When Texas A&M fired R.C. Slocum after a 6-6 season in 2002, it was a sign that the program wouldn’t settle for mediocrity after being a regular fixture in the national spotlight throughout the 80s and 90s.
Well, I guess we’re back at square one now. The Dennis Franchione era didn’t exactly yield the results that were expected after Franchione came into College Station a hot property after turning things around in short order at Alabama, as there were more losing seasons in Franchione’s five (two) than there were in 21 seasons under Slocum and predecessor Jackie Sherrill (one).
Franchione stepped down last November with an overall record of barely over .500 at Texas A&M and a conference record under .500. Now, the reins are in the hands of a familiar face to the program, former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman, who served as an assistant coach under Slocum from 1989-93 and in 1995-96, and during his time on the sidelines, the Aggies were 64-21-1, won three Southwest Conference championships from 1991-93, and finished in the top 20 in six of the seven seasons Sherman was there.
Can Sherman lead A&M back to those heights and make them a contender in the Big 12 again? Here’s our take on how the Aggies look for 2008.
Texas A&M Aggies
Coach: Mike Sherman (1st year at Texas A&M, 57-39 record in the NFL)
2007 Record: 7-6, 4-4 Big 12, lost to Penn State in Alamo Bowl
Starters Returning: 11 (6 offense, 4 defense, punter)
Key Returnees: QB Stephen McGee, RB Mike Goodson, FB Jorvorskie Lane, WR Pierre Brown, T Michael Shumard, T Travis Schneider, DE Cyril Obiozor, DT Kellen Heard, DT Lucas Patterson, DE Michael Bennett, CB Jordan Pugh, CB Danny Gorrer, CB Arkeith Brown, SS Devin Gregg, S Alton Dixon, P Justin Brantly
Key Losses: WR Kerry Franks, TE Martellus Bennett, C Cody Wallace, LB Mark Dodge, LB Misi Tupe, DT Red Bryant, DE Chris Harrington, DB Marquis Carpenter
2008 Schedule
8/30 vs. Arkansas State
9/6 at New Mexico
9/20 vs. Miami (FL)
9/27 vs. Army
10/4 at Oklahoma State
10/11 vs. Kansas State
10/18 vs. Texas Tech
10/25 at Iowa State
11/1 vs. Colorado
11/8 vs. Oklahoma
11/15 at Baylor
11/27 at Texas
Key Game: Sept. 20 vs. Miami – Last season, Texas A&M went to Miami with a 3-0 record and left with a 34-17 in a game where they trailed 31-0 after three quarters and were held to 240 total yards of total offense by a team who’d go on to finish 5-7. This season, Miami should be improved, and this one should prove to be an excellent challenge ahead of conference play.
2008 Outlook
Texas A&M’s transformation starts on offense, an area where the production has been good over the last few seasons, but I’d like to see an Aggie fan satisfied with the offense’s inconsistency.
A lot of fingers may be pointed (fairly or unfairly) not just at the old coach for that issue, but also at the leader of the offense for the last couple of seasons, senior QB Stephen McGee. McGee’s ability to make plays with both his arm and legs are unquestioned, but his prowess as a passer hasn’t shown on a regular basis.
That ability is there, without a doubt, as he showed in last season’s 38-30 upset of the Longhorns, in which he threw for a career-high 362 yards and three touchdowns, and those are numbers that we may see more of this season with McGee set to throw more than he did under the previous system, which means more of a chance to showcase his abilities as a quarterback and less of a beating for his body, which is inevitable when you’re running it almost as much as some running backs do.
While McGee is ‘the guy,’ sophomore Jerrod Johnson will most certainly get playing time, and if the unthinkable happens and McGee implodes/gets injured, he’ll be able to step in and take over. Of the two completions that he had in seven attempts last season, both were touchdowns, and he ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in limited time behind McGee. He still has a lot to work on in his development, but the future would seem to lie with him.
McGee’s go-to guys through the air are set to be senior Pierre Brown and sophomore Terrence McCoy. Brown caught 19 passes for 217 yards last season, and he also served as a primary kick returner with Kerry Franks, but he’ll have a much bigger role this season. He and McCoy, whose only catch last season was a 17-yard touchdown, both have great size at 6’2 and 6’4 respectively, which will make them easy-to-find targets for McGee. Adding to the big targets is 6’4 freshman Jeff Fuller, who should see immediate playing time. Not a great deal of experience, certainly, but there is a lot of potential.
The biggest loss to the passing game is the departure of tight end Martellus Bennett, who elected to leave for the NFL instead of playing his senior season in a new system under Sherman. It paid off, as he was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys (talk about a cushy situation, eh?), but the Aggies do lose their leading receiver. The man to replace Bennett looks to be junior Jamie McCoy, a former quarterback and wide receiver, who isn’t nearly the physical specimen that Bennett is, but he could prove to be a very reliable receiver.
While the passing game will be a lot more prominent in the new offense, the running game will definitely still be a major presence, with speedy junior Mike Goodson getting the lion’s share of the carries at tailback and touchdown machine Jorvorskie Lane, who’ll officially man the fullback position as a senior, which will mean scoring more touchdowns, but also serving as a primary blocker for Goodson and being a factor in the passing game.
If there is a time for Goodson to really break out, this is the year. After rushing for 847 yards and averaging 6.4 yards per carry as a freshman, Goodson’s numbers dropped to 711 yards and 4.7 yards per carry last season. He did, however, have an increased role in the passing game, catching 36 passes for 361 yards and four scores. Goodson has reportedly bulked up to about 210 pounds, which will allow him to add a little power to go with his speed and make him more able to withstand a heavier load this season.
Joining Goodson and Lane in the backfield is redshirt freshman Bradley Stephens, a prolific rusher in high school (7,803 yards in four seasons) and one of the top recruits in Texas A&M’s 2007 recruiting class. True freshman Cyrus Gray has impressed thus far with his speed and big-play ability, and he should get a chance to show it on the field this fall. The presence of all four backs will not only make for a productive running game, but all four could be valuable contributors in the passing game as well.
A lot of the offense’s success will depend on how durable a somewhat inexperienced offensive line is. Only two starters return, but fortunately they’re both tackles in junior Michael Shumard and senior Travis Schneider.
While the offense will be trying to adjust to a new system and produce consistently, the defense needs to improve in some key areas.
One bright spot about the defense was that they got the whole forcing fumbles thing down pretty well (24 fumbles forced, 16 takeaways), but that was one of the few real positives for the entire year. With only four returning starters on defense, there may be a little worry that things may not be pretty this year, but that may not necessarily be the case.
The defensive line’s experience is going to have to pay off. End Cyril Obiozor is the only returning full-time starter, as the senior started all 13 games last year, but there is definitely experience among the other projected starters. At the tackle positions, Kellen Heard and Lucas Patterson were key reserves for much of last season and earned starts against Penn State in the Alamo Bowl. The other end spot should at least be solid with senior Amos Gbunblee, but the wild card along the line is Michael Bennett. Bennett, who had 43 tackles and a sack last season, has gotten himself back on track after being academically ineligible, and if he’s on the field, he has star potential.
It’ll be a new-look crew of linebackers, as leading tacklers Mark Dodge and Misi Tupe are gone. However, new starters Matt Featherston and Von Miller have some experience under their belts, and redshirt freshman Garrick Williams, who will start on the strong side, has a great deal of potential.
The secondary returns the most experience out of the entire unit, and as such, they’ll be looked upon to have a successful season. Cornerback Jordan Pugh and strong safety Devin Gregg (starting free safety last season) started all 13 games, and opposite Pugh, Danny Gorrer, who started the first seven games before a knee injury ended his season, returns along with Arkeith Brown, who started the final six games in place of Gorrer. Also returning is senior Alton Dixon, who started 11 games last year.
Talent isn’t the issue with A&M, not in the least. The Aggies have pulled in the necessary talent to be a consistent winner in the Big 12, but for whatever reason, that hasn’t happened as often as it should over the last several years.
However, the Sherman era may just provide what Aggie fans have been searching for. While he may not be the flashy name that some may have hoped for or expected, he fit’s the bill. Not only does he know the program and the area, from his two previous stints in College Station, but he’s also a proven, experienced coach on the highest level.
Success on the pro level, naturally, doesn’t translate into success on the collegiate level, but his track record is nothing to balk at. He was at A&M during a highly successful period, and rest assured, if he can’t get the program back to those heights, it won’t be for a lack of trying.
So, how should Texas A&M fare this season? They could be either 2-2 or 4-0 entering Big 12 play, as the trip to New Mexico will present a challenge, and they’ll face an improved Miami team at home after their first open date of the season.
After what should be a successful non-conference run, the Aggies should at least break even in the Big 12, with the home games against Colorado and Kansas State games that they should win, and so are the road games at Iowa State and Baylor, and there’s room for an ‘upset’ in there. 7 or 8 wins in the regular season is a reasonable target and where they‘ll likely land, but if the Aggies can win nine or more games, it could mean a New Year‘s Day bowl and a very successful start to a new – and hopefully long and win-filled – era in College Station.
