! RT
|-
| Michael Shumard (76) Evan Eike (65)
Kevin Matthews(63)
Lee Grimes (74)
| Josh Ayers (72) or Brian Thomas (71)
Danny Baker (55)
Chris Lathrop (78)
| or Vincent Williams (61)
or Joe Villavisencio (67)
, a member of the Sun Belt Conference
. A&M went into the game with a 3–0 all-time record against the Red Wolves; the third game occurred in 2003, the Aggies' 4–8 season. This was Arkansas State's first football game with its new nickname of "Red Wolves". Previously, Arkansas State's sports teams had been nicknamed "Indians" in honor of the Osage Nation
that inhabited the area until the 1800s. The use of an Indian mascot was the subject of ongoing controversy, including NCAA
restrictions on the use of the mascot.
Arkansas State, which finished 5–7 last season, returned six ;starters on offense and five on defense. Experience was lacking on the team's secondary, where the Red Wolves must replace all four starters, and the offensive line, which has only one returning starter. Key players include junior quarterback Corey Leonard, who set school records for total yards and passing touchdowns in 2007, as well as junior tailback Reggie Arnold, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards the previous two seasons. Arkansas State was predicted to finish fourth in its conference by the preseason Sun Belt Conference
coaches' poll.
ASU compiled 60 yards on the game opening possession, ending it with a 37-yard field goal. A&M answered with a 69-yard drive that resulted in a 9-yard touchdown run by tailback Mike Goodson
. On their next possession, Arkansas State lost a fumble, allowing the Aggies to take over on downs on the A&M 28-yard line. The Aggies eventually moved to the Red Wolves 15-yard line, but faced a fourth-down situation. Kicker Richie Bean missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score at 7–3. The Red Wolves' ensuing drive led to a punt, which A&M recovered at its 23-yard line. McGee cranked up A&M's passing game after making completions of 5, 13, 12, and 16 yards. Goodson soon scored a touchdown on a 7-yard run. Bean added the extra point to give A&M a 14–3 lead with 4:23 left in the half. Neither team could advance the ball for a touchdown over the remainder of the half.
In the second half, the Aggies' had four turnovers, three of which led to ASU scoring drives. Posting just 103 offensive yards – including 9 rushing – A&M failed to score on all eight of its possessions. In the third quarter, an interception and a fumble recovery let the Red Wolves to score two field goals, cutting the score to 14–9. In the fourth quarter, A&M kicker Richie Bean kicked a 25-yard field goal wide right. After the missed field goal, the ball was spotted on the ASU 20-yard line. ASU drove 80 yards into A&M territory for a touchdown to take the lead. Although their two-point conversion pass was incomplete, the Red Wolves could maintain their 15–14 advantage with 4:39 remaining in the game. On their next possession, the Aggies lost the ball on a fumble by Goodson after four plays. This set up ASU to kick its fourth successful field goal of the game to extend its lead to 18–14. Once the clock went down to 1:12, the Aggies looked to score on their final drive in order to win the game. On the third play of the drive, McGee threw a 26-yard pass to third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill to move the ball to the ASU 39. Two subsequent passes to Goodson allowed only a net gain of 5 yards, and on fourth down – with 7 seconds remaining – McGee threw another interception. ASU ran out the clock to preserve their 18–14 victory.
Goodson had his third career 100-yard rushing game. He was three yards short of breaking his game record of 127 yards, compiled against Oklahoma his freshman season. Third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the leader in receiving yards in the game, with 5 catches for 59 yards. McGee hit the 5,000-passing yards mark, becoming the fifth all-time A&M quarterback to do so. His two interceptions in the game was also the second time of his career in which he threw two or more interceptions. The first time occurred against Texas in 2007. Jorvorskie Lane
received only a few snaps and no carries or catches in the game due to a neck injury he got during one of the August practices. The defense compiled only three tackles for a loss. Linebacker Matt Featherston posted a game-high of 16 stops, and safety Arkeith Brown made 11 tackles with two pass breakups. Featherston was the second player in the nation with the most tackles during the first week.
The game attracted the second-largest home opener crowd of 78,691. By losing the game, A&M broke a 20-game winning streak in home openers. ASU captured its first victory against a Big 12 team after 14 tries. It was also their first season-opening road victory since joining Division I-A in 1992. The game was called "one of the most embarrassing losses in [A&M] history" by several sport columnists. The team's performance also placed 5th in ESPN
's Bottom 10 weekly rankings.
coached the Lobos from 1992–97, leading them to a Western Athletic Conference
Mountain Division Championship in 1997 and their first bowl appearance since 1961. The Lobos lost the game, and Franchione later resigned to take the head coaching position at TCU
. Rocky Long
has since taken over and led the Lobos to their first bowl victory since 1961 at the 2007 New Mexico Bowl
.
UNM signed a home-and-home deal with the Aggies after the 2006 season. Shortly after signing the deal, UNM was approached by an unidentified third party that offered $1.5 million to move the game to San Antonio. UNM rejected the offer, and the offer was increased to $1.8 million by June 2007. The Lobos declined the offer again, stating that they needed to build fan loyalty at home.
In their opener, UNM lost 26–3 to conference opponent TCU
. Senior running back Rodney Ferguson, who posted 1,000-yard back-to-back seasons, rushed for only 59 yards in the game. Quarterback Donovan Porterie sat out in the game after throwing 4-of-10 passes for 37 yards, one interception, and losing one fumble that caused his neck injury. UNM's backup quarterback threw 3-of-14 passes for 93 yards, including one catch for 81.
The Aggies started the game on offense and did not see any success on their first drive. Quarterback Stephen McGee
had to sit out after the first drive due to a right shoulder strain, causing Jerrod Johnson
to replace him. McGee did not see any action afterwards. The Lobos began their first drive on their 5-yard line. On their second third-down possession, Porterie threw an interception to safety Jordan Peterson, who returned the ball 48 yards for a touchdown. This was the first time A&M scored a defensive touchdown since the Wyoming
game in 2004. The touchdown was also significant in that the Lobos had lost 10 of its previous meetings in which the opponent scored first. On their next possession, the Lobos gave up the ball once Porterie threw yet another pick, which set the ball for the Aggies at the UNM 20. On third down, Jerrod Johnson threw a touchdown to receiver Jeff Fuller. The Lobos answered with a 45-yard touchdown run by Ferguson on their next possession to cut A&M's lead to 14–7. In the second quarter, both teams failed to move to score on two respective drives. On their final drive of the half, the Aggies drove the ball for 93 yards on 14 plays, ending it with another touchdown pass to Fuller. After an unsuccessful UNM drive, A&M left the field for halftime leading 21–7.
Early in the third quarter, the Lobos scored on a 27-yard field goal, thanks in part to an A&M muffed punt which the Lobos recovered at A&M's 14. Trouble hit the Lobos again when Porterie mishandled a snap, which led to a fumble recovery by defensive end Michael Bennett. Bennett returned the ball for 37 yards and stepped out of the field at the UNM 22. Johnson ended the drive on a 9-yard pass to tight end Jamie McCoy. With 6 minutes left in the game, the Lobos found the end zone on a 5-yard run, though a subsequent two-point conversion failed. The Aggies used their next drive to run out the clock, but eventually had to give the ball back to the Lobos on a punt. The Lobos were able to move 92 yards on 17 plays, capping it with a rushing touchdown by Ferguson. The Lobos then looked to gain the lead with less than a minute in the game, but missed the onside kick recovery. A&M ran out the clock and preserved their 28–22 victory. This victory was a milestone in that it was the first non-conference road victory for A&M since the win over Pittsburgh in 2002.
Jerrod Johnson finished the game with 10-of-19 pass completions (including three touchdowns) for 124 yards. Tailback Mike Goodson
was held only to 6 carries for 9 yards. Goodson left the game early due to a sprained right knee, although he did return to play for some time in the second half. Fullback Jorvorskie Lane
got more playing time, and compiled 19 yards on seven carries. Head coach Mike Sherman
stated that Jorvorskie could block and play better than he did in the game. Ryan Tannehill made three receptions for 57 yards, while Jeff Fuller caught 3 for 36. Cyrus Gray finished with 29 rushing yards on 10 carries.
As for UNM, Rodney Ferguson
ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Donovan Proterie completed 22-of-35 for 154 yards, though threw two interceptions.
. The Canes finished 5–7 that season, which was their worst in 30 years. A&M's speed did not match that of Miami's, which is part of the reason why the Canes blanked A&M 31–0 in the first three quarters. This will also be the second time that a Florida team plays at Kyle Field. Florida State first played at the stadium in 1967.
Coming off a bye week, the Aggies looked to regroup at home. After their first two games, the Aggies ranked last in the Big 12 in every major offensive category: scoring offense (21 points per game), rushing yards (112.5), passing yards (157), total offense (269.5 yards), pass efficiency (126), first downs (34) and sacks allowed (seven). Part of the off week was used to practice specific schemes, including third-down and short yardage, which hadn't been worked on in weeks. Quarterback Stephen McGee
underwent an MRI on the Monday of the bye week (i.e. directly following the New Mexico game), and the MRI revealed that he suffered a sprained and slightly separated right shoulder. He was not able to practice that week. The following week, both McGee and Jerrod Johnson
took snaps during practice. Tailback Mike Goodson
, after suffering a mild ankle sprain in the New Mexico game, did not miss any practice time. Third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill may miss the game due to a sprained ankle from the previous game.
Miami, among other things, aimed to improve its passing offense, which had ranked 106th nationally (out of 119 Division I FBS teams). The Canes lost an away game to Florida
26–3, after holding the Gators to 7 points before the fourth quarter. ESPN
's Kirk Herbstreit
stated that the Canes' play against A&M could determine whether they (Miami) will turn out to be a surprise team this season. The 113th-nationally-ranked A&M rushing defense, which gave up 255 and 216 rushing yards to Arkansas State and New Mexico, respectively, could catch a break in this game as Miami lost its starting running back in Javarris James, who sprained his right ankle early in the Florida game. Miami's speed on defense outmatches that of the Aggies. The Canes' defense had ranked 8th nationally 17 tackles for a loss. However, they have yet to produce a turnover.
and the Aggies, and the second of the AT&T Corps Classic
. Army's lone trip to College Station was in 1972, the only time they defeated A&M. The third game, which was played in the Alamodome
in 2006, was the debut of the AT&T Corps Classic. The Black Knights failed to score in the final drive of the game, and A&M escaped with a 28–24 victory.
Army had lost all of its previous three home games to Temple
, New Hampshire
, and Akron
. The Black Knights had been outscored 85–20, and did not score more than 10 points in each of those games. Over the past two seasons, they posted a 1–9 record in away games. Using its triple option
attack, Army had averaged 179 rushing yards per game, ranking 41st in the country. Its 118th-ranked passing offense, however, had recorded only 77 yards per game. The offense had also lost 10 fumbles, the most of any Division I team. On the other side of the ball, the Black Knights had limited their opposition to 309.7 ypg. The defense had also produced five turnovers, though the front line had only forced two sacks in the first three games.
. They also had held a 7–3 record for games played at Stillwater
. In the 2007 home game, after trailing 17–0 at the end of the first half, the Aggies matched their largest comeback in school history to defeat the Cowboys 24–23. In the 2006 meeting at Stillwater, the Aggies defeated the Cowboys 34–33 in overtime, after defensive tackle Red Bryant
blocked the overtime field goal attempt that would have tied the game at 34–34 and started a second overtime.
OSU entered the game with a nationally-ranked No. 1 rushing offense, No. 3 scoring offense, and No. 4 total offense. The Aggies, on the other hand, came in with a 115th-ranked rushing defense, and a scoring and total offense that had placed last in the Big 12. OSU, which was ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2004, was a 24-point favorite.
In the first half, OSU outscored A&M 28–7. The Cowboys gained a 7–0 lead when defensive end Ugo Chinasa returned an interception 6 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys scored again with Zac Robinson's 29-yard throw to Dez Bryant to make the score 14–0. Bryant later ran a 78-yard punt return for another touchdown to extend the lead to 21–0. ESPN
's SportsCenter
called Bryant's touchdown return the No. 1 play of the night. A&M finally answered with Mike Goodson
running an 80-yard touchdown, the longest of his career. There were five A&M turnovers in the first half alone. OSU did not convert on three lost A&M fumbles.
, and a 5-game winning streak, which started in 1998 when the Aggies defeated the Wildcats 36–33 (in two overtimes
) to win the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats are led by third-year head coach Ron Prince
, who led the Wildcats to a 7–6 record and an appearance in the Texas Bowl
in 2006, and a 5–7 record in 2007. In both seasons, however, he led his team to upset the Texas Longhorns
, who were ranked among the top 10 in the national polls coming into the matchups. Coach Prince used his 2008 junior college transfers to strengthen the team's play.
A few players had to sit out during the game due to injuries, including offensive linemen Travis Schneider, Michael Shumard and Robbie Frost. Lineman Lee Grimes played three different positions in order to counter the injuries. Mike Goodson had to sit out the first quarter since he missed class during the week.
Kansas State opened the game with an 81-yard touchdown drive, which consisted of 31 rushing yards by quarterback Josh Freeman
. Immediately afterwards, A&M settled for a field goal on their possession, after driving 73 yards deep into K-State territory. In the second quarter, the Wildcats' special teams unit blocked their fourth punt of the season, and returned the blocked punt for a 10-yard touchdown. Safety Courtney Herndon was able to pick up his third blocked punt of the season in the process. Punter Justin Brantly had his first punt block after 129 attempts (his last blocked punt occurred in the 2005 Texas game). The Wildcats failed to score the extra point to keep the score at 13–3. After another unsuccessful A&M drive, Kansas State opened up its passing game in a drive that consisted of 10, 20, 15, 7, and 5 receptions. The drive ended on a 4-yard touchdown run by Logan Dold, and the subsequent extra point extended K-State's lead to 20–3. On their next possession, the Aggies fumbled on KSU's 48-yard-line, and one of the Wildcat defenders returned the fumble for 10 yards. This eventually allowed the Wildcats to compile another scoring drive, moving the score up to 27–3. Prior to halftime, A&M finally got a touchdown on a 7-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped by a 38-yard catch by Howard Morrow, who had yet to make an impact this season. Jorvorskie Lane scored the touchdown on a 4th-and-1 situation at the KSU 1. With his 46th touchdown of his career, Lane became the all-time school record holder in rushing touchdowns. The previous record of 45 was held by Darren Lewis (1987–90).
The Aggies started the second half and were able to advance the ball 54 yards using a balanced rushing and passing attack. They missed the opportunity to move past the KSU 33 on 4th-and-8, and had to turn the ball over on downs. K-State used the drive to make a 49-yard field goal. With 7:53 remaining in the third quarter, A&M utilized its passing game to move the ball, thanks in part to two 22-yard receptions, one made by Jeff Fuller, and the other completed by Ryan Tannehill. Jerrod Johnson
rushed to the endzone from the KSU 5. Randy Bullock, however, missed the extra point. Still trailing 30–16, the Aggies looked to pull a comeback. Hopes of a comeback diminished when Jorvorskie Lane
's second attempt at scoring on a short goal-line rush failed. A&M had to turnover on downs once again, despite moving the ball for 62 yards and just a yard shy of scoring. K-State used its rushing game to drain out the clock a little, and successfully ended the drive on a 1-yard run by Josh Freeman. Less than 5 minutes remained in the game once A&M got the ball. Johnson made 3 consecutive completions to Tannehill worth 50 yards, and Goodson scored on the next play via a 23-yard reception. After their quick touchdown, the Aggies attempted an onside kick, which was recovered by K-State at the A&M 41. The Wildcats ran the ball once again, and were rewarded yet another touchdown to extend their lead to 44–23. About a minute was left, and on the second play of A&M's last possession, Johnson connected to Tannehill for a 55-yard touchdown. The Aggies tried another onside kick, but K-State found the ball and preserved their 44–30 win.
With this loss, A&M dropped to 0–2 in conference play, the program's worst start since 1982. KSU left with their first win at Kyle Field since 1996. On a brighter note, Tannehill's 210 yards from 12 catches are the 3rd-best of all A&M receivers in a single game. Johnson's 487 offensive yards and 419 passing yards went down on A&M's record books as the best ever.
34–31–1, though the Red Raiders had won 10 of the past 13 games. The last victory at Kyle Field was in 2004, when the game went into overtime. Ninth-year Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach had held a 6–2 record against the Aggies. The Red Raiders had led the nation in passing offense and are second in total offense, due in part to Sammy Baugh Trophy
winning quarterback Graham Harrell
and unanimous first-team All-American
receiver Michael Crabtree
. In fact, Leach's spread offense philosophy has allowed the Red Raiders to rank among the top 10 passing offense teams in the country ever since the 2001 season. Sports bettors favored Tech to win by 21 points.
In the first half, A&M outgained Tech 274 yards to 254, and led 23–20. A&M did not produce any turnovers, while Tech gave away 2 possessions to A&M. A&M scored 10 points off Tech's turnovers, but Tech was able to score on its other possessions. In the second half, however, the Aggies could only post 32 offensive yards and 5 first downs. Harrell completed 44-of-56 throws for 450 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also scored touchdowns on two rushes. Crabtree scored two touchdowns off of his eight catches for 71 yards.
, who was 0–6 against the Aggies until that matchup. McCarney resigned from Iowa State in 2006 to accept an assistant coaching position at South Florida. Former Texas Longhorns
co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
, who coached the Longhorns to their national championship in 2005, was hired to replace him. Chizik led the Cyclones to a 3–9 record in the 2007 season.
Both teams went into the game with the same overall record and were still looking to get their first conference win. Both Iowa State's and A&M's defenses had ranked 98th and 101st in the nation, respectively. Iowa State's secondary had allowed Baylor and Nebraska to complete 78 percent of their passes. Sports bettors predicted Iowa State to beat A&M by three points.
, who was ranked the best running back in the 2008 recruiting class by Rivals.com
. In their previous game, the Buffaloes suffered a 58–0 shutout at the hands of No. 16 Missouri. Both teams bought an even matchup to the field, with Colorado fielding an offense that had scored 19 points per game, whereas A&M's scoring defense had allowed 35 points per game. The Aggie defense had given up a total of 1,584 in their past three games against Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. A&M was favored to win by 3.5 points.
came in 3–1 against the Aggies in games played at Kyle Field. All three of their victories had been decided within one touchdown. In the offseason, a columnist for The Oklahoman
stated "Sooner-Aggie games at Kyle Field have been classics this decade." In the 2000 game, the Sooners intercepted a pass by Mark Farris
and returned it for a touchdown to win 35–31. They eventually ended up winning the 2000 national title. In 2002, the Aggies upset then-ranked No. 1 Oklahoma 30–26. The Sooners came into the 2004 game ranked No. 2, and scored a touchdown with 6:43 remaining in the game to win 42–35. In 2006, the Aggies allowed the Sooners to escape with a one-point victory. Then-head coach Dennis Franchione elected to go for a field goal rather than score a touchdown from the 2-yard line with 3:28 left in the game. Oklahoma was predicted to win by 27.5 points. OU defensive end Auston English will not play in the game due to injury.
The Aggies suffered their worst home loss in school history.
leading 65–30–9. A&M had held a 13-game winning streak against Baylor until 2004, when the Bears upset a ranked Aggie team in Waco. Art Briles
took over as the Bears' new head coach in the offseason, replacing Guy Morriss
. The Bears are 8-point favorites.
and it was the fifth year as part of a multi-sport rivalry called the Lone Star Showdown. The football rivalry began in 1894 and it is the longest-running rivaly for both the Longhorns and the Aggies and it is also the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football. Texas entered into the 2007 contest with a 73–35–5 record. Since the series began in 1900, the game has traditionally been played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2007 game marked the twelfth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving. The two schools had agreed to move the game back to Thanksgiving Day for the 2008 and 2009 contests.
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
football team (often referred to as "A&M" or the "Aggies") represented Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the 2008-2009
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season. The team was led by first-year head coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
, who replaced Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
after the previous season.
Recruiting
While head coach Mike ShermanMike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
was finishing his offensive coordinator duty for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he contacted A&M's orally committed recruits by telephone, and hired former Nebraska recruiting coordinator Tim Cassidy—who had been the recruiting coordinator at A&M from 1989–2004—to serve as the recruiting coordinator for football. Once Sherman commenced his head coaching duties, he and his coaching staff scoured the state for speedy players, recruiting running back Cyrus Gray
Cyrus Gray
Cyrus Danall Gray is an American football running back for the Texas A&M Aggies. He is considered one of the best running back prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft.-College career:...
, wide receiver Jeffrey Fuller, linebacker Ricky Cavanaugh, defensive backs Terrence Frederick and Trent Hunter, and defensive tackle Eddie Brown. The coaches also signed five offensive lineman and three tight ends, after losing four starting offensive lineman and two starting tight ends from the 2007 season.
The staff was able to retain 18 of the previous coaching staff's recruits, but lost another 3 to other schools. Jeff Fuller, Tommy Dorman, and A&M's only junior college transfer, Matt Moss, enrolled at A&M in the spring to take part in spring practices.
In all, A&M received letters of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
from 24 players on National Signing Day
National Signing Day
National Signing Day most commonly refers to a day in February, usually on the first Wednesday of that month, which is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the NCAA, the main governing body for...
, which was on February 6, 2008. Of those 24, 3 ranked in ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's top 150 national players list, and 5 ranked in Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
's top 250. 22 are from Texas. Rivals.com also included 14 of the commits on its Texas Top 100 ranking. The recruiting class was ranked No. 16 by Rivals, No. 15 by Scout.com, and No. 25 by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Derrick Hall and Blake Chavis were not able to make the team due to academic ineligibility.
Position changes
During the preseason, Coach Sherman made some player adjustments to fit his pro-style offensive scheme. Von Miller, who was a backup defensive endDefensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
last season, and Garrick Williams, his high school teammate, were moved to outside linebacker. Safety Jordan Pugh was shifted to cornerback, which he played in high school. Devin Gregg moved to free safety from strong safety. Jordan Peterson, after playing two seasons at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, became a safety. Jamie McCoy, who moved from quarterback to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
the previous season, shifted to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
. Defensive back Chevar Bryson and Kenny Brown became wideouts. Running back Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
is losing weight to make the move from tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
to fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. Billy Chavis made the move from linebacker to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
.
Starting quarterback Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
recovered from surgery he had on his non-throwing shoulder in January 2008, causing him to miss most of the spring drills. He competed with sophomore Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Terrel Johnson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas A&M....
and freshman Ryan Tannehill for the starting position. He was named the starter for the season-opener against Arkansas State, but will continue to compete for the job for the remainder of the season.
The Aggies are looking to improve their offensive line, after losing three starters, including two who earned all-Big 12 honors. They also are looking to field adequate linebackers and tight ends.
Departures
- On May 28, 2008, freshman linebacker Derrick Stephens, who redshirted in 2007, was forced to quit playing football due to multiple concussions. The school chose to honor his scholarship, and he planned to apply to the business school.
- On June 6, 2008, kicker Matt Szymanski transferred to SMUSouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
due to personal reasons. - On August 28, 2008, running back Cornell Tarrant transferred to Stephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
due to undisclosed personal reasons.
Honors
Justin BrantlyJustin Brantly
Justin Jay Brantly is an American football punter for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
made the preseason All-Big 12 team and was also a Ray Guy Award
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
candidate. Running back Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
and fullback Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
were two of 75 college players named to the 2008 Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
watch list. Additionally, quarterback Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
, along with 25 other quarterbacks, appeared on the 2008 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
watch list.
Spring game
The Aggies played their spring intrasquad Maroon and White exhibition game on April 19, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. The game attracted 32,000 fans, including more than 100 college football prospects from the class of 2009. The game featured a new format of two halves. The first half featured a two-quarter game that pitted the Texas A&M team, led by quarterbacks Stephen McGeeStephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
and Tommy Dorman, and the Texas Aggies team, led by quarterbacks Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Terrel Johnson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas A&M....
and Ryan Tannehill. The second half consisted of situational work, including the red zone
Red Zone
Red Zone may refer to:*Red Zone , a region of France decimated during World War I*Red Zone , a term designating unsafe areas in Iraq after the 2003 invasion by the United States, Britain, and other allies...
, overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, goal line, and two-minute drills. Two honorary student coaches, who were selected by the coaching staff and players, also served during the game. Each student coach gave their respective team a pre-game speech and interacted with players, coaches, and staff on the sidelines during the game.
On the opening drive of the game, running back Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
picked up 58 yards on 8 carries, and McGee ended the drive with a 1-yard bootleg play
Bootleg play
In American football, a bootleg play is a play in which the quarterback runs with the ball in the direction of either sideline behind the line of scrimmage...
to the endzone. On the next drive, led by Johnson, Bradley Stephens ran 41 yards on 5 carries, though the drive ended on a 44-yard field goal by Matt Szymanski. Dorman led the ensuing drive, and Cornell Tarrant eventually scored a touchdown on a 40-yard run. The Texas A&M team defeated the Texas Aggies 14–3. Tarrant became the leading rusher of the game with his 59 yards on 4 carries. McGee was the game's leading passer, completing 5-of-8 passes for 58 yards, though none of the passes were to a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. Converted tight end Jamie McCoy was the leading receiver with two catches for 31 yards, including a 25-yard catch thrown by McGee. Tannehill completed 6-of-10 passes for 50 yards, while Johnson was 3-of-5 for 25 yards. In the goal-line drill of the second half, defensive back Chevar Bryson made a length-of-the-field interception return for a touchdown. Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
did not play due to a stomach virus.
Head coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
commended the running backs, especially Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
, calling him a "very dangerous weapon". Though the Aggies didn't run any option
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
plays in the game, the play-calling was run-heavy, as was planned. Sherman stated that they had a running game because they "wanted to show some toughness, not just throw it around".
Rankings and predictions
In June 2008, Rivals.comRivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
ranked the team 65th out of 119 Division I FBS teams. A Sporting News writer ranked the team No. 48 in his 2008 top 50 list. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
ranked the Aggies 51st out of the 119 national teams. A Washington Times columnist placed the team 65th, while a Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
reporter ranked it 38th.
Another Sporting News writer ranked the team's nonconference schedule the 4th toughest in the Big 12. A Tulsa World
Tulsa World
Tulsa World is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma, and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman. It was founded in 1905 and remains an independent newspaper,...
sports columnist rated the Aggies 9th in the Big 12 in July 2008.
In June 2008, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach is an author and columnist for ESPN.com. Schlabach joined ESPN.com in July 2006 as a college football and college basketball columnist. He is notable during college football season for the weekly "Bottom 10" article....
predicted the team would face the Oregon State Beavers
2008 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2008 Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach is Mike Riley...
in the Brut Sun Bowl. In July 2008, ESPN's Tim Griffin picked the team to go to the Texas Bowl
Texas Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, formerly known as the Texas Bowl, is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005...
to face longtime Southwest Conference rival SMU
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. The Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
staff predicted that A&M will not play in a bowl this season. The 2008 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is an annual publication, previewing football teams in the state of Texas.It is unique in that it is the only publication to preview every team in Texas , from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, through every level of college football, to the roughly 1,400...
predicted the team would finish the season with an 8–4 record. Point-Spreads.com, a spread betting
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
website, projected the Aggies to go 5–7. The official Big 12 Media Preseason Poll picked the Aggies to finish fifth in the Big 12 South.
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
ranked the wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
corps last in the Big 12. The same writer ranked the defensive line 10th, and the linebackers 10th as well. The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
rated the quarterbacks 10th, the running backs 1st, the offensive line 8th, the wide receivers and tight ends 12th, the defensive line 12th, the linebackers 11th, the defensive backs 5th, and the special teams 6th.
The team did not rank in the preseason AP
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
or Coaches
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
polls. It did receive 3 votes in the Coaches Poll, however.
Coaching staff
After former coach Dennis FranchioneDennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
resigned on November 23, 2007, former Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
, who was the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at the time, was hired three days later, becoming the 28th head coach of the Texas A&M football program. Sherman chose to finish his term with the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
before working full-time as the Aggies' head coach. The Texans ended their regular season
2007 Houston Texans season
The 2007 Houston Texans season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2006. This season marks the sixth year of existence for the Texans franchise as well as Reliant Stadium.-Offseason:...
December 30, 2007. During that period, Sherman contacted A&M's orally committed recruits by telephone, and hired former Nebraska recruiting coordinator Tim Cassidy—who had been the recruiting coordinator at A&M from 1989–2004—to serve as the recruiting coordinator as well as the associate athletic director for football. Once Sherman started his job full-time, he named Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell
Nolan Cromwell
Nolan Neil Cromwell is the wide receiver coach for the St. Louis Rams. He was an All-Pro safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL and was the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M University. Cromwell played for the Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive...
to be his offensive coordinator and Reggie Herring
Reggie Herring
-External links:*...
to be his defensive coordinator. Herring, however, resigned a month later and became the linebackers coach
Linebackers coach
A linebackers coach is a position coach in charge of the linebackers in gridiron football. This role is common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The linebackers coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator and works with the players of the three linebacker...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Sherman worked with Cromwell under head coach Mike Holmgren
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren is a former professional football coach and current President of the Cleveland Browns. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008...
at Green Bay. On January 9, 2008, Sherman announced Buddy Wyatt would coach the defensive line. Wyatt had 18 years of collegiate coaching experience, including 3 seasons at A&M from 2000–02. In 2001, the Aggie defense ranked 10th in the nation. Sherman also retained defensive backs coach Van Malone, who coached under Franchione for the 2006–07 seasons. Malone is the only member from Franchione's staff to be retained. Shortly afterwards, Charles McMillan, who worked at TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
from 2004–07 as the cornerbacks coach, was announced to also coach the defensive backs. Former Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
offensive line coach Jim Turner, as well as former NFL running back Randy Jordan
Randy Jordan
Randy Jordan is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders. At Jacksonville, he scored the team's first-ever touchdown in 1995...
, will coach the offensive line and running backs, respectively. Former Green Bay Packers coach Tom Rossley
Tom Rossley
Tom Rossley is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the senior assistant and quarterbacks coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
was hired to coach the quarterbacks. Former Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
defensive coordinator Joe Kines
Joe Kines
-External links:...
was hired to replace Herring, and was also named the assistant head coach. Former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
coach Kirk Doll, who also coached at A&M from 1988–93, was hired to be the tight ends and special teams coach.
| Name | Position | Alma mater Alma mater Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:... (Year)!! Year at A&M |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Sherman Mike Sherman Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles... |
Head coach | Central Connecticut State (1978) | 1st |
| Nolan Cromwell Nolan Cromwell Nolan Neil Cromwell is the wide receiver coach for the St. Louis Rams. He was an All-Pro safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL and was the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M University. Cromwell played for the Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive... |
Offensive coordinator Offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... |
Kansas University of Kansas The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The... (1977) |
1st |
| Tom Rossley Tom Rossley Tom Rossley is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the senior assistant and quarterbacks coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team, a position he has held since the 2008 season... |
Quarterbacks | Cincinnati University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio.... (1969) |
1st |
| Randy Jordan Randy Jordan Randy Jordan is a former professional American football player who played running back for nine seasons for the Los Angeles Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders. At Jacksonville, he scored the team's first-ever touchdown in 1995... |
Running backs | North Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States... (1993) |
1st |
| Jim Turner | Offensive line | Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... (1988) |
1st |
| Kirk Doll | Special teams Tight ends |
East Carolina East Carolina University East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in... Wichita State (1976) |
1st |
| Joe Kines Joe Kines -External links:... |
Defensive coordinator Defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach... Assistant head coach |
Jacksonville State Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and... (1967) |
1st |
| Buddy Wyatt | Defensive line | TCU Texas Christian University Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ... (1990) |
1st |
| Van Malone | Defensive backs | Texas University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin... (1993) |
3rd |
| Charles McMillian | Defensive backs | Utah State Utah State University Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.... (1995) |
1st |
| Dave Kennedy | Strength and conditioning | Nebraska (1985) | 1st |
Depth chart
| | Matt Featherston (46) | >- | or Anthony Lewis (36) | Kellen Heard (91) | Lucas Patterson (77) | >- | Eddie Brown (19) | David Tufuga (99) | or Amos Gbunblee (86) >- | |
or Tony Jerod-Eddie (83) |
{| style="w>dth:100%"
|+
| align="left" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
|-
| Howard Morrow (5)
|-
| Pierre Brown (6)
|}
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! LT !! LG
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
!! C
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
!! RG
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
!! RT
|-
| Michael Shumard (76)
| Josh Ayers (72)
|
Schedule
Arkansas State
This marked the fourth meeting between the Aggies and the Arkansas State Red WolvesArkansas State Red Wolves
The Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains NCAA Division I status.-History:...
, a member of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. A&M went into the game with a 3–0 all-time record against the Red Wolves; the third game occurred in 2003, the Aggies' 4–8 season. This was Arkansas State's first football game with its new nickname of "Red Wolves". Previously, Arkansas State's sports teams had been nicknamed "Indians" in honor of the Osage Nation
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
that inhabited the area until the 1800s. The use of an Indian mascot was the subject of ongoing controversy, including NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
restrictions on the use of the mascot.
Arkansas State, which finished 5–7 last season, returned six ;starters on offense and five on defense. Experience was lacking on the team's secondary, where the Red Wolves must replace all four starters, and the offensive line, which has only one returning starter. Key players include junior quarterback Corey Leonard, who set school records for total yards and passing touchdowns in 2007, as well as junior tailback Reggie Arnold, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards the previous two seasons. Arkansas State was predicted to finish fourth in its conference by the preseason Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
coaches' poll.
ASU compiled 60 yards on the game opening possession, ending it with a 37-yard field goal. A&M answered with a 69-yard drive that resulted in a 9-yard touchdown run by tailback Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
. On their next possession, Arkansas State lost a fumble, allowing the Aggies to take over on downs on the A&M 28-yard line. The Aggies eventually moved to the Red Wolves 15-yard line, but faced a fourth-down situation. Kicker Richie Bean missed a 32-yard field goal to keep the score at 7–3. The Red Wolves' ensuing drive led to a punt, which A&M recovered at its 23-yard line. McGee cranked up A&M's passing game after making completions of 5, 13, 12, and 16 yards. Goodson soon scored a touchdown on a 7-yard run. Bean added the extra point to give A&M a 14–3 lead with 4:23 left in the half. Neither team could advance the ball for a touchdown over the remainder of the half.
In the second half, the Aggies' had four turnovers, three of which led to ASU scoring drives. Posting just 103 offensive yards – including 9 rushing – A&M failed to score on all eight of its possessions. In the third quarter, an interception and a fumble recovery let the Red Wolves to score two field goals, cutting the score to 14–9. In the fourth quarter, A&M kicker Richie Bean kicked a 25-yard field goal wide right. After the missed field goal, the ball was spotted on the ASU 20-yard line. ASU drove 80 yards into A&M territory for a touchdown to take the lead. Although their two-point conversion pass was incomplete, the Red Wolves could maintain their 15–14 advantage with 4:39 remaining in the game. On their next possession, the Aggies lost the ball on a fumble by Goodson after four plays. This set up ASU to kick its fourth successful field goal of the game to extend its lead to 18–14. Once the clock went down to 1:12, the Aggies looked to score on their final drive in order to win the game. On the third play of the drive, McGee threw a 26-yard pass to third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill to move the ball to the ASU 39. Two subsequent passes to Goodson allowed only a net gain of 5 yards, and on fourth down – with 7 seconds remaining – McGee threw another interception. ASU ran out the clock to preserve their 18–14 victory.
Goodson had his third career 100-yard rushing game. He was three yards short of breaking his game record of 127 yards, compiled against Oklahoma his freshman season. Third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the leader in receiving yards in the game, with 5 catches for 59 yards. McGee hit the 5,000-passing yards mark, becoming the fifth all-time A&M quarterback to do so. His two interceptions in the game was also the second time of his career in which he threw two or more interceptions. The first time occurred against Texas in 2007. Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
received only a few snaps and no carries or catches in the game due to a neck injury he got during one of the August practices. The defense compiled only three tackles for a loss. Linebacker Matt Featherston posted a game-high of 16 stops, and safety Arkeith Brown made 11 tackles with two pass breakups. Featherston was the second player in the nation with the most tackles during the first week.
The game attracted the second-largest home opener crowd of 78,691. By losing the game, A&M broke a 20-game winning streak in home openers. ASU captured its first victory against a Big 12 team after 14 tries. It was also their first season-opening road victory since joining Division I-A in 1992. The game was called "one of the most embarrassing losses in [A&M] history" by several sport columnists. The team's performance also placed 5th in ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Bottom 10 weekly rankings.
New Mexico
Prior to this meeting, A&M had only played the Lobos once in 1926, shutting them out 63–0 at College Station. Former A&M head coach Dennis FranchioneDennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
coached the Lobos from 1992–97, leading them to a Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Mountain Division Championship in 1997 and their first bowl appearance since 1961. The Lobos lost the game, and Franchione later resigned to take the head coaching position at TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
. Rocky Long
Rocky Long
-External links:*...
has since taken over and led the Lobos to their first bowl victory since 1961 at the 2007 New Mexico Bowl
2007 New Mexico Bowl
The 2007 New Mexico Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game held on December 22, 2007 at University Stadium on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque as part of the 2007-08 NCAA bowl season...
.
UNM signed a home-and-home deal with the Aggies after the 2006 season. Shortly after signing the deal, UNM was approached by an unidentified third party that offered $1.5 million to move the game to San Antonio. UNM rejected the offer, and the offer was increased to $1.8 million by June 2007. The Lobos declined the offer again, stating that they needed to build fan loyalty at home.
In their opener, UNM lost 26–3 to conference opponent TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
. Senior running back Rodney Ferguson, who posted 1,000-yard back-to-back seasons, rushed for only 59 yards in the game. Quarterback Donovan Porterie sat out in the game after throwing 4-of-10 passes for 37 yards, one interception, and losing one fumble that caused his neck injury. UNM's backup quarterback threw 3-of-14 passes for 93 yards, including one catch for 81.
The Aggies started the game on offense and did not see any success on their first drive. Quarterback Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
had to sit out after the first drive due to a right shoulder strain, causing Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Terrel Johnson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas A&M....
to replace him. McGee did not see any action afterwards. The Lobos began their first drive on their 5-yard line. On their second third-down possession, Porterie threw an interception to safety Jordan Peterson, who returned the ball 48 yards for a touchdown. This was the first time A&M scored a defensive touchdown since the Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
game in 2004. The touchdown was also significant in that the Lobos had lost 10 of its previous meetings in which the opponent scored first. On their next possession, the Lobos gave up the ball once Porterie threw yet another pick, which set the ball for the Aggies at the UNM 20. On third down, Jerrod Johnson threw a touchdown to receiver Jeff Fuller. The Lobos answered with a 45-yard touchdown run by Ferguson on their next possession to cut A&M's lead to 14–7. In the second quarter, both teams failed to move to score on two respective drives. On their final drive of the half, the Aggies drove the ball for 93 yards on 14 plays, ending it with another touchdown pass to Fuller. After an unsuccessful UNM drive, A&M left the field for halftime leading 21–7.
Early in the third quarter, the Lobos scored on a 27-yard field goal, thanks in part to an A&M muffed punt which the Lobos recovered at A&M's 14. Trouble hit the Lobos again when Porterie mishandled a snap, which led to a fumble recovery by defensive end Michael Bennett. Bennett returned the ball for 37 yards and stepped out of the field at the UNM 22. Johnson ended the drive on a 9-yard pass to tight end Jamie McCoy. With 6 minutes left in the game, the Lobos found the end zone on a 5-yard run, though a subsequent two-point conversion failed. The Aggies used their next drive to run out the clock, but eventually had to give the ball back to the Lobos on a punt. The Lobos were able to move 92 yards on 17 plays, capping it with a rushing touchdown by Ferguson. The Lobos then looked to gain the lead with less than a minute in the game, but missed the onside kick recovery. A&M ran out the clock and preserved their 28–22 victory. This victory was a milestone in that it was the first non-conference road victory for A&M since the win over Pittsburgh in 2002.
Jerrod Johnson finished the game with 10-of-19 pass completions (including three touchdowns) for 124 yards. Tailback Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
was held only to 6 carries for 9 yards. Goodson left the game early due to a sprained right knee, although he did return to play for some time in the second half. Fullback Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
got more playing time, and compiled 19 yards on seven carries. Head coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
stated that Jorvorskie could block and play better than he did in the game. Ryan Tannehill made three receptions for 57 yards, while Jeff Fuller caught 3 for 36. Cyrus Gray finished with 29 rushing yards on 10 carries.
As for UNM, Rodney Ferguson
Rodney Ferguson
Rodney Laurence Ferguson II is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Donovan Proterie completed 22-of-35 for 154 yards, though threw two interceptions.
Miami (FL)
This was the third meeting between the two teams. In their first meeting in 1944, the Aggies won 70–14 at the Hurricanes' home field. The 1944 game remains to be Miami's worst loss in their football history. In their second meeting in 2007, Miami upset the 16th-ranked Aggies 34–17 in their home field, which was the Orange BowlMiami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. The Canes finished 5–7 that season, which was their worst in 30 years. A&M's speed did not match that of Miami's, which is part of the reason why the Canes blanked A&M 31–0 in the first three quarters. This will also be the second time that a Florida team plays at Kyle Field. Florida State first played at the stadium in 1967.
Coming off a bye week, the Aggies looked to regroup at home. After their first two games, the Aggies ranked last in the Big 12 in every major offensive category: scoring offense (21 points per game), rushing yards (112.5), passing yards (157), total offense (269.5 yards), pass efficiency (126), first downs (34) and sacks allowed (seven). Part of the off week was used to practice specific schemes, including third-down and short yardage, which hadn't been worked on in weeks. Quarterback Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
underwent an MRI on the Monday of the bye week (i.e. directly following the New Mexico game), and the MRI revealed that he suffered a sprained and slightly separated right shoulder. He was not able to practice that week. The following week, both McGee and Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Terrel Johnson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas A&M....
took snaps during practice. Tailback Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
, after suffering a mild ankle sprain in the New Mexico game, did not miss any practice time. Third-string quarterback Ryan Tannehill may miss the game due to a sprained ankle from the previous game.
Miami, among other things, aimed to improve its passing offense, which had ranked 106th nationally (out of 119 Division I FBS teams). The Canes lost an away game to Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
26–3, after holding the Gators to 7 points before the fourth quarter. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...
stated that the Canes' play against A&M could determine whether they (Miami) will turn out to be a surprise team this season. The 113th-nationally-ranked A&M rushing defense, which gave up 255 and 216 rushing yards to Arkansas State and New Mexico, respectively, could catch a break in this game as Miami lost its starting running back in Javarris James, who sprained his right ankle early in the Florida game. Miami's speed on defense outmatches that of the Aggies. The Canes' defense had ranked 8th nationally 17 tackles for a loss. However, they have yet to produce a turnover.
Army
This was the fourth game in the series between the Army Black KnightsArmy Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
and the Aggies, and the second of the AT&T Corps Classic
AT&T Corps Classic
The AT&T Corps Classic is an American college football series between the Texas A&M Aggies football team of Texas A&M University and the Army Black Knights football of the United States Military Academy...
. Army's lone trip to College Station was in 1972, the only time they defeated A&M. The third game, which was played in the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
in 2006, was the debut of the AT&T Corps Classic. The Black Knights failed to score in the final drive of the game, and A&M escaped with a 28–24 victory.
Army had lost all of its previous three home games to Temple
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
, and Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
. The Black Knights had been outscored 85–20, and did not score more than 10 points in each of those games. Over the past two seasons, they posted a 1–9 record in away games. Using its triple option
Triple Option
The triple option is an American football scheme used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who may run with the ball instead of the two that are used in the standard option run.The triple...
attack, Army had averaged 179 rushing yards per game, ranking 41st in the country. Its 118th-ranked passing offense, however, had recorded only 77 yards per game. The offense had also lost 10 fumbles, the most of any Division I team. On the other side of the ball, the Black Knights had limited their opposition to 309.7 ypg. The defense had also produced five turnovers, though the front line had only forced two sacks in the first three games.
Oklahoma State
The Aggies had a four-game winning streak coming into their 24th meeting with the Oklahoma State CowboysOklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
. They also had held a 7–3 record for games played at Stillwater
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
. In the 2007 home game, after trailing 17–0 at the end of the first half, the Aggies matched their largest comeback in school history to defeat the Cowboys 24–23. In the 2006 meeting at Stillwater, the Aggies defeated the Cowboys 34–33 in overtime, after defensive tackle Red Bryant
Red Bryant
Joseph "Red" Anthony Bryant is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and is probably the best player on the entire team, blocking 2 kicks on Sunday, November 27th in a...
blocked the overtime field goal attempt that would have tied the game at 34–34 and started a second overtime.
OSU entered the game with a nationally-ranked No. 1 rushing offense, No. 3 scoring offense, and No. 4 total offense. The Aggies, on the other hand, came in with a 115th-ranked rushing defense, and a scoring and total offense that had placed last in the Big 12. OSU, which was ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2004, was a 24-point favorite.
In the first half, OSU outscored A&M 28–7. The Cowboys gained a 7–0 lead when defensive end Ugo Chinasa returned an interception 6 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys scored again with Zac Robinson's 29-yard throw to Dez Bryant to make the score 14–0. Bryant later ran a 78-yard punt return for another touchdown to extend the lead to 21–0. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
called Bryant's touchdown return the No. 1 play of the night. A&M finally answered with Mike Goodson
Mike Goodson
Michael Darryl Goodson, Jr. is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football for Texas A&M.-High school career:...
running an 80-yard touchdown, the longest of his career. There were five A&M turnovers in the first half alone. OSU did not convert on three lost A&M fumbles.
Kansas State
The Aggies came into the game with an 8–4 all-time record with the Kansas State WildcatsKansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
, and a 5-game winning streak, which started in 1998 when the Aggies defeated the Wildcats 36–33 (in two overtimes
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
) to win the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats are led by third-year head coach Ron Prince
Ron Prince
Ron Prince is an American football coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I-Bowl...
, who led the Wildcats to a 7–6 record and an appearance in the Texas Bowl
Texas Bowl
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas, formerly known as the Texas Bowl, is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that was held for the first time in 2006 in Houston, Texas. The bowl replaced the now-defunct Houston Bowl, which was played annually from 2000 to 2005...
in 2006, and a 5–7 record in 2007. In both seasons, however, he led his team to upset the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, who were ranked among the top 10 in the national polls coming into the matchups. Coach Prince used his 2008 junior college transfers to strengthen the team's play.
A few players had to sit out during the game due to injuries, including offensive linemen Travis Schneider, Michael Shumard and Robbie Frost. Lineman Lee Grimes played three different positions in order to counter the injuries. Mike Goodson had to sit out the first quarter since he missed class during the week.
Kansas State opened the game with an 81-yard touchdown drive, which consisted of 31 rushing yards by quarterback Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...
. Immediately afterwards, A&M settled for a field goal on their possession, after driving 73 yards deep into K-State territory. In the second quarter, the Wildcats' special teams unit blocked their fourth punt of the season, and returned the blocked punt for a 10-yard touchdown. Safety Courtney Herndon was able to pick up his third blocked punt of the season in the process. Punter Justin Brantly had his first punt block after 129 attempts (his last blocked punt occurred in the 2005 Texas game). The Wildcats failed to score the extra point to keep the score at 13–3. After another unsuccessful A&M drive, Kansas State opened up its passing game in a drive that consisted of 10, 20, 15, 7, and 5 receptions. The drive ended on a 4-yard touchdown run by Logan Dold, and the subsequent extra point extended K-State's lead to 20–3. On their next possession, the Aggies fumbled on KSU's 48-yard-line, and one of the Wildcat defenders returned the fumble for 10 yards. This eventually allowed the Wildcats to compile another scoring drive, moving the score up to 27–3. Prior to halftime, A&M finally got a touchdown on a 7-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped by a 38-yard catch by Howard Morrow, who had yet to make an impact this season. Jorvorskie Lane scored the touchdown on a 4th-and-1 situation at the KSU 1. With his 46th touchdown of his career, Lane became the all-time school record holder in rushing touchdowns. The previous record of 45 was held by Darren Lewis (1987–90).
The Aggies started the second half and were able to advance the ball 54 yards using a balanced rushing and passing attack. They missed the opportunity to move past the KSU 33 on 4th-and-8, and had to turn the ball over on downs. K-State used the drive to make a 49-yard field goal. With 7:53 remaining in the third quarter, A&M utilized its passing game to move the ball, thanks in part to two 22-yard receptions, one made by Jeff Fuller, and the other completed by Ryan Tannehill. Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Terrel Johnson is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Texas A&M....
rushed to the endzone from the KSU 5. Randy Bullock, however, missed the extra point. Still trailing 30–16, the Aggies looked to pull a comeback. Hopes of a comeback diminished when Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Lane
Jorvorskie Javion Lane is an American football running back. He played tailback/fullback for the Texas A&M Aggies college football team. He played tailback during his freshman through junior seasons, and switched to fullback his senior season. He holds the school record for career rushing touchdowns...
's second attempt at scoring on a short goal-line rush failed. A&M had to turnover on downs once again, despite moving the ball for 62 yards and just a yard shy of scoring. K-State used its rushing game to drain out the clock a little, and successfully ended the drive on a 1-yard run by Josh Freeman. Less than 5 minutes remained in the game once A&M got the ball. Johnson made 3 consecutive completions to Tannehill worth 50 yards, and Goodson scored on the next play via a 23-yard reception. After their quick touchdown, the Aggies attempted an onside kick, which was recovered by K-State at the A&M 41. The Wildcats ran the ball once again, and were rewarded yet another touchdown to extend their lead to 44–23. About a minute was left, and on the second play of A&M's last possession, Johnson connected to Tannehill for a 55-yard touchdown. The Aggies tried another onside kick, but K-State found the ball and preserved their 44–30 win.
With this loss, A&M dropped to 0–2 in conference play, the program's worst start since 1982. KSU left with their first win at Kyle Field since 1996. On a brighter note, Tannehill's 210 yards from 12 catches are the 3rd-best of all A&M receivers in a single game. Johnson's 487 offensive yards and 419 passing yards went down on A&M's record books as the best ever.
Texas Tech
The Aggies had led the all-time series with the Texas Tech Red RaidersTexas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
34–31–1, though the Red Raiders had won 10 of the past 13 games. The last victory at Kyle Field was in 2004, when the game went into overtime. Ninth-year Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach had held a 6–2 record against the Aggies. The Red Raiders had led the nation in passing offense and are second in total offense, due in part to Sammy Baugh Trophy
Sammy Baugh Trophy
The Sammy Baugh Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's top college passer. The award is named in honor of former Texas Christian University and Washington Redskins quarterback "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh. The trophy has been given out by the Touchdown Club of Columbus since 1959...
winning quarterback Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
and unanimous first-team All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
receiver Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
. In fact, Leach's spread offense philosophy has allowed the Red Raiders to rank among the top 10 passing offense teams in the country ever since the 2001 season. Sports bettors favored Tech to win by 21 points.
In the first half, A&M outgained Tech 274 yards to 254, and led 23–20. A&M did not produce any turnovers, while Tech gave away 2 possessions to A&M. A&M scored 10 points off Tech's turnovers, but Tech was able to score on its other possessions. In the second half, however, the Aggies could only post 32 offensive yards and 5 first downs. Harrell completed 44-of-56 throws for 450 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also scored touchdowns on two rushes. Crabtree scored two touchdowns off of his eight catches for 71 yards.
Iowa State
The Aggies had held an undefeated 7–0 record against the Cyclones until the 2005 meeting, when they lost 42–14 at Kyle Field. The Cyclones were led by Dan McCarneyDan McCarney
-External links:* * * * *...
, who was 0–6 against the Aggies until that matchup. McCarney resigned from Iowa State in 2006 to accept an assistant coaching position at South Florida. Former Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik
Gene Chizik
Eugene "Gene" Chizik is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the Auburn University football team, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Chizik's 2010 Auburn Tigers football team completed a 14–0 season with a victory over Oregon in the BCS...
, who coached the Longhorns to their national championship in 2005, was hired to replace him. Chizik led the Cyclones to a 3–9 record in the 2007 season.
Both teams went into the game with the same overall record and were still looking to get their first conference win. Both Iowa State's and A&M's defenses had ranked 98th and 101st in the nation, respectively. Iowa State's secondary had allowed Baylor and Nebraska to complete 78 percent of their passes. Sports bettors predicted Iowa State to beat A&M by three points.
Colorado
Coming into the game, the Aggies had held a 2–5 overall record against the Colorado Buffaloes. Of the three games that were played at Kyle Field, the Aggies had only won the 2004 contest. In the preseason, the Buffaloes acquired Darrell ScottDarrell Scott (American football)
Darrell Scott is an American football running back. He currently attends the University of South Florida, where he redshirted the 2010 college football season after having transferred from the University of Colorado. Scott attended St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California...
, who was ranked the best running back in the 2008 recruiting class by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
. In their previous game, the Buffaloes suffered a 58–0 shutout at the hands of No. 16 Missouri. Both teams bought an even matchup to the field, with Colorado fielding an offense that had scored 19 points per game, whereas A&M's scoring defense had allowed 35 points per game. The Aggie defense had given up a total of 1,584 in their past three games against Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. A&M was favored to win by 3.5 points.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma head coach Bob StoopsBob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
came in 3–1 against the Aggies in games played at Kyle Field. All three of their victories had been decided within one touchdown. In the offseason, a columnist for The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
stated "Sooner-Aggie games at Kyle Field have been classics this decade." In the 2000 game, the Sooners intercepted a pass by Mark Farris
Mark Farris
Mark Allen Farris is a former quarterback for Texas A&M University and a former shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system. He is the son of Nancy and Phil Farris of Angleton, Texas...
and returned it for a touchdown to win 35–31. They eventually ended up winning the 2000 national title. In 2002, the Aggies upset then-ranked No. 1 Oklahoma 30–26. The Sooners came into the 2004 game ranked No. 2, and scored a touchdown with 6:43 remaining in the game to win 42–35. In 2006, the Aggies allowed the Sooners to escape with a one-point victory. Then-head coach Dennis Franchione elected to go for a field goal rather than score a touchdown from the 2-yard line with 3:28 left in the game. Oklahoma was predicted to win by 27.5 points. OU defensive end Auston English will not play in the game due to injury.
The Aggies suffered their worst home loss in school history.
Baylor
The Aggies come into the 2008 Battle of the BrazosBattle of the Brazos
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart...
leading 65–30–9. A&M had held a 13-game winning streak against Baylor until 2004, when the Bears upset a ranked Aggie team in Waco. Art Briles
Art Briles
Arthur Ray Briles is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Baylor University, a position he has held since the 2008 season. From 2002 to 2007, Briles was the head coach at the University of Houston.-Playing career:A native of Rule, Texas, Briles...
took over as the Bears' new head coach in the offseason, replacing Guy Morriss
Guy Morriss
Guy W. Morriss is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Morriss served as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky for two seasons and at Baylor...
. The Bears are 8-point favorites.
Texas
This game marked the 115th meeting between Texas and the Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
and it was the fifth year as part of a multi-sport rivalry called the Lone Star Showdown. The football rivalry began in 1894 and it is the longest-running rivaly for both the Longhorns and the Aggies and it is also the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football. Texas entered into the 2007 contest with a 73–35–5 record. Since the series began in 1900, the game has traditionally been played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2007 game marked the twelfth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving. The two schools had agreed to move the game back to Thanksgiving Day for the 2008 and 2009 contests.