BOBCATS AGGIES the Aggies’ Thunder & Light- ASSOCIATED PRESS
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2007 TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL WHAT’S (0-0, 0-0 vs. BSC) (0-0, 0-0 vs. BIG 12) INSIDE MONTANA ST. TEXAS A&M VS. THUNDER & LIGHTNING BOBCATS AGGIES The Aggies’ THUNDER & LIGHT- ASSOCIATED PRESS.......... N/A ASSOCIATED PRESS......... NO. 25 NING duo of JORVORSKIE LANE and USA TODAY .......................... N/A USA TODAY ......................... NO. 25 MIKE GOODSON are one of four run- ning back tandems that ranked among the top 100 rushers nationally in ‘06. Date Opponent Result/Time Date Opponent Result/Time <PAGE 2, COLUMN 2> 09/01 at Texas A&M ............................. 6:00 PM 09/01 MONTANA STATE ....................... 6:00 PM BAND OF BROTHErs 09/15 DIXIE STATE .............................. 2:05 PM 09/08 FRESNO STATE (FSN) ................... 2:30 PM Four of the Aggies’ five projected 09/22 • at Weber State ............................ 7:05 PM 09/15 LOUISIANA-MONROE ................ 6:00 PM offensive line starters were members of 09/29 • IDAHO STATE ............................ 2:05 PM 09/20 at Miami (Fla.) (ESPN) ...................... 6:45 PM Coach Fran’s initial signing class. <PAGE 2, COLUMN 1> 10/06 SOUTHERN UTAH ..................... 2:35 PM 09/29 • BAYLOR ...................................... 6:00 PM 10/13 • at Eastern Washington ................ 4:05 PM 10/06 • OKLAHOMA STATE .................... 1:00 PM DO-IT-ALL QBS STEPHEN MCGEE was one of just four 10/20 • SACRAMENTO STATE .............. 2:05 PM 10/13 • at Texas Tech ............................... 6:00 PM 2,000/500 quarterbacks in the nation, 10/27 • at Northern Colorado .................. 1:00 PM 10/20 • at Nebraska.........................................TBA and all four of those signal-callers return in 2007. 11/03 • NORTHERN ARIZONA .............. 1:00 PM 10/27 • KANSAS ...................................... 1:00 PM <PAGE 2, COLUMN 3> 11/10 • at Portland State ......................... 3:30 PM 11/03 • at Oklahoma........................................TBA TURNOVER ADVANTAGE 11/17 • MONTANA .................................. 1:35 PM 11/10 • at Missouri...........................................TBA During the DENNIS FRANCHIONE era 11/23 • TEXAS (ABC) .................................. 2:30 PM at Texas A&M, the Aggies are 18-3 ALL TIMES ARE CENTRAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE in games with a turnover margin GAME DAY advantage. In games with an even or minus turnover margin, the Aggies are 7-20. INFORMATION <PAGE 3, COLUMN 2> OFF-SEASON WArrIOrs Montana State BOBCATS (0-0, 0-0 vs. Big Sky Conf.) Wide receiver HOWARD MORROW at Texas A&M AGGIES (0-0, 0-0 vs. Big 12 Conf.) and linebacker MATT FEATHERSTON were the football winners of the 2007 KICKOFF — 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007 “Off-Season Warrior” competition SITE (CAPACITY) — Kyle Field (82,600 capacity), College Station, Texas implemented by A&M director of perfor- mance nutrition AMY BRAGG. RADIO INFORMATION — The game will be broadcast regionally by the 40-plus station Texas A&M Radio Net- <PAGE 2, COLUMN 1> work. For a complete list of stations, go to: AggieAthletics.com. Calling the game on the A&M Radio Network are Dave South (play-by-play in his 22nd season), former A&M All-America and NFL All-Pro defensive back Dave GERITOL GANG Elmendorf (commentary) and former Texas A&M SID and local radio personality Tom Turbiville (sideline). Each COACH FRAN and GARY broadcast begins one hour before kickoff. A&M’s broadcast of the game may also be heard on Sirius satellite DARNELL have started calling the radio on channel 130. linebacker tandem of MARK DODGE, 26, and MISI TUPE, 25, the “GERITOL TV INFORMATION — The game will not be televised. Gang”. GAME INFORMATION — It will be the first-ever meeting between Texas A&M and Montana State … Under Dennis <PAGE 2, COLUMN 1> Franchione, the Aggies are 2-2 in season openers and 4-0 in home openers … In 24 previous season openers, Franchione’s team have compiled a 16-7-1 record … The Aggies have won 20-straight home-openers dating back to a 17-3 decision to LSU in 1987. Aggie story lines • Other Aggie bloodlines include: CHRIS HAR- RINGTON (Uncle Dave Elmendorf was an • Big back JORVORSKIE LANE credits the reading All-American in 1970 and currently serves as FLYOV E R I N F O program READ180 and Lufkin High School the analyst for Aggies’ radio network); JER- he flyover for the A&M-MSU game will be teacher BETTY LEWING for his academic ROD JOHNSON (father Larry Johnson was a Tperformed by the “Ace in the Hole” 111th success in high school and subsequent im- wide receiver/defensive back for the Aggies); Fighter Squadron from Ellington Field, Texas Air provement on his SAT score. The SAT score NICK LAMANTIA (brother Michael was a walkon National Guard. The 111th Fighter Squadron has improvement allowed him to utilize his schol- linebacker in the early 2000’s); EARVIN TAYLOR recently completed another combat tour of duty at arship to Texas A&M and become one of the (brother Jamaar grabbed 108 catches from Balad Air Base, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi nation’s most feared short-yardage backs. After 2001-03). Freedom. While in Iraq, they flew over 450 combat Lane scored a school-record 19 touchdowns • Offensive center KEVIN MATTHEWS’ father, last season, Lewing attended the Pacific Life missions searching out and destroying Al Qaeda BRUCE, was inducted into the NFL Hall of Holiday Bowl as his guest. and insurgent strongholds in the world’s greatest Fame last summer. Matthews was a 14-time fighter aircraft, the mighty F-16 Viper. The flight • Most people can’t envision the 268-pound Pro Bowl selection as an offensive lineman for lead of Tex 1 is Lt. Col. Mike “Smitty” Smith ‘89 Lane as ever being small, but he was actually the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans. from Marlin, Texas and Tex 2 is Capt. Courtney born premature and weighed just four pounds • Coach Fran’s son, BRAD FRANCHIONE, is the “Blade” Sartain ‘97 from Port Arthur, Texas. at birth. The J-TRAIN’s grandmother says she head coach at Blinn College, which is located could hold him in one hand. in nearby Brenham, Texas. Last season, Brad • COACH FRAN and defensive coordinator GARY Franchione’s Buccaneers won the NJCAA DO-IT-ALL QBS DARNELL have started calling the linebacker Championship and he was named NJCAA STEPHEN MCGEE was one of just four 2,000/500 tandem of MARK DODGE, 26, and MISI TUPE, 25, Coach of the Year. the “GERITOL Gang”. The tandem’s combined quarterbacks in the nation, and all four of those signal-callers return in 2007. 51 years of age make them the oldest pair of Roster updates starting linebackers in the nation. Dodge served N ation ’ S 2 , 0 0 0 / 5 0 0 QB S in the military before enrolling in college, while • NICK LAMANTIA, the Aggies’ main 12th Man in Player, School Passing Rushing 2006, is seeing action at fullback this fall. Tupe served a Mormon mission before arriving STEPHEN MCGEE, Texas A&M ..............................2,295 ........666 in Aggieland. • Former linebacker JODIE RICHARdsON also Matt Grothe, South Florida ......................................2,576 ........622 • Speaking of Geritol, noted geriatric linebacker made the move to fullback during the 2006 Chris Nickson, Vanderbilt ........................................2,085 ........694 MIKE FLYNT served as Texas A&M’s head season and is listed as CHRIS AlEXANDER’s Bobby Reid, Oklahoma State ..................................2,266 ........500 strength coach in 1979-80. At the age of 59, backup. Flynt has made the football roster at Sul Ross • DAVID TUFUGA, a defensive lineman from West Total University in Alpine, Texas. Jordan, Utah, was a late addition to the Aggies’ quarterbac K S • Four of the Aggies’ five projected offensive line 2007 signing class. Tufuga transferred from Three of Texas A&M’s four top season total starters — CODY WAllACE, KIRK EldER, COREY Snow College in Utah. offense outputs have been produced by quar- CLARK and CHRIS YODER — were members of • JORDAN PUGH, a backup cornerback in 2006, terbacks during the Dennis Franchione era, Coach Fran’s initial signing class. The foursome shifted to the “Whip” during the spring and is including STEPHEN MCGEE’s 2,961-yard effort in has combined to start 95 career games. listed as the starter going into the 2007 sea- 2006. McGee’s output ranked No. 2 in school • Forty-five of the Aggies’ 64 multi-year scholar- son. history behind only Reggie McNeal’s 2004 total ship players had the benefit of a redshirt season • JOHNATHAN BATSON,who was a safety in 2006, of 3,509 yards. (69 percent). Every scholarship offensive and is battling for playing time at cornerback this B U I L D I N G Q uarterbac K S defensive lineman redshirted. season. (A&M’s Top Single Season Total Offense Leaders ) • The Aggies’ safeties coach, BIll ClAY, is enter- • CHRIS SMITH moved from defensive end to de- RK Player, Year Yards ing his 40th season as a football coach. Clay’s fensive tackle during the spring and is pushing 1. REGGIE MCNEAL, 2004 ........................3,509 first coaching job was at Ganby High School in for playing time at the position this fall. 2. STEPHEN MCGEE, 2006 .......................2,961 Norfolk, Va., in 1965. • True freshman BILLY CHAVIS has used his 6- 3. Mark Farris, 2000 ....................................2,667 • Quarterback STEPHEN MCGEE, a junior in foot-5, 226-pound frame to turn heads at weak 4. REGGIE MCNEAL, 2005 ........................2,627 football eligibility, graduated with a degree in safety during fall camp. 5. Dustin Long, 2002 ...................................2,522 marketing earlier this summer -- just three and BOLD CAPS — Fran era quarterbacks one-half years after arriving on campus as an early enrollee in January 2004. TH U N D E R & L ig H tning concentrating • McGee and tight end JOEY THOMAS were two Texas A&M was one of seven schools with a T H eir efforts pair of running backs ranked among the NCAA’s of 14 current or past Aggie gridders to receive Tight end MARTEllUS BENNETT and quar- top 100 rushers in 2006.