2007 Texas A&M Aggies football team
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Texas A&M Aggies
football team (often referred to as "A&M" or the "Aggies") represented Texas A&M University
in the 2007-2008
college football
season. The team was coached by Dennis Franchione
, who had coached at A&M since the 2003 season, but resigned at the conclusion of the annual game with the University of Texas. They are led on offense
by junior quarterback
Stephen McGee
. The team plays home games at Kyle Field
, an 82,600-person capacity stadium on A&M's campus in College Station, Texas
. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
performs at all home games and select away games during half-time
.
The 2006 Aggie team finished with 9 wins and 4 losses, including a loss in the 2006 Holiday Bowl
. In a 2007 preseason ranking, ESPN
sports columnist Mark Schlabach
ranked the Aggies 15th. In their preseason polls, both the Coaches Poll
and the AP Poll
ranked the Aggies 25th. A Rivals.com
writer ranked A&M as having the 9th toughest road
schedule.
The Aggies completed the 2007 season with a 7-6 record, with their final game resulting in a 24-17 loss to Penn State
in the 2007 Alamo Bowl
.
's coaching has been bought into question by some members of the media. An ESPN
writer gave honorable mention to the A&M coaches' play-calling in the Miami game in his weekly Bottom 10
college football game rankings. As of Tuesday, September 25, the website firefranpetition.com has received over 15,000 hits after A&M's loss to Miami. 300 people had signed the online petition that Monday, bringing the total to 2,600. The website has also sold nearly 200 "Can Fran" shirts. The Bryan-College Station Eagle, the area's local newspaper, included a ffront page picture of A&M's Pi Kappa Phi
chapter members hanging a "Fire Fran" sign from their fraternity house.
who paid US$1,200 annually for team information that Franchione has refused to release to the public. The newsletter, called "VIP Connection", had been written by Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, and included specific injury reports and Franchione's critical assessments of players. The newsletter attracted 27 recipients, 6 of whom received the newsletter for free.
20 of the recipients have been disclosed. The boosters were asked to sign a confidentiality statement to assure the information in the newsletter would not be used for gambling. Though Franchione and McKenzie denied gaining profit from the newsletter, Franchione stated that proceeds went to the company that managed his now-defunct website, coachfran.com. The newsletter was discovered by athletic director Bill Byrne
after it was presented to him by a San Antonio Express-News
reporter, who had received it through a third-party source. Byrne immediately instructed Franchione to discontinue the newsletter, at which time Franchione complied. Refunds have been offered to the subscribers, though it is uncertain how many asked for one. In a press conference the following Tuesday, October 2, Franchione apologized in front of A&M football players and expressed his love for the job and the university, and his desire to "elevate the program to its highest level". A&M players also expressed their support for Franchione as a coach. Shortly after, an investigation had been launched to look into the matter, conducted by Bill Byrne and A&M's NCAA compliance officer
, David Batson.
On Thursday, October 11, Texas A&M officials issued a "letter of admonishment" and ordered that the website CoachFran.com be shut down. Additionally, Franchione was instructed to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M". Consequently, the writer of the newsletter, Mike McKenzie, was fired. Byrne stated that the incident would be included in Franchione's "performance review" at the end of the season.
, he announced his resignation in the post-game press conference. In the press conference, after he discussed the game, he read out loud a farewell letter that he had prepared beforehand. His last words were "Thank you, and gig 'em." Franchione immediately left the press conference as A&M athletic director Bill Byrne
started to speak, with friends and family members following him. The following day, Byrne named defensive coordinator
Gary Darnell
as interim head coach. Darnell will coach the Aggies' bowl game
. On November 26, 2007, three days after Franchione resigned, former Green Bay Packers
head coach Mike Sherman
was announced as the new head football coach.
was retained by new head coach Mike Sherman, and offensive coordinator Les Koenning move to the same position at South Alabama. Running backs coach Kenith Pope was hired at UNLV. Tight ends and special teams coach Mark Tommerdahl moved to Louisiana-Monroe, while defensive line coach Stan Eggen was hired at Louisiana Tech. Safeties coach Bill Clay moved to Samford. Offensive line coach Jim Bob Helduser was hired at Bryan High School, and wide receivers coach Bob DeBesse was hired at A&M Consolidated High School. Gary Darnell was the only assistant that has not found a coaching job.
, and Stephen McGee
received an all-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Additionally, five players made the all-Big 12 Academic First Team, which requires a 3.20 GPA or above. Of those players are David Latham, Stephen McGee, Jordan Peterson, T.J. Sanders (who was one of seven Big 12 players to have a 4.00 GPA), and Cody Wallace. Two players made the all-Big 12 Academic Second Team, which requires a 3.00–3.19 GPA, including Andrew Key and Chris Yoder.
Cody Wallace is a Rimington Trophy finalist.
to search Babalola's home, they found marijuana. Police also searched the home of freshman defensive end Brandon Joiner, and found marijuana, ecstasy
, and hydrocodone
. Joiner was subsequently charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
The Bobcats have played notably against some of their Big 12 opponents. In 2004, they nearly defeated Oklahoma State
at the Cowboys' home field
, until the Cowboys pushed hard for a 15–10 win. In their 2006 season opener, the Bobcats defeated the Colorado Buffaloes
19–10 on the Buffaloes' home field
, pulling off one of the season's biggest upsets in college football.
In the game, quarterback Stephen McGee
, whose yardage came primarily from option keepers
, rushed for 121 yards on nine carries and made 2 touchdown runs, one for 65 yards. He completed 10 of his 20 passes for only 112 yards; his longest completion was 23 yards. Freshman backup quarterback Jerrod Johnson
replaced McGee in the fourth quarter and made the only scoring pass in the game (17 yards to Terrence McCoy) with 80 seconds left in the game. The A&M defense, especially the secondary
, did not perform well, allowing Montana State to compile a 304 passing yards and complete 26 of 48 passes. In the 2006 season
, only Texas Tech
and Missouri
threw for more yards against the Aggies. The A&M defense allowed the Bobcats to gain a total of 403 yards. Notable plays by the Bobcats included an 83-yard scoring drive on 13 plays on their opening possession and a 50-yard reception by receiver Josh Lewis late in the second half. The Bobcats, however, missed three field goals and lost a fumble in A&M territory.
This was the first-ever meeting between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Aggies. The unranked Fresno State team was coached by Pat Hill
, who compiled a 10–19 record against BCS
teams during his tenure at Fresno State prior to the game. Prior to this game, A&M had a 10–1 home field record against nonconference teams under Dennis Franchione
. In their season opener, the Bulldogs defeated Sacramento State 24–3, allowing only 100 offensive yards, including only 41 rushing yards. This put pressure on the Aggie offensive line as it did not perform solidly in the Montana State game.
The Bulldogs had not faced a "large and rowdy" crowd and heated competition since November 2005 against the No. 1 USC Trojans
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
. The Bulldogs practiced for the A&M home game environment by holding practice at Bulldog Stadium
with crowd noise and the Aggie War Hymn blaring from the speakers.
In the first half, the Aggies remained unscored upon, leading 19–0. The Bulldogs gained only 78 yards and 5 first downs. In the second half, however, they retaliated by gaining 267 yards and scoring 29 points. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown and a field goal with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 29–29 and forcing an overtime. A controversial play by the Bulldogs in the first overtime, when A&M led 32–29, caused the officials to review the play. When quarterback Tom Brandstater threw to receiver Marlon Moore, Moore attempted to stretch the ball over the goal line but fumbled into the end zone, causing the Aggies to recover. An official, however, ruled that Moore went out of bounds on the 1-yard line. Officials took an extensive 22-minute review of the play, and after reviewing various camera angles, ruled that Moore had fumbled into the endzone and A&M recovered. However, A&M tackle Henry Smith was also flagged for roughing the passer. The result of the controversial call was a Fresno State first down inside the A&M 13. Unable to score a touchdown, the Bulldogs elected to kick a field goal to tie the game at 32, forcing a second overtime in which both teams scored touchdowns. In the third overtime, Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater failed the two point conversion after he overthrew the ball into the end zone.
Running back Jorvorskie Lane
, who rushed for a total of 121 yards, was crucial to the Aggies during the overtime periods. ESPN
reported, "Texas A&M turned to its powerful running back to stave off Fresno State...Jorvorskie Lane rushed for two of his four touchdowns in the second and third overtimes as the 23rd-ranked Aggies beat the feisty Bulldogs 47-45 in the first three-OT game in A&M history. The 6-foot, 268-pound Lane barreled for his final touchdown from 3 yards out, then charged into the end zone again for the winning 2-point conversion on A&M's final possession."
Overall, the Bulldogs outgained the Aggies 399–397 in total offensive yards. Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater threw for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Bulldog receiver Bear Pascoe caught seven passes for 70 yards and three touchdowns. A&M rushed for 318 yards but compiled only 79 passing yards. When confronted by a reporter about the passing situation, A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
argued that rushing is most effective as Fresno State was unable to stop the ball. The game became the first three-overtime game in A&M history, and the ninth consecutive nonconference victory at Kyle. After the game, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
, who served as A&M president from 2002–2006, posted on TexAgs
the following: "Okay, Ags. I really don't need that kind of stress right now. But a W is a W. All the best to everyone." Gates had not posted on the site since he revealed his identity on December 7, 2006.
. The Warhawks ranked 107th nationally in pass defense, allowing a total of 626 passing yards in their first two games. Warhawk players carrying notable statistics include running back
Calvin Dawson, who ranked 14th in the nation in rushing and led a 17th-ranked rushing offense, and free safety Greg James, who led the Warhawk defense with 17 tackles. Kicker Cole Wilson was named Sun Belt Conference
specialist of the week after converting field goals of 23 and 41 yards against Clemson.
After the Aggies' shaky three-overtime performance the previous week, coach Dennis Franchione
stated that a different offensive scheme would be implemented. After their first two games, the Aggies' rushing offense ranked ninth in the nation, and its passing offense ranked 115th. The A&M defense had allowed 802 total offensive yards in the first two games. This is the Aggies' second meeting with ULM, and in their first meeting in 1985, the Aggies defeated ULM 31–7. Head coach Dennis Franchione
had faced ULM twice in his career as head coach of Southwest Texas State, and lost 27–30 and 8–17 in 1990 and 1991 both times, respectively.
In the game, quarterback Stephen McGee
threw for 237 yards, completing 19 of 33 attempts, and rushed for 18 yards on four carries. Head coach Dennis Franchione made good on his assurances of a different offensive scheme, allowing McGee to earn more yards in the air than on the ground for the first time in the 2007 season. However, the Aggies continued to focus on their ground-based offense, earning 310 yards rushing. In the third quarter, McGee was picked off, ending his streak of 150 passing attempts without an interception. Backup quarterback Jerrod Johnson entered the game in the third quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns on three drives, with a third touchdown by running back Keondra Smith. The A&M offense finished with 547 total yards, the most since earning 694 yards against the Oklahoma State Cowboys
on October 15, 2005. A&M scored on nine out of its ten possessions, including the first five in the first half.
Senior wide receiver Kerry Franks made a career-high of five receptions for 82 yards, and caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to lead the Aggies 34-7 shortly into the third quarter. Running back Mike Goodson
rushed for 113 yards and scored one touchdown on 11 carries, marking his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. Running back Jorvorskie Lane
only rushed for 34 yards on 11 carries, though made two short-yard rushing touchdowns, bringing his touchdown number to 35 and becoming third in all-time rushing touchdowns in school history. Tight end Martellus Bennett matched a career-high of six catches for 98 yards. Early into the week of the game, Bennett decided to switch his jersey number from 13 to 85, in honor of former Buffalo Bills
tight end Kevin Everett
, who suffered a career-ending broken neck injury the previous Sunday. The two have been close friends ever since they met on Martellus' recruiting trip to Miami.
Louisiana-Monroe rushed for 215 yards with 133 yards passing, scoring a touchdown in the first and fourth quarters. Running back Calvin Dawson made 20 carries for 126 yards and scored a touchdown. Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster completed 13 of 23 passes for 116 yards, though two interceptions in A&M territory on consecutive drives in the second quarter prevented further Warhawk scoring opportunities. Overall, ULM gained 348 offensive yards.
Notable for this game is that, for the first time since facing Southwestern Louisiana
in 1990, Texas A&M did not punt on any of its possessions, instead going for 4-for-4 on fourth downs.
to give the worst loss in Miami's football history. The Aggies have played at the Orange Bowl one other time in the 1944 Orange Bowl game, where they lost to LSU 14–19. It will also be the Aggies' first trip to Florida since they lost 14–20 to Florida State
in 1968. 1973 marks the last time the Hurricanes lost to a team from Texas at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes hold the NCAA record for consecutive home victories at the Orange Bowl from October 1985 to September 1994. They also hold a 31–20 all-time record against teams currently in the Big 12. The game will be the last nonconference game of the season for both teams. Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored Miami to win by three points. In CBS Sports
' weekly "Expert Picks", two reporters chose A&M to win, while three other reporters chose Miami.
After the Aggies’ 237-yard passing game against Louisiana-Monroe the previous week, A&M ranked 107th nationally in pass offense, up from 115th. Offensively, A&M ranked fifth in rushing offense and 11th in scoring. A&M averaged six yards per play, and has rushed for 100 yards or more in 21 straight games. Thus far, the Aggie defense has allowed its opponents to gain a total of 697 passing yards and 453 rushing yards. Under head coach Dennis Franchione
, the Aggies have not had much success in nonconference away games; A&M lost to #8 Virginia Tech
in 2003, #19 Utah
in 2004, and unranked Clemson
in 2005. In 2006, the Aggies barely went away with a victory against unranked Army
.
Miami came into the game with a 41st-ranked pass defense and a 113th pass offense, after averaging 130.7 passing yards per game. Though Miami won the 2002 BCS national championship and played in the 2003 national championship game
, the 2007 Miami team has not mimicked their successful predecessors. In their second game of the season, the Hurricanes suffered a 13–51 defeat by #6 Oklahoma
. In their next game against Florida International
, the Hurricanes gained a total of 428 yards to win 23–9. At the time, Florida International ranked 117th out of 119 teams in scoring offense and 102nd in scoring defense. Though Miami have had a good rushing defense their previous season by holding 13 of their 16 opponents under 100 yards, Miami's last two opponents, FIU and OU, have passed the 100 yard mark.
In the game, the A&M offense suffered, despite having averaged more than 46 points and 444 yards in their previous three games. On 73 carries, quarterback Stephen McGee
and running back Mike Goodson
lost a total of 24 yards by being tackled behind the line
. The offense lost a total of 27 yards to negative plays, which they had never made in the previous three games. Goodson himself lost one-yard on each of eight total carries. Stephen McGee completed 11 of 20 passes for only 109 yards, and rushed for just 39 yards on 16 carries. On A&M's opening drive, Goodson was tackled behind the line and lost 5 yards, McGee gained 2-yards, and then was sacked for a loss of 2 yards and a three-and-out. In the second quarter alone, A&M lost the ball three times on two fumbles and an interception, all within three minutes of game play. In the entire first half, the Aggies gained only 28 yards, including only 21 rushing yards, and trailed 0–24 at halftime.
A&M tailback
Jorvorskie Lane
only had two carries in the entire game—one in the third quarter and one in the fourth—for a total of 2 yards. When asked by reporters to explain why Jorvorskie did not receive the ball much, Stephen McGee responded, "They were doing such a good job up front, we had to try to get the ball on the perimeter and use our speed". A&M had not scored until 11:40 was left in the fourth quarter when kicker Matt Szymanski kicked a 32-yard field goal. The Aggies did not make their first touchdown drive until Miami freshman running back Graig Cooper
fumbled the ball to the Aggies at the Miami 39. In the Aggies' second scoring drive, freshman redshirt quarterback Jerrod Johnson
threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett with five seconds remaining in the game. Jerrod Johnson took part in his fifth consecutive touchdown drive of his career. Overall, the Aggies could only gain 240 yards, including 98 rushing yards. The 98 rushing yards marked the first time in 22 games the Aggies were held to less than 100 yards; the last time was when A&M played unranked Colorado
in 2005. A&M had not scored in the first three quarters of a game since the 2004-2005 Cotton Bowl, when A&M lost to unranked Tennessee
7–38.
Miami senior quarterback Kyle Wright
threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and completed 21 of 26 passes. Receiver Sam Shields caught six passes for 117 yards. On their first 80-yard scoring drive itself, Kyle Wright threw for 61 yards, and freshman Graig Cooper
ran for a 7-yard touchdown. Miami did not punt the ball until 13:07 remained in the third quarter. Overall, Miami compiled 402 offensive yards, including 262 passing. Miami had not scored as many points in a game against a ranked team since October 14, 2004, when Miami played #22 Louisville
at the Orange Bowl
.
This was the 104th Battle of the Brazos
rivalry game between the Aggies and the Baylor Bears
. Coming into the game, A&M had led the series 64–30–9. The Bears have never won a Big 12 opener away game, nor have they won at Kyle Field
since a 20–16 victory in 1984. A&M currently leads the series 29–10–3 in games played at Kyle Field. This was the second time that the Bears and the Aggies met in September; in their first meeting, Baylor won 17–7 in 1979. The rivalry had been dormant from 1986–2003, as Baylor had not won a game since 1985. In 2004, however, an unranked Baylor team pulled off a 35–34 upset in overtime against the then #16 Aggies at Floyd Casey Stadium
. In 2005, the rivalry again became bitter when A&M had to complete two fourth down conversions in order to win 16–13 in overtime at Kyle Field
. In their previous meeting at Floyd Casey in 2006, the Aggies outscored the Bears 31–21. The Bears were led by head coach Guy Morriss
, who has compiled a 1–3 record with A&M. A&M head coach Dennis Franchione
came in with a 3–1 record with Baylor. Three days prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored A&M to win by 17 points. The College Football News
staff picked A&M to win by an average of 16.5 points. A Waco Tribune-Herald
columnist predicted that the Aggies would win 31–20.
The A&M secondary came into the game with a 62.9% completion rate, 243 passing yards, and 7.4 yards per attempt. Baylor quarterback Blake Szymanski had thrown for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns with 6 interceptions in the previous games of the season.
In the game, A&M possessed the ball for 43 minutes and the defense allowed only seven Baylor first downs. The Bears dropped 10 passes.
. Coming into the game, A&M had led the series 16–6, and also led 7–3 in games played at Kyle Field
. In their previous meeting at Boone Pickens Stadium
in 2006, the Aggies defeated the Cowboys 34–33 in overtime, after A&M defensive lineman Red Bryant blocked kicker Jason Ricks' overtime field goal attempt that would have tied the game at 34–34 and created a second overtime.
Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored A&M to win by 6.5 points. Three out of the four College Football News
staff members predicted A&M to win by 6 points. WhatIfSports.com
, which runs a computer simulation of a game 101 times and predicts the winner and score difference, predicted OSU to win.
Prior to the game, the Cowboys' rush offense ranked 8th, three spots behind the Aggies. The Cowboys' overall defense ranked 97th. The Cowboys' pass defense, however, ranked 117th, after allowing 342.6 passing yards and 53 pass attempts per game. OSU also ranked 106th nationally in the least number of penalties allowed, losing 76.4 yards per game, and 98th in turnover
margin. Under Coach Mike Gundy
, the Cowboys have compiled a 1–10 road game record.
A&M's rush offense ranked 5th nationally, after averaging 267.8 yards per game. A&M's pass offense, however, ranked 108th. Quarterback Stephen McGee
had thrown for 737 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions coming into the game. McGee, however, led the Aggies in rushing with his 412 rushing yards.
In the first half, OSU wide receiver Adarius Bowman
caught three passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 47 yards that gave OSU the 14–0 lead. Cowboys kicker Jason Ricks, who had made only 2 of his 5 attempted field goals of the season, made a 32-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the first half. He also scored OSU's only points in the second half, two field goals for 25 yards, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth. At the end of the first half, the Aggies trailed OSU 0–17. Notable for OSU is that, for the first time since 2004, the Cowboys made a first half shutout in a conference game.
In the second half, Jorvorskie Lane
scored all of A&M's touchdowns. He rushed for two 1-yard touchdowns, and made his first receiving touchdown for 10 yards. Lane almost made a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kerry Franks, but officials ruled that Franks' knee touched the ground at the 1-yard line. The receiving touchdown gave A&M a 24–20 lead with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter. Overall, Lane rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries. Early in the fourth quarter, two A&M defenders caused an injury to OSU's starting quarterback, Zac Robinson, which led OSU's junior redshirt quarterback Bobby Reid to replace him. Coincidentally, in their previous meeting in 2006, the A&M defense caused Reid to bench and Robinson to fill in. OSU elected to kick a field goal with 3:11 left in the game, bringing the score up to 23–24. OSU almost received the ball on an A&M punt with 1:46 left in the game, but safety Quinton Moore was flagged for roughing A&M punter Justin Brantly, giving A&M an automatic first down. A&M then ran out the clock to win 24–23.
The Aggies matched their largest comeback in school history, when A&M played Baylor
in 1986 and overcame a 0–17 point deficit to win 31–30. The game's attendance of 86,217 became the sixth-largest in stadium history. The Aggies now had ranked #1 in the Big 12 South Division with an overall 5–1 record and a 2–0 conference record.
. A&M came into the game leading the series 34–30–1, though 1993 had been the last time the Aggies won at Jones Stadium
in Lubbock
. In games played at Lubbock, Tech had led the series 16–12. Coach Dennis Franchione
had a 1–3 record with Tech as A&M head coach, and Tech coach Mike Leach had a 5–2 record with A&M as Tech head coach. In their previous meeting at Kyle Field, the Raiders outscored the Aggies 31–27, after Tech sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell
made a 37-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the game.
Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored Tech to win by 8 points. The College Football News
staff predicted Tech to win 45–31. In a press conference early into the week of the game, A&M running back Jorvorskie Lane
, when told that A&M hadn't won a game in Lubbock since 1993, responded "We're going to win in 2007. That's a guarantee. I promise you." When Tech coach Mike Leach was confronted with Lane's statement, Leach expressed his indifference. Tech's interim defensive coordinator, Ruffin McNeill, however, respected Lane's statement. A&M defensive back Danny Gorrer stated that "[Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree
] got to bring his A-game when he faces Danny Gorrer". Gorrer ended up leaving the game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament
that caused him to miss the rest of the season. A&M linebacker Mark Dodge stated that last year's game was "just a fluke" and expressed his desire to perform well against Tech.
Coming into the game, the Raiders had led the nation in total offense (590.2 yards) and passing offense (513 yards). They were also second in scoring offense with their 52.5 points per game. Tech quarterback Graham Harrell
was ranked #1 in the nation after compiling 450.2 yards per game, 38 completions per game, and 454.3 passing yards per game this season. Harrell compiled a 73.5 pass completion rate, and had thrown for 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree
had led the nation in receptions (70 for 11.67 yards per game) and receiving (1,074 for 179 yards per game). He is also the Division I freshman touchdown record holder for a season, after scoring 17 points per game. Crabtree's 1,074 reception yards were more than A&M's team total of 1,005. The Raiders' pass defense ranked 20th, their rush defense ranked 59th after allowing 152 yards per game, and their rush offense was ranked 113th, after rushing only 77.2 yards per game. The Raiders' overall defense ranked 36th, after allowing 338 yards per game.
A&M came into the game with a 7th-ranked rush offense, after rushing for 248 yards per game. A&M's leading rushers, Mike Goodson
, Jorvorskie Lane
, and Stephen McGee
, had compiled 363 yards on 75 carries, 397 yards on 89 carries, and 455 yards on 71 carries, respectively. A&M's pass defense ranked 75th, after allowing 237.5 passing yards per game. The Aggies' defense ranked 63rd after allowing 377.5 yards per game.
. Coming into the game, Nebraska had led the series 2–10, ever since it began in 1930. Texas A&M had only won the 1955 game in Lincoln
, and the 1998 game in College Station. Since the 1998 game, the Cornhuskers have outscored the Aggies by an average of 20 points per game. During the Franchione
era, the Aggies had played the Cornhuskers twice, and had lost both times by a combined total of 8 points. Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan
entered the 2007 season as a third-year head coach with a 18–15 record and a Big 12 North title. Callahan had led his team to a 4–3 season record, including a homecoming loss to Oklahoma State
. The loss to Oklahoma State became the worst home
loss for Nebraska since 1958 and prompted Nebraska officials to fire athletic director Steve Pederson. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored Nebraska to win by 2 points.
Coming into the game, A&M ranked 109th nationally in passing offense, after compiling 162.2 passing yards per game. Stephen McGee
was the Aggies' leading rusher at the time, after compiling 544 rushing yards. A&M's rushing offense ranked 7th nationally, after rushing 246 yards per game. The pass defense ranked 99th nationally, and overall defense ranked 74th. Tight end Martellus Bennett and offensive lineman Chris Yoder did not travel to Lincoln due to injuries, and cornerback Jordan Peterson did not play due to an injury. Nebraska entered the game with an offense that ranked 38th nationally, and a passing offense that ranked 27th. Nebraska's rush defense ranked 106th, after allowing opponents to rush an average of 208.5 yards per game. Nebraska's total defense ranked 108th.
In the game, A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
rushed for 167 yards on 35 carries, both career-highs, and completed 13 of 22 passes for 100 yards. McGee's 35 carries broke the A&M record for carries by a quarterback of 27, which was set in 1977. A&M running back Jorvorskie Lane
rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his career rushing touchdown total to 43 and becoming the Aggies' second all-time leading touchdown rusher. Lane also made carries of 22, 27, and 31 yards, which became his three longest runs thus far this season. Nebraska had lost all three of their fumbles, one of which that led A&M to a 16–7 lead in the second quarter. In the third quarter, both Lane and McGee teamed up on two consecutive 80–yard touchdown drives against the wind, giving A&M a 30–14 lead. Overall, the offense compiled a total of 459 yards with no turnovers, and 359 rushing yards, the most in a road game since 1996. After the game, Nebraska had been outscored 122–34 in their losses to Missouri, Oklahoma State, and A&M.
This was the Aggies' 9th meeting with the ranked Kansas Jayhawks
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–1, and had only lost the first meeting in Lawrence
in 1974. Kansas was the only Big 12 team that A&M was undefeated against, ever since the Big 12 formed in 1996. Kansas was the first top 10 team, excluding Oklahoma
and Texas
, to play at Kyle Field
since 2002. A&M had compiled a 6–3 record for games played against top 10 teams (other than OU and Texas) at Kyle Field. In their previous meeting in 2006, A&M outscored Kansas 21–18. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
casino
s favored Kansas to win by three points. In CBS Sports
' weekly "Expert Picks", four out of the five reporters chose A&M to win.
A&M came into the game with a 5th-ranked rushing offense, and a 111th ranked passing offense. The pass defense ranked 100th, scoring defense ranked 42nd, and overall defense ranked 73rd. Kansas entered the game with a 16th-ranked rushing offense, 25th-ranked passing offense, and a 3rd-ranked scoring offense. Kansas' rushing defense ranked 4th, pass defense ranked 10th, and overall defense ranked 5th. Kansas also had ranked 9th in the weekly BCS standings.
In the game, the KU defense held A&M's 5th-ranked rushing offense to only 79 yards. The A&M defense allowed KU running back Brandon McAnderson to rush for a career-high of 183 yards and score two touchdowns. The game remained scoreless until the third quarter, when KU gained a total of 13 points by kicking two field goals and scoring one touchdown. In the third quarter alone, the A&M offense compiled -9 yards on 9 plays. In the fourth quarter, KU scored another touchdown to earn a 19 point lead. A&M had almost gotten its first home
shutout
since 1971, until Matt Szymanski kicked a field goal with 7:20 left in the game. With 2:06 left, quarterback Stephen McGee
threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Roger Holland and completed a two point conversion to bring the score up to 19–11. On the last two plays of the game, however, McGee attempted hail Mary pass
es, but failed both times.
. The Sooners entered the game leading the series 10–15 and also leading 11–1 in games played at Norman
. Coach Dennis Franchione
had compiled a 0–4 record with OU as A&M head coach, and coach Bob Stoops
had compiled a 7–1 record with A&M as OU head coach. In 2003, A&M suffered its worst loss in school history when OU shutout
A&M 77–0 at Norman. In their last meeting, the #21 Aggies lost to the #18 Sooners 17–16. In addition, A&M running back Mike Goodson
ran for a career record of 127 yards against the Sooners tough run defense last year. The Sooners came off of a bye week
to play A&M. During his tenure at OU, Stoops had compiled a 7–1 record in games played directly after a bye week. In CBS Sports
' weekly "Expert Picks", all five reporters chose OU to win. Two days prior to the game, oddsmakers favored OU to win by 21 points.
A&M entered the game with a 9th-ranked rushing offense, 109th passing offense, and 48th scoring offense. A&M's scoring defense ranked 40th, pass defense 89th, and overall defense ranked 76th. OU had led the Big 12 with its 2nd-ranked scoring offense and 3rd-ranked rushing defense. OU had also led the Big 12 with its 2nd-ranked passing efficiency, 8th-ranked sack total, and 5th-ranked tackles for loss total.
In the game, OU tight end
Jermaine Gresham
matched a school record after he caught four receiving touchdowns in the first three quarters. Quarterback Sam Bradford
made 284 passing yards and five touchdowns. A&M fumbles in the first half, one by receiver Roger Holland and the other by running back Keondra Smith, led to OU touchdown drives. The OU offense gained a total of 470 yards. A&M running back Mike Goodson
, who was suspended the first half after missing a practice earlier in the week, rushed for a total of 28 yards on 7 carries. Quarterback Stephen McGee
compiled 155 passing yards after completing 15 of 28 passes. Overall, the Aggies gained only 283 offensive yards, 152 of which came from the final two drives of the game. The Aggies did not convert a single third down. A&M tight end Martellus Bennett broke a school record of 26 consecutive games with receptions after he caught a team-high of four passes.
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–2. In the 2006 game at Kyle Field
, the unranked Aggies defeated #19 Missouri 25–19.
and was the fourth year as part of a multi-sport rivalry called the Lone Star Showdown. The football rivalry began in 1894 and continues to be the longest-running rivaly for both the Longhorns and the Aggies; it is the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football. Texas A&M comes into the 2007 contest with a 35–73–5 record. Since the series began in 1894, the game has traditionally been played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2007 game marks the fourteenth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving.
The 2005 UT game was the poorest performance of that season by the Longhorns, both offensively and defensively. On offense, Vince Young had only 162 yards of offense, his lowest output of the season. UT running backs Henry Melton and Ramonce Taylor also received criticism for their tendency to run side-to-side instead of down-field. On defense, the Longhorns held A&M to only 118 yards passing but gave up 277 yards rushing; the highest allowed by the Longhorns all season.
The 2006 meeting was the first time in eight years that both teams entered the game with at least eight wins coming into the match-up. A&M prevailed 12–7 over the Longhorns in Austin, Texas
, rushing for 244 yards against the nation's then-top-ranked rush defense.
As a result of a tragic accident in 1999, the Aggies could no longer hold a school sponsored version of their traditional Bonfire
but the unofficial "Student Bonfire" was lit on the evening of 20 November 2007. Texas A&M also hosted its annual Maroon Out on game day. During the week before the game, the Longhorns held their traditional Hex Rally
.
The game kicked off and the Aggies Quickly scored a 35 yard touchdown with a screen pass from Stephen McGee
to Mike Goodson
on their opening drive to go up by seven points. The Longhorns mustered two first downs, but could not get any points and punted. Texas A&M likewise ended their subsequent drive three plays later with a punt of their own. The Longhorn team again successfully penetrated into Texas A&M territory, but Mack Brown
opted to call a pooch punt by Colt McCoy
on fourth down and four from the Aggie 37. The Aggies answered with an eighteen-play drive that stalled on the 14 yardline and the Aggies had to settle for a 31 yard field goal by Matt Szymanski.
The second quarter started with the Longhorns driving only six yards and being forced to punt again. The Aggies continued to press their advantage and drove down the field until Stephen McGee threw an ill-timed pass that was intercepted by Deon Beasley at the Longhorn 25. Two first-downs later, Texas was forced to punt and pinned Texas A&M on their own five yard line. Stephen McGee led the offense with several long passes and the Aggies drove to the Texas 5 but again were held short on 3rd down. On 4th and three, the Aggies faked the field goal and the placeholder, T.J. Sanders, ran the ball in for his first touchdown giving the Aggies a 17-0 lead. The Longhorns started their next drive on their own 20 where Colt McCoy
threw a pass to Jamaal Charles
that went 62 yards. The drive stalled and the Longhorns had to settle for a field goal and went to halftime trailing their arch rival 17-3.
The third quarter started with promising drives by both teams that ended when the ball was intercepted. Brandon Foster
ran the Longhorn interception back to the A&M 8 yard line and Texas scored a touchdown on the next play to pull the Longhorns within seven points. The Aggies drove to the Texas 34 yard line, but the drive stalled out and Texas took over on downs as the fourth down attempt failed. Colt McCoy fumbled a few plays later to give the ball back to Texas A&M. Five plays later, Stephen McGee scampered into the endzone for a five yard touchdown to put the Aggies up 24-10. The Longhorns took little time to answer with a touchdown of their own. Quan Cosby returned the following kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to pull Texas within seven once again. The next drive started on the Aggie 49, courtesy of a 42 yard kickoff return by E.J. Shankle that nearly went for a touchdown. The quarter ended on a seven yard pass to Mike Goodson.
The final quarter of play began with Stephen McGee and Mike Goodson picking up where they left off: Stephen McGee threw a 44-yard pass to Mike Goodson for another touchdown to put the Aggies ahead by a score of 31-17. The Longhorns again went three and out and were forced to punt. The Aggies went down the field quickly and scored yet another touchdown with a 66-yard pass completion to Earvin Taylor to put Texas A&M up by 21 points. Colt McCoy fumbled the ball two plays later but A&M was forced to punt the ball away 3 plays later. McCoy and the Longhorn offense drove the length of the field and answered with 2 passes for over 25 yards and a touchdown taking only 99 seconds off the clock. The Aggies lost seven yards over the next 3 plays and were forced again to punt. The Longhorns drove 73 yards from their own 27, converted two fourth downs, and scored another touchdown. Ryan Bailey missed the extra point but left the Longhorns only down by 8 points. The Aggies took possession on their own 33 and ran the clock out to win the game 38-30.
During the postgame celebration, ABC commentator Jack Arute asked Coach Franchione for his thoughts on the A&M coaching situation. Coach Franchione responded by asking the announcer to let the players enjoy their victory. At the beginning of the subsequent press conference, Coach Franchione announced his resignation effective immediately. Shortly thereafter, Texas A&M announced that Defensive coordinator Gary Darnell would lead the Aggies in the bowl game.
, who finished 8–4 in their regular season.
Three Aggie players missed the game due to injuries, including offensive lineman Chris Yoder, cornerback Jordan Peterson, and defensive lineman Chris Smith. Defensive end Michael Bennett also cannot make the game due to his academic ineligibility.
College Football News
predicts a 34-20 victory for Penn State. WhatIfSports.com
simulated the game 1,001 times and predicts the same result with a lower score, Penn State 29, Texas A&M 17.
, five Aggies were drafted, including Martellus Bennett
in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys
, Cody Wallace
and Red Bryant
in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers
and Seattle Seahawks
, respectively, Chris Harrington
in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals
, and Corey Clark
in the seventh round by the San Diego Chargers
.
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 2007-2008
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
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 coached by 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...
, who had coached at A&M since the 2003 season, but resigned at the conclusion of the annual game with the University of Texas. They are led on offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
by junior quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
. The team plays home games at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
, an 82,600-person capacity stadium on A&M's campus in College Station, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Composed of over 300 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets, it is the largest military marching band in the world...
performs at all home games and select away games during half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
.
The 2006 Aggie team finished with 9 wins and 4 losses, including a loss in the 2006 Holiday Bowl
2006 Holiday Bowl
The 2006 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 28, 2006 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season and one of 32 games in the 2006-2007 bowl season. It featured the Texas A&M Aggies representing the Big 12 against the...
. In a 2007 preseason ranking, 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....
sports columnist 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....
ranked the Aggies 15th. In their preseason polls, both the Coaches Poll
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....
and the AP Poll
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...
ranked the Aggies 25th. A 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...
writer ranked A&M as having the 9th toughest road
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
schedule.
The Aggies completed the 2007 season with a 7-6 record, with their final game resulting in a 24-17 loss to Penn State
2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
in the 2007 Alamo Bowl
2007 Alamo Bowl
The 2007 Valero Alamo Bowl is a college football bowl game that was part of the 2007–2008 bowl season of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the 15th Alamo Bowl and the first Alamo Bowl sponsored by the Valero Energy Corporation...
.
Schedule
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Years at A&M* |
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) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
Head Coach | 5 | Pittsburg (Kan.) State Pittsburg State University Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal... (1973) |
||||
| Kenith Pope | Associate Head Coach; Running Backs |
5 | Oklahoma University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its... (1976) |
||||
| Gary Darnell Gary Darnell Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football... |
Defensive Coordinator, Interim head coach | 2 | Oklahoma State (1969) | ||||
| Les Koenning, Jr. Les Koenning, Jr. Les Koenning, Jr. is the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs college football team.-Coaching career:... |
Offensive Coordinator; Quarterbacks |
5 | Texas (1981) | ||||
| Bill Clay | Safeties | 2 | Arkansas University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in... (1963) |
||||
| Bob DeBesse Bob DeBesse Robert Damien "Bob" DeBesse is an American football coach.DeBesse attended Stratford High School in Houston, Texas and earned his bachelor of science in Education at the Texas State University-San Marcos in 1982.... |
Wide Receivers | 2 | Southwest Texas State (1982) | ||||
| Stan Eggen | Defensive Line | 5 | Moorhead (MN) State Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead is a four-year, public university located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of nearly 7,500 students and 337 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system... (1977) |
||||
| Jim Bob Helduser | Offensive Line | 5 | Texas Lutheran (1979) | ||||
| Van Malone | Cornerbacks | 2 | Texas (1993) | ||||
| Mark Tommerdahl | Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator | 5 | Concordia College (1983) | ||||
| |
|||||||
Call for dismissal
After the Aggies' 17–34 loss at Miami, 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...
's coaching has been bought into question by some members of the media. An 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....
writer gave honorable mention to the A&M coaches' play-calling in the Miami game in his weekly Bottom 10
Bottom 10
The Bottom 10 is a week-by-week regular season "ranking" of the worst ten college football teams in the NCAA Division I FBS. ESPN.con writer Mark Schlabach writes the column each week and is the sole determiner of the teams which are listed.One of the running gags of the Bottom 10 is the "highly...
college football game rankings. As of Tuesday, September 25, the website firefranpetition.com has received over 15,000 hits after A&M's loss to Miami. 300 people had signed the online petition that Monday, bringing the total to 2,600. The website has also sold nearly 200 "Can Fran" shirts. The Bryan-College Station Eagle, the area's local newspaper, included a ffront page picture of A&M's Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
chapter members hanging a "Fire Fran" sign from their fraternity house.
Secret newsletter
On September 27, 2007, Franchione discontinued selling a secret email newsletter to athletic boostersBooster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
who paid US$1,200 annually for team information that Franchione has refused to release to the public. The newsletter, called "VIP Connection", had been written by Franchione's personal assistant, Mike McKenzie, and included specific injury reports and Franchione's critical assessments of players. The newsletter attracted 27 recipients, 6 of whom received the newsletter for free.
20 of the recipients have been disclosed. The boosters were asked to sign a confidentiality statement to assure the information in the newsletter would not be used for gambling. Though Franchione and McKenzie denied gaining profit from the newsletter, Franchione stated that proceeds went to the company that managed his now-defunct website, coachfran.com. The newsletter was discovered by athletic director Bill Byrne
Bill Byrne
Clarence William "Bill" Byrne, II is the current athletic director of Texas A&M University, a position he has held since January 2003.-Early life:...
after it was presented to him by a San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
reporter, who had received it through a third-party source. Byrne immediately instructed Franchione to discontinue the newsletter, at which time Franchione complied. Refunds have been offered to the subscribers, though it is uncertain how many asked for one. In a press conference the following Tuesday, October 2, Franchione apologized in front of A&M football players and expressed his love for the job and the university, and his desire to "elevate the program to its highest level". A&M players also expressed their support for Franchione as a coach. Shortly after, an investigation had been launched to look into the matter, conducted by Bill Byrne and A&M's NCAA compliance officer
Compliance (regulation)
In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Regulatory compliance describes the goal that corporations or public agencies aspire to in their efforts to ensure that personnel are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws and...
, David Batson.
On Thursday, October 11, Texas A&M officials issued a "letter of admonishment" and ordered that the website CoachFran.com be shut down. Additionally, Franchione was instructed to no longer employ "any staff members that could be construed as representing Texas A&M or providing information or reports relative to his position as head coach at Texas A&M". Consequently, the writer of the newsletter, Mike McKenzie, was fired. Byrne stated that the incident would be included in Franchione's "performance review" at the end of the season.
Resignation
After Franchione led the Aggies to a 38–30 victory over the 13th-ranked Texas LonghornsTexas 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...
, he announced his resignation in the post-game press conference. In the press conference, after he discussed the game, he read out loud a farewell letter that he had prepared beforehand. His last words were "Thank you, and gig 'em." Franchione immediately left the press conference as A&M athletic director Bill Byrne
Bill Byrne
Clarence William "Bill" Byrne, II is the current athletic director of Texas A&M University, a position he has held since January 2003.-Early life:...
started to speak, with friends and family members following him. The following day, Byrne named 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...
Gary Darnell
Gary Darnell
Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football...
as interim head coach. Darnell will coach the Aggies' bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
. On November 26, 2007, three days after Franchione resigned, 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...
was announced as the new head football coach.
Jobs after the season
After the season, cornerbacks coach Van MaloneVan Malone
Van Malone is a former safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career from 1994–1997 for the Detroit Lions. He is the current cornerbacks coach for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.-References:...
was retained by new head coach Mike Sherman, and offensive coordinator Les Koenning move to the same position at South Alabama. Running backs coach Kenith Pope was hired at UNLV. Tight ends and special teams coach Mark Tommerdahl moved to Louisiana-Monroe, while defensive line coach Stan Eggen was hired at Louisiana Tech. Safeties coach Bill Clay moved to Samford. Offensive line coach Jim Bob Helduser was hired at Bryan High School, and wide receivers coach Bob DeBesse was hired at A&M Consolidated High School. Gary Darnell was the only assistant that has not found a coaching job.
Roster
The roster consists of 47 freshmen, 37 sophomores, 30 juniors, and 20 seniors. Scholarship players include 18 true freshmen, 9 redshirt freshmen, 23 sophomores, 17 juniors, and 16 seniors.| (as of September 14, 2007) | ||||||
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Full Backs
Wide Receivers
|
Tight Ends
Offensive Line
Linebackers
|
Defensive Backs
Defensive Ends
|
Defensive Line
Deep Snappers
Kickoff
Punters
Key The abbreviations indicate amount of experience:
for 1, 2, or 3 years, respectively.
2007 Aggie Leadership Council |
|||
Watch lists
Aggies named to pre-season award watch lists include:
|
|
|
Postseason honors
Cody Wallace was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and made the All-Big 12 Football First Team. Chris Alexander, Chris Harrington, and Misi Tupe, as well as Justin Brantly, made the All-Big 12 Football Second Team. Michael Bennett, Martellus Bennett, Red Bryant, Marquis Carpenter, Corey Clark, Mark Dodge, Kirk Elder, Jorvorskie LaneJorvorskie 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...
, and Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
received an all-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Additionally, five players made the all-Big 12 Academic First Team, which requires a 3.20 GPA or above. Of those players are David Latham, Stephen McGee, Jordan Peterson, T.J. Sanders (who was one of seven Big 12 players to have a 4.00 GPA), and Cody Wallace. Two players made the all-Big 12 Academic Second Team, which requires a 3.00–3.19 GPA, including Andrew Key and Chris Yoder.
Cody Wallace is a Rimington Trophy finalist.
Arrests
On December 5, 2007, junior offensive lineman Yemi Babalola was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of marijuna. Babalola is believed to break in an off-campus apartment and hold two residents at gunpoint, while stealing small items. However, no one was hurt. When police got a search warrantSearch warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
to search Babalola's home, they found marijuana. Police also searched the home of freshman defensive end Brandon Joiner, and found marijuana, ecstasy
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
MDMA is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy" , usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants...
, and hydrocodone
Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone or dihydrocodeinone is a semi-synthetic opioid derived from either of two naturally occurring opiates: codeine and thebaine. It is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive...
. Joiner was subsequently charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
Montana State
The 2007 Division I-AA Montana State Bobcats are led by coach Rob Ash, who became the school's 31st head football coach on June 11, 2007. Ash replaced Mike Kramer, who coached at Montana State from 1989–2006, but was fired after five current and former Bobcat players were arrested within the same year.The Bobcats have played notably against some of their Big 12 opponents. In 2004, they nearly defeated Oklahoma State
Oklahoma 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...
at the Cowboys' home field
Boone Pickens Stadium
Boone Pickens Stadium has been home to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team in rudimentary form since 1913, and as a complete stadium since 1920...
, until the Cowboys pushed hard for a 15–10 win. In their 2006 season opener, the Bobcats defeated the Colorado Buffaloes
2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 2006 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The previous year's team won the Big 12 North Conference. That marked the fourth Big 12 North championship for the Buffs in the past 5 years. The team has...
19–10 on the Buffaloes' home field
Folsom Field
Folsom Field is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Colorado, at Boulder, Colorado. Opened in 1924, it is the home field of the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pacific-12 Conference; until July 2011, Colorado was a member of the Big 12 Conference. The horseshoe-shaped stadium...
, pulling off one of the season's biggest upsets in college football.
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
, whose yardage came primarily from option keepers
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...
, rushed for 121 yards on nine carries and made 2 touchdown runs, one for 65 yards. He completed 10 of his 20 passes for only 112 yards; his longest completion was 23 yards. Freshman backup quarterback 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....
replaced McGee in the fourth quarter and made the only scoring pass in the game (17 yards to Terrence McCoy) with 80 seconds left in the game. The A&M defense, especially the secondary
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, did not perform well, allowing Montana State to compile a 304 passing yards and complete 26 of 48 passes. In the 2006 season
2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Aggies had a regular season Big 12 record of 5-3.-Schedule:-Roster:-The Citadel:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Army:-Louisiana Tech:...
, only Texas Tech
Texas 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...
and Missouri
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
threw for more yards against the Aggies. The A&M defense allowed the Bobcats to gain a total of 403 yards. Notable plays by the Bobcats included an 83-yard scoring drive on 13 plays on their opening possession and a 50-yard reception by receiver Josh Lewis late in the second half. The Bobcats, however, missed three field goals and lost a fumble in A&M territory.
Fresno State
Pat Hill
Pat Hill is a college football coach. He is currently the head coach at Fresno State.-Early positions:Pat Hill attended Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, California, graduating in 1970...
, who compiled a 10–19 record against BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
teams during his tenure at Fresno State prior to the game. Prior to this game, A&M had a 10–1 home field record against nonconference teams under 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...
. In their season opener, the Bulldogs defeated Sacramento State 24–3, allowing only 100 offensive yards, including only 41 rushing yards. This put pressure on the Aggie offensive line as it did not perform solidly in the Montana State game.
The Bulldogs had not faced a "large and rowdy" crowd and heated competition since November 2005 against the No. 1 USC Trojans
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
. The Bulldogs practiced for the A&M home game environment by holding practice at Bulldog Stadium
Bulldog Stadium
Bulldog Stadium at Jim Sweeney Field is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of California State University, Fresno in Fresno, California. It is the home field of the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Western Athletic Conference. The stadium opened in 1980 with a capacity of 30,000 and has a...
with crowd noise and the Aggie War Hymn blaring from the speakers.
In the first half, the Aggies remained unscored upon, leading 19–0. The Bulldogs gained only 78 yards and 5 first downs. In the second half, however, they retaliated by gaining 267 yards and scoring 29 points. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown and a field goal with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 29–29 and forcing an overtime. A controversial play by the Bulldogs in the first overtime, when A&M led 32–29, caused the officials to review the play. When quarterback Tom Brandstater threw to receiver Marlon Moore, Moore attempted to stretch the ball over the goal line but fumbled into the end zone, causing the Aggies to recover. An official, however, ruled that Moore went out of bounds on the 1-yard line. Officials took an extensive 22-minute review of the play, and after reviewing various camera angles, ruled that Moore had fumbled into the endzone and A&M recovered. However, A&M tackle Henry Smith was also flagged for roughing the passer. The result of the controversial call was a Fresno State first down inside the A&M 13. Unable to score a touchdown, the Bulldogs elected to kick a field goal to tie the game at 32, forcing a second overtime in which both teams scored touchdowns. In the third overtime, Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater failed the two point conversion after he overthrew the ball into the end zone.
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...
, who rushed for a total of 121 yards, was crucial to the Aggies during the overtime periods. 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....
reported, "Texas A&M turned to its powerful running back to stave off Fresno State...Jorvorskie Lane rushed for two of his four touchdowns in the second and third overtimes as the 23rd-ranked Aggies beat the feisty Bulldogs 47-45 in the first three-OT game in A&M history. The 6-foot, 268-pound Lane barreled for his final touchdown from 3 yards out, then charged into the end zone again for the winning 2-point conversion on A&M's final possession."
Overall, the Bulldogs outgained the Aggies 399–397 in total offensive yards. Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater threw for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Bulldog receiver Bear Pascoe caught seven passes for 70 yards and three touchdowns. A&M rushed for 318 yards but compiled only 79 passing yards. When confronted by a reporter about the passing situation, A&M 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....
argued that rushing is most effective as Fresno State was unable to stop the ball. The game became the first three-overtime game in A&M history, and the ninth consecutive nonconference victory at Kyle. After the game, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, who served as A&M president from 2002–2006, posted on TexAgs
TexAgs
TexAgs is an independent Texas A&M University fan website. It features articles, chat, forums, and recruiting information about Texas A&M Aggie sports. Receiving an average of 500,000 hits per day, , TexAgs was the sixth most-visited college sports website and the most visited NCAA Division I-A...
the following: "Okay, Ags. I really don't need that kind of stress right now. But a W is a W. All the best to everyone." Gates had not posted on the site since he revealed his identity on December 7, 2006.
Louisiana-Monroe
The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks came into the game with a 0–2 record, suffering losses from Tulsa and the 25th-ranked Clemson Tigers2007 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2007 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2007 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Tommy Bowden and played their home games in Memorial Stadium.- Notable :...
. The Warhawks ranked 107th nationally in pass defense, allowing a total of 626 passing yards in their first two games. Warhawk players carrying notable statistics include running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Calvin Dawson, who ranked 14th in the nation in rushing and led a 17th-ranked rushing offense, and free safety Greg James, who led the Warhawk defense with 17 tackles. Kicker Cole Wilson was named 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...
specialist of the week after converting field goals of 23 and 41 yards against Clemson.
After the Aggies' shaky three-overtime performance the previous week, coach 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...
stated that a different offensive scheme would be implemented. After their first two games, the Aggies' rushing offense ranked ninth in the nation, and its passing offense ranked 115th. The A&M defense had allowed 802 total offensive yards in the first two games. This is the Aggies' second meeting with ULM, and in their first meeting in 1985, the Aggies defeated ULM 31–7. Head coach 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...
had faced ULM twice in his career as head coach of Southwest Texas State, and lost 27–30 and 8–17 in 1990 and 1991 both times, respectively.
In the game, 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....
threw for 237 yards, completing 19 of 33 attempts, and rushed for 18 yards on four carries. Head coach Dennis Franchione made good on his assurances of a different offensive scheme, allowing McGee to earn more yards in the air than on the ground for the first time in the 2007 season. However, the Aggies continued to focus on their ground-based offense, earning 310 yards rushing. In the third quarter, McGee was picked off, ending his streak of 150 passing attempts without an interception. Backup quarterback Jerrod Johnson entered the game in the third quarter, scoring two rushing touchdowns on three drives, with a third touchdown by running back Keondra Smith. The A&M offense finished with 547 total yards, the most since earning 694 yards against the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma 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...
on October 15, 2005. A&M scored on nine out of its ten possessions, including the first five in the first half.
Senior wide receiver Kerry Franks made a career-high of five receptions for 82 yards, and caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to lead the Aggies 34-7 shortly into the third quarter. 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:...
rushed for 113 yards and scored one touchdown on 11 carries, marking his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. 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...
only rushed for 34 yards on 11 carries, though made two short-yard rushing touchdowns, bringing his touchdown number to 35 and becoming third in all-time rushing touchdowns in school history. Tight end Martellus Bennett matched a career-high of six catches for 98 yards. Early into the week of the game, Bennett decided to switch his jersey number from 13 to 85, in honor of former Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
tight end Kevin Everett
Kevin Everett
Kevin Everett, is a former American football tight end who played for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, who suffered a career-ending broken neck injury the previous Sunday. The two have been close friends ever since they met on Martellus' recruiting trip to Miami.
Louisiana-Monroe rushed for 215 yards with 133 yards passing, scoring a touchdown in the first and fourth quarters. Running back Calvin Dawson made 20 carries for 126 yards and scored a touchdown. Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster completed 13 of 23 passes for 116 yards, though two interceptions in A&M territory on consecutive drives in the second quarter prevented further Warhawk scoring opportunities. Overall, ULM gained 348 offensive yards.
Notable for this game is that, for the first time since facing Southwestern Louisiana
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
in 1990, Texas A&M did not punt on any of its possessions, instead going for 4-for-4 on fourth downs.
Miami (FL)
This was the second-ever meeting between the Aggies and the Hurricanes. In their first meeting in 1944, the Aggies won 70–14 on the Hurricanes' home fieldMiami 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...
to give the worst loss in Miami's football history. The Aggies have played at the Orange Bowl one other time in the 1944 Orange Bowl game, where they lost to LSU 14–19. It will also be the Aggies' first trip to Florida since they lost 14–20 to Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1968. 1973 marks the last time the Hurricanes lost to a team from Texas at the Orange Bowl. The Hurricanes hold the NCAA record for consecutive home victories at the Orange Bowl from October 1985 to September 1994. They also hold a 31–20 all-time record against teams currently in the Big 12. The game will be the last nonconference game of the season for both teams. Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored Miami to win by three points. In CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
' weekly "Expert Picks", two reporters chose A&M to win, while three other reporters chose Miami.
After the Aggies’ 237-yard passing game against Louisiana-Monroe the previous week, A&M ranked 107th nationally in pass offense, up from 115th. Offensively, A&M ranked fifth in rushing offense and 11th in scoring. A&M averaged six yards per play, and has rushed for 100 yards or more in 21 straight games. Thus far, the Aggie defense has allowed its opponents to gain a total of 697 passing yards and 453 rushing yards. Under head coach 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...
, the Aggies have not had much success in nonconference away games; A&M lost to #8 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
in 2003, #19 Utah
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are the athletics teams of the University of Utah. They are named after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. The men's basketball team is known as the "Runnin' Utes"; the women's basketball team, formerly known as the "Lady Utes," now prefers to be referred to as the "Utes"; and the...
in 2004, and unranked Clemson
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
in 2005. In 2006, the Aggies barely went away with a victory against unranked Army
Army 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....
.
Miami came into the game with a 41st-ranked pass defense and a 113th pass offense, after averaging 130.7 passing yards per game. Though Miami won the 2002 BCS national championship and played in the 2003 national championship game
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...
, the 2007 Miami team has not mimicked their successful predecessors. In their second game of the season, the Hurricanes suffered a 13–51 defeat by #6 Oklahoma
2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2007-2008, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship for the fifth time in eight years. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops...
. In their next game against Florida International
FIU Golden Panthers football
The FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
, the Hurricanes gained a total of 428 yards to win 23–9. At the time, Florida International ranked 117th out of 119 teams in scoring offense and 102nd in scoring defense. Though Miami have had a good rushing defense their previous season by holding 13 of their 16 opponents under 100 yards, Miami's last two opponents, FIU and OU, have passed the 100 yard mark.
In the game, the A&M offense suffered, despite having averaged more than 46 points and 444 yards in their previous three games. On 73 carries, 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....
and 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:...
lost a total of 24 yards by being tackled behind the line
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
. The offense lost a total of 27 yards to negative plays, which they had never made in the previous three games. Goodson himself lost one-yard on each of eight total carries. Stephen McGee completed 11 of 20 passes for only 109 yards, and rushed for just 39 yards on 16 carries. On A&M's opening drive, Goodson was tackled behind the line and lost 5 yards, McGee gained 2-yards, and then was sacked for a loss of 2 yards and a three-and-out. In the second quarter alone, A&M lost the ball three times on two fumbles and an interception, all within three minutes of game play. In the entire first half, the Aggies gained only 28 yards, including only 21 rushing yards, and trailed 0–24 at halftime.
A&M tailback
Tailback
Tailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
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...
only had two carries in the entire game—one in the third quarter and one in the fourth—for a total of 2 yards. When asked by reporters to explain why Jorvorskie did not receive the ball much, Stephen McGee responded, "They were doing such a good job up front, we had to try to get the ball on the perimeter and use our speed". A&M had not scored until 11:40 was left in the fourth quarter when kicker Matt Szymanski kicked a 32-yard field goal. The Aggies did not make their first touchdown drive until Miami freshman running back Graig Cooper
Graig Cooper
Graig Cooper is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Miami.-Early years:...
fumbled the ball to the Aggies at the Miami 39. In the Aggies' second scoring drive, freshman redshirt quarterback 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....
threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett with five seconds remaining in the game. Jerrod Johnson took part in his fifth consecutive touchdown drive of his career. Overall, the Aggies could only gain 240 yards, including 98 rushing yards. The 98 rushing yards marked the first time in 22 games the Aggies were held to less than 100 yards; the last time was when A&M played unranked Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
in 2005. A&M had not scored in the first three quarters of a game since the 2004-2005 Cotton Bowl, when A&M lost to unranked Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
7–38.
Miami senior quarterback Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright
Kyle Wright is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and completed 21 of 26 passes. Receiver Sam Shields caught six passes for 117 yards. On their first 80-yard scoring drive itself, Kyle Wright threw for 61 yards, and freshman Graig Cooper
Graig Cooper
Graig Cooper is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Miami.-Early years:...
ran for a 7-yard touchdown. Miami did not punt the ball until 13:07 remained in the third quarter. Overall, Miami compiled 402 offensive yards, including 262 passing. Miami had not scored as many points in a game against a ranked team since October 14, 2004, when Miami played #22 Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
at the Orange Bowl
Miami 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...
.
Baylor
Battle 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...
rivalry game between the Aggies and the Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
. Coming into the game, A&M had led the series 64–30–9. The Bears have never won a Big 12 opener away game, nor have they won at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
since a 20–16 victory in 1984. A&M currently leads the series 29–10–3 in games played at Kyle Field. This was the second time that the Bears and the Aggies met in September; in their first meeting, Baylor won 17–7 in 1979. The rivalry had been dormant from 1986–2003, as Baylor had not won a game since 1985. In 2004, however, an unranked Baylor team pulled off a 35–34 upset in overtime against the then #16 Aggies at Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium
Floyd Casey Stadium is a stadium in Waco, Texas. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Baylor Bears. Floyd Casey Stadium is about four miles from the Baylor campus. Floyd Casey Stadium was built in 1950 and cost $1.8 million dollars to construct...
. In 2005, the rivalry again became bitter when A&M had to complete two fourth down conversions in order to win 16–13 in overtime at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
. In their previous meeting at Floyd Casey in 2006, the Aggies outscored the Bears 31–21. The Bears were led by head coach 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...
, who has compiled a 1–3 record with A&M. A&M head coach 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...
came in with a 3–1 record with Baylor. Three days prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored A&M to win by 17 points. The College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
staff picked A&M to win by an average of 16.5 points. A Waco Tribune-Herald
Waco Tribune-Herald
The Waco Tribune-Herald is an American daily newspaper serving Waco, Texas and vicinity.The newspaper has its roots in five different predecessors, beginning with the Waco Evening Telephone in 1892. The Tribune-Herald took its current identity when E.S...
columnist predicted that the Aggies would win 31–20.
The A&M secondary came into the game with a 62.9% completion rate, 243 passing yards, and 7.4 yards per attempt. Baylor quarterback Blake Szymanski had thrown for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns with 6 interceptions in the previous games of the season.
In the game, A&M possessed the ball for 43 minutes and the defense allowed only seven Baylor first downs. The Bears dropped 10 passes.
Oklahoma State
This was the 23rd meeting between the Aggies and 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...
. Coming into the game, A&M had led the series 16–6, and also led 7–3 in games played at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
. In their previous meeting at Boone Pickens Stadium
Boone Pickens Stadium
Boone Pickens Stadium has been home to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football team in rudimentary form since 1913, and as a complete stadium since 1920...
in 2006, the Aggies defeated the Cowboys 34–33 in overtime, after A&M defensive lineman Red Bryant blocked kicker Jason Ricks' overtime field goal attempt that would have tied the game at 34–34 and created a second overtime.
Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored A&M to win by 6.5 points. Three out of the four College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
staff members predicted A&M to win by 6 points. WhatIfSports.com
WhatIfSports.com
WhatIfSports.com is a company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. that specializes in online sports simulations and fantasy-style games. It uses custom sports simulators to allow users to match teams from any era and generate a complete play-by-play of a game...
, which runs a computer simulation of a game 101 times and predicts the winner and score difference, predicted OSU to win.
Prior to the game, the Cowboys' rush offense ranked 8th, three spots behind the Aggies. The Cowboys' overall defense ranked 97th. The Cowboys' pass defense, however, ranked 117th, after allowing 342.6 passing yards and 53 pass attempts per game. OSU also ranked 106th nationally in the least number of penalties allowed, losing 76.4 yards per game, and 98th in turnover
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
margin. Under Coach Mike Gundy
Mike Gundy
Mike Gundy is an American football coach and former player He is currently the head football coach at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater. Gundy played college football Oklahoma State, where he was the Cowboys quarterback from 1986 to 1989. Gundy became Oklahoma State's coach on January 3, 2005...
, the Cowboys have compiled a 1–10 road game record.
A&M's rush offense ranked 5th nationally, after averaging 267.8 yards per game. A&M's pass offense, however, ranked 108th. 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 thrown for 737 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions coming into the game. McGee, however, led the Aggies in rushing with his 412 rushing yards.
In the first half, OSU wide receiver Adarius Bowman
Adarius Bowman
Adarius Bowman is an Canadian football wide receiver for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Bowman was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on April 1, 2009...
caught three passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 47 yards that gave OSU the 14–0 lead. Cowboys kicker Jason Ricks, who had made only 2 of his 5 attempted field goals of the season, made a 32-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in the first half. He also scored OSU's only points in the second half, two field goals for 25 yards, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth. At the end of the first half, the Aggies trailed OSU 0–17. Notable for OSU is that, for the first time since 2004, the Cowboys made a first half shutout in a conference game.
In the second half, 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...
scored all of A&M's touchdowns. He rushed for two 1-yard touchdowns, and made his first receiving touchdown for 10 yards. Lane almost made a 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kerry Franks, but officials ruled that Franks' knee touched the ground at the 1-yard line. The receiving touchdown gave A&M a 24–20 lead with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter. Overall, Lane rushed for 77 yards on 19 carries. Early in the fourth quarter, two A&M defenders caused an injury to OSU's starting quarterback, Zac Robinson, which led OSU's junior redshirt quarterback Bobby Reid to replace him. Coincidentally, in their previous meeting in 2006, the A&M defense caused Reid to bench and Robinson to fill in. OSU elected to kick a field goal with 3:11 left in the game, bringing the score up to 23–24. OSU almost received the ball on an A&M punt with 1:46 left in the game, but safety Quinton Moore was flagged for roughing A&M punter Justin Brantly, giving A&M an automatic first down. A&M then ran out the clock to win 24–23.
The Aggies matched their largest comeback in school history, when A&M played Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
in 1986 and overcame a 0–17 point deficit to win 31–30. The game's attendance of 86,217 became the sixth-largest in stadium history. The Aggies now had ranked #1 in the Big 12 South Division with an overall 5–1 record and a 2–0 conference record.
Texas Tech
This was the Aggies' 66th meeting 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...
. A&M came into the game leading the series 34–30–1, though 1993 had been the last time the Aggies won at Jones Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. In games played at Lubbock, Tech had led the series 16–12. Coach 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...
had a 1–3 record with Tech as A&M head coach, and Tech coach Mike Leach had a 5–2 record with A&M as Tech head coach. In their previous meeting at Kyle Field, the Raiders outscored the Aggies 31–27, after Tech sophomore 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:...
made a 37-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the game.
Two days prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored Tech to win by 8 points. The College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
staff predicted Tech to win 45–31. In a press conference early into the week of the game, A&M 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...
, when told that A&M hadn't won a game in Lubbock since 1993, responded "We're going to win in 2007. That's a guarantee. I promise you." When Tech coach Mike Leach was confronted with Lane's statement, Leach expressed his indifference. Tech's interim defensive coordinator, Ruffin McNeill, however, respected Lane's statement. A&M defensive back Danny Gorrer stated that "[Tech wide 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...
] got to bring his A-game when he faces Danny Gorrer". Gorrer ended up leaving the game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
that caused him to miss the rest of the season. A&M linebacker Mark Dodge stated that last year's game was "just a fluke" and expressed his desire to perform well against Tech.
Coming into the game, the Raiders had led the nation in total offense (590.2 yards) and passing offense (513 yards). They were also second in scoring offense with their 52.5 points per game. Tech 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:...
was ranked #1 in the nation after compiling 450.2 yards per game, 38 completions per game, and 454.3 passing yards per game this season. Harrell compiled a 73.5 pass completion rate, and had thrown for 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Wide 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...
had led the nation in receptions (70 for 11.67 yards per game) and receiving (1,074 for 179 yards per game). He is also the Division I freshman touchdown record holder for a season, after scoring 17 points per game. Crabtree's 1,074 reception yards were more than A&M's team total of 1,005. The Raiders' pass defense ranked 20th, their rush defense ranked 59th after allowing 152 yards per game, and their rush offense was ranked 113th, after rushing only 77.2 yards per game. The Raiders' overall defense ranked 36th, after allowing 338 yards per game.
A&M came into the game with a 7th-ranked rush offense, after rushing for 248 yards per game. A&M's leading rushers, 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:...
, 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...
, and 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 compiled 363 yards on 75 carries, 397 yards on 89 carries, and 455 yards on 71 carries, respectively. A&M's pass defense ranked 75th, after allowing 237.5 passing yards per game. The Aggies' defense ranked 63rd after allowing 377.5 yards per game.
Nebraska
This was the Aggies' 13th meeting with the Nebraska CornhuskersNebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. Coming into the game, Nebraska had led the series 2–10, ever since it began in 1930. Texas A&M had only won the 1955 game in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, and the 1998 game in College Station. Since the 1998 game, the Cornhuskers have outscored the Aggies by an average of 20 points per game. During the 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...
era, the Aggies had played the Cornhuskers twice, and had lost both times by a combined total of 8 points. Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan
Bill Callahan (football coach)
William E. Callahan is the Assistant Head Coach for the New York Jets. He was formerly the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for the 2002-2003 seasons and for the University of Nebraska for the 2004-2007 seasons....
entered the 2007 season as a third-year head coach with a 18–15 record and a Big 12 North title. Callahan had led his team to a 4–3 season record, including a homecoming loss to Oklahoma State
Oklahoma 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...
. The loss to Oklahoma State became the worst home
Memorial Stadium, Lincoln
Memorial Stadium is located on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. It is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team....
loss for Nebraska since 1958 and prompted Nebraska officials to fire athletic director Steve Pederson. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored Nebraska to win by 2 points.
Coming into the game, A&M ranked 109th nationally in passing offense, after compiling 162.2 passing yards per game. Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
was the Aggies' leading rusher at the time, after compiling 544 rushing yards. A&M's rushing offense ranked 7th nationally, after rushing 246 yards per game. The pass defense ranked 99th nationally, and overall defense ranked 74th. Tight end Martellus Bennett and offensive lineman Chris Yoder did not travel to Lincoln due to injuries, and cornerback Jordan Peterson did not play due to an injury. Nebraska entered the game with an offense that ranked 38th nationally, and a passing offense that ranked 27th. Nebraska's rush defense ranked 106th, after allowing opponents to rush an average of 208.5 yards per game. Nebraska's total defense ranked 108th.
In the game, A&M 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....
rushed for 167 yards on 35 carries, both career-highs, and completed 13 of 22 passes for 100 yards. McGee's 35 carries broke the A&M record for carries by a quarterback of 27, which was set in 1977. A&M 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...
rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his career rushing touchdown total to 43 and becoming the Aggies' second all-time leading touchdown rusher. Lane also made carries of 22, 27, and 31 yards, which became his three longest runs thus far this season. Nebraska had lost all three of their fumbles, one of which that led A&M to a 16–7 lead in the second quarter. In the third quarter, both Lane and McGee teamed up on two consecutive 80–yard touchdown drives against the wind, giving A&M a 30–14 lead. Overall, the offense compiled a total of 459 yards with no turnovers, and 359 rushing yards, the most in a road game since 1996. After the game, Nebraska had been outscored 122–34 in their losses to Missouri, Oklahoma State, and A&M.
Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–1, and had only lost the first meeting in Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1974. Kansas was the only Big 12 team that A&M was undefeated against, ever since the Big 12 formed in 1996. Kansas was the first top 10 team, excluding Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and Texas
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...
, to play at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
since 2002. A&M had compiled a 6–3 record for games played against top 10 teams (other than OU and Texas) at Kyle Field. In their previous meeting in 2006, A&M outscored Kansas 21–18. One day prior to the game, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s favored Kansas to win by three points. In CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
' weekly "Expert Picks", four out of the five reporters chose A&M to win.
A&M came into the game with a 5th-ranked rushing offense, and a 111th ranked passing offense. The pass defense ranked 100th, scoring defense ranked 42nd, and overall defense ranked 73rd. Kansas entered the game with a 16th-ranked rushing offense, 25th-ranked passing offense, and a 3rd-ranked scoring offense. Kansas' rushing defense ranked 4th, pass defense ranked 10th, and overall defense ranked 5th. Kansas also had ranked 9th in the weekly BCS standings.
In the game, the KU defense held A&M's 5th-ranked rushing offense to only 79 yards. The A&M defense allowed KU running back Brandon McAnderson to rush for a career-high of 183 yards and score two touchdowns. The game remained scoreless until the third quarter, when KU gained a total of 13 points by kicking two field goals and scoring one touchdown. In the third quarter alone, the A&M offense compiled -9 yards on 9 plays. In the fourth quarter, KU scored another touchdown to earn a 19 point lead. A&M had almost gotten its first home
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
since 1971, until Matt Szymanski kicked a field goal with 7:20 left in the game. With 2:06 left, 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....
threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Roger Holland and completed a two point conversion to bring the score up to 19–11. On the last two plays of the game, however, McGee attempted hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
es, but failed both times.
Oklahoma
This was the Aggies' 26th meeting with the Oklahoma SoonersOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. The Sooners entered the game leading the series 10–15 and also leading 11–1 in games played at Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
. Coach 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...
had compiled a 0–4 record with OU as A&M head coach, and coach Bob Stoops
Bob 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....
had compiled a 7–1 record with A&M as OU head coach. In 2003, A&M suffered its worst loss in school history when OU shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
A&M 77–0 at Norman. In their last meeting, the #21 Aggies lost to the #18 Sooners 17–16. In addition, A&M 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:...
ran for a career record of 127 yards against the Sooners tough run defense last year. The Sooners came off of a bye week
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
to play A&M. During his tenure at OU, Stoops had compiled a 7–1 record in games played directly after a bye week. In CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
' weekly "Expert Picks", all five reporters chose OU to win. Two days prior to the game, oddsmakers favored OU to win by 21 points.
A&M entered the game with a 9th-ranked rushing offense, 109th passing offense, and 48th scoring offense. A&M's scoring defense ranked 40th, pass defense 89th, and overall defense ranked 76th. OU had led the Big 12 with its 2nd-ranked scoring offense and 3rd-ranked rushing defense. OU had also led the Big 12 with its 2nd-ranked passing efficiency, 8th-ranked sack total, and 5th-ranked tackles for loss total.
In the game, OU 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...
Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham
Jermaine Gresham is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was drafted by the Bengals with the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, despite the fact that he had missed all of the previous season with a knee injury....
matched a school record after he caught four receiving touchdowns in the first three quarters. Quarterback Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob "Sam" Bradford is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and played college football at Oklahoma. In 2008, as a redshirt sophomore, Bradford became the second sophomore to win a...
made 284 passing yards and five touchdowns. A&M fumbles in the first half, one by receiver Roger Holland and the other by running back Keondra Smith, led to OU touchdown drives. The OU offense gained a total of 470 yards. A&M 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:...
, who was suspended the first half after missing a practice earlier in the week, rushed for a total of 28 yards on 7 carries. 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....
compiled 155 passing yards after completing 15 of 28 passes. Overall, the Aggies gained only 283 offensive yards, 152 of which came from the final two drives of the game. The Aggies did not convert a single third down. A&M tight end Martellus Bennett broke a school record of 26 consecutive games with receptions after he caught a team-high of four passes.
Missouri
This was the Aggies' 10th meeting with the Missouri TigersMissouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
. A&M entered the game leading the series 7–2. In the 2006 game at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
, the unranked Aggies defeated #19 Missouri 25–19.
Texas
This game marked the 114th meeting between the Aggies and the Texas LonghornsTexas 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...
and was the fourth year as part of a multi-sport rivalry called the Lone Star Showdown. The football rivalry began in 1894 and continues to be the longest-running rivaly for both the Longhorns and the Aggies; it is the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football. Texas A&M comes into the 2007 contest with a 35–73–5 record. Since the series began in 1894, the game has traditionally been played on Thanksgiving Day or Thanksgiving weekend. The 2007 game marks the fourteenth straight game to be scheduled the day after Thanksgiving.
The 2005 UT game was the poorest performance of that season by the Longhorns, both offensively and defensively. On offense, Vince Young had only 162 yards of offense, his lowest output of the season. UT running backs Henry Melton and Ramonce Taylor also received criticism for their tendency to run side-to-side instead of down-field. On defense, the Longhorns held A&M to only 118 yards passing but gave up 277 yards rushing; the highest allowed by the Longhorns all season.
The 2006 meeting was the first time in eight years that both teams entered the game with at least eight wins coming into the match-up. A&M prevailed 12–7 over the Longhorns in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, rushing for 244 yards against the nation's then-top-ranked rush defense.
As a result of a tragic accident in 1999, the Aggies could no longer hold a school sponsored version of their traditional Bonfire
Aggie Bonfire
Aggie Bonfire was a long-standing tradition at Texas A&M University as part of the college rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin. For 90 years, Texas A&M students—known as Aggies—built and burned a bonfire on campus each autumn...
but the unofficial "Student Bonfire" was lit on the evening of 20 November 2007. Texas A&M also hosted its annual Maroon Out on game day. During the week before the game, the Longhorns held their traditional Hex Rally
Hex Rally
Hex Rally was a pep rally at The University of Texas at Austin that occurred in the week prior to the annual football game between the Texas Longhorns and their in-state rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies.-History:...
.
The game kicked off and the Aggies Quickly scored a 35 yard touchdown with a screen pass from Stephen McGee
Stephen McGee
Stephen Richard McGee is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Texas A&M....
to 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 opening drive to go up by seven points. The Longhorns mustered two first downs, but could not get any points and punted. Texas A&M likewise ended their subsequent drive three plays later with a punt of their own. The Longhorn team again successfully penetrated into Texas A&M territory, but Mack Brown
Mack Brown
William Mack Brown is head coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorn football team.Prior to his head coach position at Texas, Brown was head coach at Appalachian State, Tulane, and North Carolina. Brown is credited with revitalizing the Texas and North Carolina football programs...
opted to call a pooch punt by Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
on fourth down and four from the Aggie 37. The Aggies answered with an eighteen-play drive that stalled on the 14 yardline and the Aggies had to settle for a 31 yard field goal by Matt Szymanski.
The second quarter started with the Longhorns driving only six yards and being forced to punt again. The Aggies continued to press their advantage and drove down the field until Stephen McGee threw an ill-timed pass that was intercepted by Deon Beasley at the Longhorn 25. Two first-downs later, Texas was forced to punt and pinned Texas A&M on their own five yard line. Stephen McGee led the offense with several long passes and the Aggies drove to the Texas 5 but again were held short on 3rd down. On 4th and three, the Aggies faked the field goal and the placeholder, T.J. Sanders, ran the ball in for his first touchdown giving the Aggies a 17-0 lead. The Longhorns started their next drive on their own 20 where Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
threw a pass to Jamaal Charles
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles is an American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
that went 62 yards. The drive stalled and the Longhorns had to settle for a field goal and went to halftime trailing their arch rival 17-3.
The third quarter started with promising drives by both teams that ended when the ball was intercepted. Brandon Foster
Brandon Foster
Brandon Foster is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He most recently attended training camp with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
ran the Longhorn interception back to the A&M 8 yard line and Texas scored a touchdown on the next play to pull the Longhorns within seven points. The Aggies drove to the Texas 34 yard line, but the drive stalled out and Texas took over on downs as the fourth down attempt failed. Colt McCoy fumbled a few plays later to give the ball back to Texas A&M. Five plays later, Stephen McGee scampered into the endzone for a five yard touchdown to put the Aggies up 24-10. The Longhorns took little time to answer with a touchdown of their own. Quan Cosby returned the following kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to pull Texas within seven once again. The next drive started on the Aggie 49, courtesy of a 42 yard kickoff return by E.J. Shankle that nearly went for a touchdown. The quarter ended on a seven yard pass to Mike Goodson.
The final quarter of play began with Stephen McGee and Mike Goodson picking up where they left off: Stephen McGee threw a 44-yard pass to Mike Goodson for another touchdown to put the Aggies ahead by a score of 31-17. The Longhorns again went three and out and were forced to punt. The Aggies went down the field quickly and scored yet another touchdown with a 66-yard pass completion to Earvin Taylor to put Texas A&M up by 21 points. Colt McCoy fumbled the ball two plays later but A&M was forced to punt the ball away 3 plays later. McCoy and the Longhorn offense drove the length of the field and answered with 2 passes for over 25 yards and a touchdown taking only 99 seconds off the clock. The Aggies lost seven yards over the next 3 plays and were forced again to punt. The Longhorns drove 73 yards from their own 27, converted two fourth downs, and scored another touchdown. Ryan Bailey missed the extra point but left the Longhorns only down by 8 points. The Aggies took possession on their own 33 and ran the clock out to win the game 38-30.
During the postgame celebration, ABC commentator Jack Arute asked Coach Franchione for his thoughts on the A&M coaching situation. Coach Franchione responded by asking the announcer to let the players enjoy their victory. At the beginning of the subsequent press conference, Coach Franchione announced his resignation effective immediately. Shortly thereafter, Texas A&M announced that Defensive coordinator Gary Darnell would lead the Aggies in the bowl game.
Alamo Bowl vs. Penn State
The Aggies were picked to play the Penn State Nittany Lions2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
, who finished 8–4 in their regular season.
Three Aggie players missed the game due to injuries, including offensive lineman Chris Yoder, cornerback Jordan Peterson, and defensive lineman Chris Smith. Defensive end Michael Bennett also cannot make the game due to his academic ineligibility.
College Football News
College Football News
College Football News is a magazine and website published by College Football News, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. News coverage includes scores, statistics, rankings, and reports on college football games. Analysis includes comparisons between teams, predictions of game outcomes and...
predicts a 34-20 victory for Penn State. WhatIfSports.com
WhatIfSports.com
WhatIfSports.com is a company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. that specializes in online sports simulations and fantasy-style games. It uses custom sports simulators to allow users to match teams from any era and generate a complete play-by-play of a game...
simulated the game 1,001 times and predicts the same result with a lower score, Penn State 29, Texas A&M 17.
After the season
In the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, five Aggies were drafted, including Martellus Bennett
Martellus Bennett
Martellus Demond Bennett is an American football tight end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Texas A&M.-Early years:...
in the second round by 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...
, Cody Wallace
Cody Wallace
Cody Layne Wallace is an American football center for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and 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...
in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and 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...
, respectively, Chris Harrington
Chris Harrington (American football)
Christopher Edward "Chris" Harrington is an American football defensive end who most recently played for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Corey Clark
Corey Clark (American football)
Corey Stanley Clark is a former American football offensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M.-San Diego Chargers:During the Chargers' 2008 minicamps,...
in the seventh round by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.