Texas A&M football preview 2012 by The Eagle Advertising Department

texas a&M football 2012

Joining the best First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin will lead Texas A&M into the Southeastern Conference, home of the last six BCS national champions.

The Eagle

2006

2007

2008

Florida 41 Ohio State 14

LSU 38 Ohio State 24

Florida 24 Oklahoma 14

University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. January 8, 2007

Louisiana Superdome New Orleans January 7, 2008

Dolphin Stadium Miami Gardens, Fla. January 8, 2009

2009

Alabama 37 Texas 21 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. January 7, 2010

2010 Auburn 22 Oregon 19 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz. January 10, 2011

2011

Alabama 21 LSU 0 Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans January 9, 2012

Texas A&M Football 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

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Aggies have work to do in order to keep SEC mania going strong

Texas A&M Football 2012

Lunch-pail time T

texas a&M schedule OppOnent Louisiana Tech #Florida SMU S.C. State #Arkansas #Mississippi #LSU #Auburn #Mississippi State #Alabama Sam Houston State #Missouri

Where Shreveport, La. Kyle Field Dallas Kyle Field Kyle Field Oxford, Miss. Kyle Field Auburn, Ala. Starkville, Miss. Tuscaloosa, Ala. Kyle Field Kyle Field

time 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) 2:30 p.m. (FSN) TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

texas a&M 2011 results Date OppOnent Sun., Sept. 4 SMU Sat., Sept. 17 Idaho Sat., Sept. 24 Oklahoma St. Sat., Oct. 1 Arkansas Sat., Oct. 8 ^Texas Tech Sat., Oct. 15 ^Baylor Sat., Oct. 22 ^Iowa State Sat., Oct. 29 ^Missouri Sat., Nov. 5 ^Oklahoma Sat., Nov. 12 ^Kansas State Sat., Nov. 19 ^Kansas Thurs., Nov. 24 ^Texas Sat., Dec. 31 *Northwestern ^Big 12 games *Meineke Car Care Bowl, Reliant Stadium

Where Kyle Field Kyle Field Kyle Field Arlington Lubbock Kyle Field Ames, Iowa Kyle Field Norman, Okla. Manhattan, Kan. Kyle Field Kyle Field Houston

result W, 46-14 W, 37-7 L, 30-29 L, 42-38 W, 45-40 W, 55-28 W, 33-17 L, 38-31 OT L, 41-25 L, 53-50 OT W, 61-7 L, 27-25 W, 33-22

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state’s top underclassmen intrigued by A&M’s move to the SEC. And it’s also huge that the fan base is united, with those who weren’t thrilled about the move initially at least willing to give it a chance. A&M is a big winner right now, and the only way to keep its momentum is by winning. A&M has to be at least 3-5 in the SEC, which is doable. At this point, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn and Missouri are winnable games. History also says its doable. Arkansas and South Carolina were the last teams to join the SEC, two decades ago. Each won three games in their inau-

See Cessna, Page 4

Index Texas A&M

Preview: Sumlin confident heading into SEC Defensive lines make difference in SEC Porter had role model in brother Swope draws inspiration from little sister Robert Cessna Grades the Aggies Texas A&M depth chart Breaking down the Sumlin offense Texas A&M football: a capsule look

5 6 7 8 9 10 13 9

Alabama reloaded, ready for next title run LSU out one key player but still loaded Arkansas ready for 2012 after crazy offseason Mississippi State improving, looking for more Auburn Tigers want to rebound from 8-5 season Mississippi starting fresh with Freeze Florida, Missouri previews SEC schedules SEC capsules

4 14 17 18 18 20 23 15 21

SEC

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Date Thurs., Aug. 30 Sat., Sept. 8 Sat., Sept. 15 Sat., Sept. 22 Sat., Sept. 29 Sat., Oct. 6 Sat., Oct. 20 Sat., Oct. 27 Sat., Nov. 3 Sat., Nov. 10 Sat., Nov. 17 Sat., Nov. 24 #SEC games

ROBERT CESSNA

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Eagle photo by Stuart Villanueva Starting center Patrick Lewis (61) will be counted on to anchor Texas A&M’s offense as the Aggies move into the SEC.

exas A&M hasn’t missed a step in its move to the Southeastern Conference, but handling what’s ahead will be much, much tougher. A&M has been able to put behind a Top 10 season gone badly wrong by reaping the benefits of joining the SEC. And it’s not just that the Aggies have joined the nation’s best conference. They’ve also left behind the Texas Longhorns. The past few months have been the best of both worlds as Aggie fans might be more giddy than they were a year ago at this time, which is rather remarkable. The buzz will continue with six sellouts at Kyle Field and road trips to defending national champ Alabama and 2010 national champ Auburn, but at some point to keep things on the upswing, A&M has to win meaningful games, if not this season, then next season. It’s imperative that A&M take advantage of having all the

AggieSports.com Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Texas A&M Football 2012

Alabama reloaded for title run Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA,Ala.—Thedefinition of a successful season for Alabamathesedaysisnomystery. Undefeated with a national championship. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban doesn’t mind grand ambitions but emphasizes his squad can’t afford skipped steps or misdirected focus. That’s one reason tight end Michael Williams said that while anything less than a national title “is a failure,” gazing at that big picture too long won’t help the Tide make it happen. “You can’t think of it that way,” Williams said. “Take it one game at a time.”

Especially with the first game being Michigan at Cowboys Stadium. The Tide enters the season considered one of the championship front-runners, seeking to claim a third national title in four years and second straight. The veterans know from experience what a sense of entitlement and lack of focus can hurt even a loaded team (see Alabama, circa 2010). Saban and a number of players with the voice of experience say this team doesn’t suffer from the kind of overconfidence that led to a 10-3 disappointment two years ago. They’ve raved about the team’s attitudeandworkethicduringthe

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban (left) and quarterback A.J. McCarron will try to forge another national title run this season.

summer. The words “defending national champion”mightnotbeoutlawed around the football offices, but they’re not encouraged either. “We’ve been around the coach so long, we won’t do like that 2010 season,”linebackerNicoJohnson said. “It pretty much taught us a lessonthatwecan’tlookforward.” A quick look back: The Tide has gone 48-6 over the last four seasons. In college football where the roster turnover is so high, Saban has imported a string of highly-rated recruiting classes. The Crimson Tide has avoided any major drop-off in talent at a program where 10 wins are a letdown.

AP file photo

CESSNA: It took time for Arkansas, South Carolina to handle SEC Continued from 3 gural season. There’s no doubt the SEC today is stronger than it was back in 1992. The SEC didn’t win a single national championship in the six seasons before Arkansas and South Carolina joined, with No. 3 rankings by Florida in 1983 and Auburn in 1984 the best finishes. But as far as top-to-bottom quality, there’s not much difference between then and now. SEC teams combined for 11 Top 10 finishes in the previous six seasons before adding Arkansas and South Carolina. Heading into this season, SEC teams have had 15 Top 10 finishes in the previous six seasons. Bottom line, it doesn’t matter when you join the nation’s best conference, you have to elevate your level of play. Arkansas and South Carolina weren’t able to build on those 3-5 starts, suffering through severe growing pains. The Razorbacks are 78-83-2 in league play, the Gamecocks are 65-95-1. Neither has been able to win the SEC, with Arkansas losing in three title games, South Carolina in one. It’s taken two decades, but Arkansas and South Carolina are part of the league’s upper echelon as the Aggies enter the league. Arkansas and South Carolina finished in the Top 10 last season, Arkansas’ first since 1982 and South Carolina’s first in school history. Just as the Aggies sped up history to join the SEC, they have designs on being one of the best a lot quicker than 20

years, though it won’t be this year. A&M won’t get beat this season or any season because of a lack of fans’ enthusiasm and first-class facilities, but those are the norm in the SEC. A&M’s growth needs to come on the field, especially in the lines, particularly on defense. The Aggies also need more maturity. A&M likely will play double-digit true freshmen from a class that was rated No. 15 in the nation by 247sports. com. They’re talented and will get better by playing, but eight other SEC teams also have freshmen at their disposal from Top 25-ranked classes, four of them ranked ahead of A&M, and some won’t have to play their freshmen out of necessity. The Aggies head into the SEC with a redshirt freshman quarterback. Johnny Manziel has the skills and moxie to make something from plays that break down, much like Bucky Richardson, whom he is compared to. But Richardson had a Top 10 team around him to make most of his bad plays go away, including a Wrecking Crew defense that finished seventh that season in total yards allowed. A&M’s defense isn’t even rated among the top seven in the SEC, so at times Manziel will have to bail it out, not exactly a winning proposition. There’s also the newbie factor. A year ago, Big 12 opponents had the A&M game circled, wanting to play their best against the Aggies who exited the Big 12 having never finished a season ranked in the Top 10. Now the SEC teams

will be hell bent this season to show A&M its place, as was the case with Arkansas and South Carolina for the better part of two decades. Aggies will tell you they are better than the Razorbacks and Gamecocks, which is why the SEC wanted them. The country’s best conference needed a presence in the best state for

football. A&M jumped at the chance. The Big 12 wasn’t bad for the Aggies, but Longhorns, Red Raiders, and even the Bears took turns hogging the state’s spotlight. Now, as the Aggies look from El Paso to Galveston and Tyler to Alice, they are the only ones from the state playing in the country’s best conference. To

remain the Lone Star State’s focal point, they just have to be among the best in their new league. Yet that’s something that was seldom the case in the last decade in the Big 12. Maybe that will change as well. We’ll see. Robert Cessna’s email address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com

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Texas A&M’s new coach bringing stacked resume to Aggieland By ROBERT CESSNA robert.cessna@theeagle.com

Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has faced teams from the SEC only five times since becoming an assistant coach in 1991. • 1999: assistant at Purdue, which lost to Georgia 28-25 in the Outback Bowl • 2003 (2): assistant at Oklahoma, which beat Alabama 2013 and lost to LSU 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl • 2009: head coach at Houston, which beat Mississippi St. 31-24 • 2010: head coach at UH, which lost to Mississippi St. 47-24

Will Muschamp Florida head football coach

Inside An in-depth look at the offense Sumlin has installed at A&M /13 who last season had 89 catches for 1,207 yards. It’s not much different than when Houston hired Sumlin to replace Baylor-bound Art Briles, another spread coach, who left behind an offense that was fourth in total yards in 2007, averaging 501.9 yards per game. Sumlin bettered that in every season except one. But that was in Conference USA, which had one team ranked in the Top 10 in total defense last season. The SEC had five. The SEC also had only one team

rank higher than 81st in total defense, while Conference USA had six. A summer debate has been how will Sumlin’s offense fare against the likes of Alabama and LSU, which have helped the SEC win six straight national championships. They played for the national championship last season in part because they ranked one and two in total defense. The best defense Sumlin faced last season was Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles, ranked 29th in total defense, grabbed a 49-28 victory

in the league’s championship game at UH’s Robertson Stadium. Southern Miss intercepted two passes and stifled UH’s running game, making the Cougars one-dimensional as they passed for 373 yards, part of 428 total yards. Houston rebounded to run roughshod over Penn State in the Ticket City Bowl. Penn State, which ended the season ranked 20th in total defense was shredded for 600 yards in UH’s 30-14 victory. Sumlin already had left for A&M and

See SUMLIN, Page 16

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So Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech quarterback, are not starting from scratch. They’re retooling an offense that averaged 490.2 yards per game last season, which was seventh in the country. A&M has a veteran offensive line that Sumlin says is one of the nation’s best. Senior running back Christine Michael has the potential to be a first-round NFL draft pick, and incoming freshman Trey Williams was a five-star recruit. They also inherited go-to wide receiver senior Ryan Swope,

You look at what Kevin [Sumlin] and Kliff [Kingsbury] did at Houston. They put up video game numbers as far as offense is concerned. They do a great job of spreading the field in a little different manner. They give you the illusion it’s a throw offense.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

evin Sumlin’s spread offense could be in trouble if Southeastern Conference opponents defend it as well as he has since coming to Aggieland. Sumlin has smiled, snarled, smirked and even snickered when talking about how his spread offense will do in such a physical, defense-oriented conference. “Everybody’s got their opinion,” he said. “Nobody really knows what we’re getting into.” Sumlin, though, pretty much knew what he was getting with the Aggies. He was an assistant at Texas A&M in 2001-02, then an assistant at Oklahoma for five seasons. Sumlin didn’t face the Aggies the last four seasons at the University of Houston as he built an offense that twice led the nation in total yards and was second once. The Aggies also picked up the offensive pace in the finesseminded Big 12 under former head coach Mike Sherman, twice finishing in the Top 10 in total yards.

4Brush with sEC

Texas A&M Football 2012

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AP file photo Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin smiles during SEC media days in Hoover,Ala., last month. Sumlin says he hopes some misconceptions about his high-powered offense linger as he leads the Aggies into the SEC this season.

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Texas A&M’s DaMontre Moore hits Kansas quaretrback Jordan Webb hard early in the Aggies’ 61-7 victory over the Jayhawks last season at Kyle Field.

Eagle photo by Stuart Villanueva

D-line key in SEC Conference an NFL factory for defensive linemen By RICHARD CROOME richard.croome@theeagle.com

It’s no secret that the Southeastern Conference’s recent national title run began with defense. Ask any coach and he’ll take it one step further, emphasizing defense begins up front, especially in a bruising league such as the SEC. The secondary with its interceptions and the linebackers, who usually lead the team in tackles, soak in most of the attention, but it’s those harassing the quarterbacks and Eagle photo by Stuart Villanueva dominating in the trenches that have made Spencer Nealy is expected to play a big role for the Texas A&M defensive line at his tackle position. for a familiar formula to the SEC’s success.

Inside Texas A&M’s top D-line since 2006 /22 SEC’s top defensive lines since 2006 /22 SEC defensive line rankings /22 SEC’s best D-lines of 2011 /22 And although the league has had its stars in LSU’s Glenn Dorsey, Florida’s Derrick Harvey, Alabama’s Marcell Dareus and Auburn’s Nick Fairley, all of whom were high first-round draft picks, it’s the depth of the defensive lines in the SEC that makes

See DEFENSE, Page 22

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No. 25’s No. 1 fan

Swope family adopted Hannah from China in 2002 By DAVID HARRIS david.harris@theeagle.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

very year on Hannah Swope’s birthday, her mother, Louise, pulls out the tattered clothes Hannah was wearing April 8, 2002. To the Swopes, it is known as Family Day — when they finally met their adopted child in Kunming, China. Hannah is 11 years old and just began fifth grade at Bridgepoint Elementary in Austin. She is a dancer, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Regan. She dreams of becoming the third Swope to attend Texas A&M University behind her brothers, Louie, a junior who just left the A&M football team, and Ryan, a senior wide receiver. But more than 10 years ago, she was simply a baby without a home.

Texas A&M Football 2012

Abandoned early The One Child Policy was enacted in China in the late 1970s as a measure of population control to help alleviate economic and social troubles in the country. Because of the policy, rural households often preferred to have a son, so he could provide assistance in the fields and household. As a result, girls were often aborted or orphaned. According to the Population Research Institute, more than 90 percent of Chinese orphanages are made up of girls. According to UNICEF in 2007, there were at least 17 million children orphaned in China. Hannah, born on May 24, 2001, was abandoned at a park by her birth mother. The reasons for the abandonment, Louise said, are unknown. She said a government officer saw the girl and took her to an orphanage.

A family decision 8

In 2000, Louise and her husband, Paul, decided that they wanted to adopt a child from China. “We had talked about having a fourth child, and we had known of a couple families who had adopted,” Louise said. “We just said that would be the

coolest thing for the family.” But before they had to make certain their entire family would be involved. “It was a family thing and everybody had to be on board,” she said. Ryan said he was initially taken aback at the news. “At first, I was a little skeptical. I didn’t know how to react. That’s a game changer,” he said. “But it hit home with me how important it is to help a kid like that.” So the family began the application process through Harrah’s Adoption International Mission out of Spring. Louise said it took nearly two years to fill out the paperwork and meet the requirements, which included visits from social workers and being questioned by the Chinese government. After all the paperwork was done near the end of 2001, the Swopes waited for the Chinese government. Louise said that in those few months, they prayed every night for the child to be healthy and to be in good care. Finally, in February 2002, they got the call that Hannah, or Xi-Ying, would be ready to adopt in April. The agency sent the Swopes pictures of the baby girl. “I remember her being the cutest little girl,” Ryan said. In her college entrance essay titled “The China Doll,” Regan wrote about her first thoughts when she saw her new sister. “My fingers swept across the photo, delicately tracing her gorgeous features as I stared at the small infant girl innocently looking in my direction,” she wrote. “As my eyes welled up with tears, I took note of her captivating splendor, and at that moment, I yearned for nothing more than to take this stranger into my arms and embrace her.”

Meeting Hannah The family first landed in Hong Kong and then flew to Kunming — a town of 6.9 million people. Louise said the three kids were like celebrities in a town where blonde hair and blue eyes aren’t the norm. “Everybody wanted to take

pictures with them,” she said with a laugh. While they were waiting for Hannah to be delivered, Ryan, Louie and Paul would go to the nearby university and play basketball for hours. Eventually, the families went to a Kodak store to have a passport photo taken for Hannah. Their translator informed them that the babies would be dropped off to the seven traveling families right then and there. A white van pulled up and nannies with babies in hand piled out. One nanny walked up to the Swopes, handed over Hannah to Louise and walked back to the van. No words were spoken. “My brothers and I huddled around my parents, tearing up at the sight of the newfound joy, my new sister,” Regan wrote. “One at a time, we held her in our arms and played with her.” They got to tour the orphanage after receiving their baby girl. Louise said it was a surreal sight. There were empty rooms of hundreds of children who were at school. And there were hundreds of baby girls in cribs with such little help.

‘The Gift’ More than 10 years later, Hannah is your typical Austin elementary school student. On the eve of beginning fifth grade, she was excitable as she got on the phone to answer questions. She introduced herself with a confident tone and had an infectious laugh. She said that she enjoys dancing because it’s an art and “the floor is like my canvas.” She doesn’t miss a single A&M football game and “loves the traditions” associated with the school. Her favorite activity to indulge in with Ryan is goofing around on their personal watercraft at the lake house. She said she likes to wear tank tops to the game when it’s hot and paint the No. 25 on her cheeks — supporting her big brother. Ryan, who is about to embark on his senior season and is on pace to become the school’s most decorated receiver, said they always keep in

See SWOPES, Page 16

Special to The Eagle The Swopes’family Christmas (top) includes siblings Hannah (from left),Ryan,Louie and Regan. Hannah, now 11 and starting the fifth grade, always shows support for her big brother at Aggie football games with the No. 25 painted on her cheeks.

GRADES THE AGGIES Here are Robert Cessna’s preseason grades for the Aggies (last season’s preseason grades are in parentheses):

QUARTERBACKS: D (B+)

RUNNING BACKS: A- (A-)

COACHING: A (A-)

First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin has done a remarkable job in eliminating the lingering negativity from five second-half collapses. His personality and swagger is contagious, and he swears his players are in tip-top shape. You can’t fault much from what he’s done Former head coach Mike Sherman inSeniors Jonathan Stewart and Sean Porter in the past three months, but it’s the next creased the team’s talent level across the head a veteran group that was solid against three months that count. Remember, a year board but especially in the offensive line. the run in the finesse-oriented Big 12, but ago Sherman got an A and a raise before the Tackles Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel are tackling SEC running backs will be a bigger opener, but by the time he walked off Kyle Field good enough to contain the perimeter pass challenge. There’s little experience behind for the last time, he got an F and the bank rush and center Patrick Lewis is a leader. It’s a Porter and Stewart with junior Steven Jenkins called to tell him the check bounced. deep group with a combined 95 career starts, the only one to have started. but this unit has something to prove after those second-half collapses. A&M needs a A&M has embraced its move to the SEC, killer instinct, and it starts in the line. Sophomore Deshazor Everett had a solid but that feel-good vibe in Aggieland isn’t fall camp, earning raves as he played corner- guaranteed to translate into victories. Last back and safety, and true freshman De’Vante season, A&M thought it was ready to bid the Defenses have to account for Ryan Swope, Harris earned a starting spot at cornerback. Big 12 farewell with a victory tour and instead but this offense needs to find a couple more That’s also bad news because the veterans stumbled to a sixth-place finish, tying Texas, sure things. Senior Uzoma Nwachukwu (50 haven’t stepped up. Seniors Steven Campbell which earned the tiebreaker and bragging catches last season for 639 yards) and red- and Steven Terrell are the starting safeties, rights thanks to a 27-25 victory at Kyle Field. shirt freshman Mike Evans are the best bets, but injuries and inconsistency have marked This year’s A&M team has virtually nothing but true freshmen Thomas Johnson and Sa- their careers. to draw on from last year when it comes to bian Holmes might be too talented to keep confidence. This team has to cook up a new off the field. Tight end is the wild card. If Neidentity from scratch. hemiah Hicks can stay healthy, he’ll team up It would be great if A&M won its first two Redshirt freshman place-kicker Taylor Ber- games, but a 1-1 start would suffice. The Agwith Mike LaMothe to present mismatches, tolet has a tough act to follow in Randy Bullock gies can’t afford losses to both Louisiana Tech even for the SEC. who went from walk-on to All-American. This is and Florida, not with a four-game meat-grinder the fourth straight season the Aggies didn’t of a stretch looming midseason when A&M decide on a punter until the last week of camp, hosts LSU on Oct. 20 followed by road trips Even with the NCAA granting Jonathan never a good sign. A&M should be explosive to Auburn, Mississippi State and Alabama.

Texas A&M Sports

OFFENSIVE LINE: B (C+)

LINEBACKERS: B- (C+)

SECONDARY: D (B+)

OVERALL: C (B+)

RECEIVING CORPS: B- (A-)

SPECIAL TEAMS: C (C-)

DEFENSIVE LINE: D- (C)

AggieSports.com

It’s not a stretch to say that A&M has the country’s best group of running backs in senior Christine Michael, freshman Trey Williams and junior Ben Malena, though each has something to prove. Michael needs to stay healthy after having each of his last two seasons end by injury. The 185-pound Williams looked like an All-American in training camp, but that was against a questionable defense. Let’s see what he does in the SEC and how he holds up. Malena stepped up against Texas and Northwestern last season when Michael and Cyrus Gray went out, but will that continue? The spread will create space for these guys, but can they get enough snaps and are they good enough receivers? Depth could become a factor if there’s an injury with Will Randolph’s exit and the NCAA denying Brandon Williams’ waiver.

ROBERT CESSNA

in returns with senior Dustin Harris back for punts and several possibilities for kickoffs, including Williams.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Many believe redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel is the next Bucky Richardson, but running roughshod over Uvalde and Medina Valley isn’t quite the same as Alabama and LSU. Manziel’s decision-making will be the key because A&M has playmakers. A&M’s schedule isn’t conducive to a first-year quarterback. He doesn’t need to be looking over his shoulder, but Louisiana Tech and Florida are games the Aggies need to win, thus sophomores Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel better be ready.

Mathis an extra season and high-energy guy Spencer Nealy moving inside, the unit has plenty of question marks in the switch from a 3-4 alignment to a 4-3. Damontre Moore, who was disruptive as an outside linebacker, moves to end. There are no sure things, which is why three or four true freshmen will see action, not a good game plan in the run-oriented SEC, even for five-star recruits.

Texas A&M Football 2012

Robert Cessna

TEXAS A&M: a capsule look • 2011 record: 7-6 (4-5 in the Big 12, tied for sixth with Texas) • Offensive starters returning: OT Luke Joeckel, 6-6, 310, jr. (A-Big 12); C Patrick Lewis, 6-2, 312, sr. (35 career starts, HM A-Big 12); OG Cedric Ogbuehi, 6-5, 292, soph. (5 starts); OT Jake Matthews, 6-5, 305, jr. (HM A-Big 12); TE Nehemiah Hicks, 6-4, 238, jr. (12-106); WR Uzoma Nwachukwu, 6-0, 194, sr. (50-639, 12.8, 2 TDs); WR Ryan Swope, 6-0, 206, sr. (89-1,207, 13.6, 11 TDs, 2nd A-Big 12); RB Christine Michael, 5-11, 218, sr. (149-899, 6.0, 6 TDs) • Defensive starters returning: DL Spencer Nealy, 6-5, 277, sr. (45 tackles, 8 TFL); DE Damontre Moore, 6-4, 250, jr. (72 tackles, 17.5 TFL); LB Steven Jenkins, 6-2, 220, jr. (61 tackles); LB Jonathan Stewart, 6-4, 244, sr. (98 tackles, 5.5 TFL); LB Sean Porter, 6-2, 230,

sr. (79 tackles 17 TFL, A-Big 12) • Specialists returning: P Ryan Epperson, 6-2, 195, sr. (41.2 on 52 punts) • Key departures: QB Ryan Tannehill (327-531, 3,744 yds, 29 TDs, 15 int. & 58-306, 4 TDs rushing); WR Jeff Fuller (70-828, 11.8, 6 TDs); PK Randy Bullock (2933 FGs, Lou Groza Award winner, A-Big 12); RB Cyrus Gray (198-1,045, 12 TDs, 2nd A-Big 12); DL Eddie Brown (29 tackles); CB Terrence Frederick (54 tackles, 9 TFL, 13 PBU); FS Trent Hunter (80 tackles, 8 PBU); DE Tony Jerod-Eddie (56 tackles, 6 TFL, 2nd A-Big 12); CB Lionel Smith (51 tackles, 8 PBU) • Team statistics: 39.1 ppg (4th in the Big 12/11th in the nation); 199.2 yards per game rushing (4th in the Big 12/24th in the nation); 291.1 yards per game passing (5th in the Big 12/18th in the nation); 490.2 total yards per game (4th in the Big 12/7th in the nation); 28.2

ppg allowed (6th in the Big 12/70th in the nation); 101.9 ypg allowed rushing (2nd in the Big 12/12th in the nation); 276.3 ypg allowed passing (8th in the Big 12/109th in the nation); 378 ypg allow (3rd in the Big 12/59th in the nation) • Head coach: Kevin Sumlin, 35-17 in four season at UH • Assistant coaches: B.J. Anderson, offensive line; David Beaty, wide receivers; Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator/quarterback; Clarence McKinney, running backs/recruiting coordinator; Brian Polian, special teams/tight ends; Terry Price, defensive line; Mark Snyder, defensive coordinator; Matt Wallerstedt, linebackers; Marcel Yates, co-defensive coordinator/secondary

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texas a&m depth chart OFFENSE

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

No. 13 11 9 76 74 51 77 61 56 70 68 75 79

Texas A&M Football 2012

19 81 7 23 25 84 5 8 15 16 3 33 1

No.

24 36

Wide receiver Name Height Mike Evans 6-5 Derel Walker 6-2 Nate Askew 6-4 Left tackLe Luke Joeckel 6-6 Germain Ifedi 6-5 Left guard Jarvis Harrison 6-3 Shep Klinke 6-7 ceNter Patrick Lewis 6-2 Mike Matthews 6-3 rigHt guard Cedric Ogbuehi 6-5 Ben Compton 6-4 rigHt tackLe Jake Matthews 6-5 Joseph Cheek 6-7 tigHt eNd Michael Lamothe 6-3 Nehemiah Hicks 6-4 Wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu 6-0 Sabian Holmes 5-11 Wide receiver Ryan Swope 6-0 Malcome Kennedy 6-0 Wide receiver Kenric McNeal 6-1 Thomas Johnson 5-11 Quarterback Johnny Manziel 6-1 Matt Joeckel 6-4 Jameill Showers 6-1 taiLback Christine Michael 5-11 Ben Malena 5-8

Name

PLace-kicker

Taylor Bertolet Davis Plowman

48 38

Ryan Epperson Drew Kaser

Epperson

Height

PuNter HoLder

5-9 5-10

DEFENSE

Weight 218 185 220

class Fr. Jr. Jr.

72 95

310 338

Jr. Fr

42 92

320 305

So. Jr.

99 89

312 260

Sr. Fr.

295 307

So. So.

305 300

Jr. Fr.

235 243

Sr. Jr.

194 175

Sr. Fr.

206 200

Sr. So.

184 185

Sr. Fr.

200 234 219

Fr. So. So.

220 195

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94 50 45 36 11 43 10 33 29 22 1 7 2 30 21 4

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Name

Gavin Stansbury 6-4 Julien Obioha 6-4 Nose guard Kirby Ennis 6-4 Jonathan Mathis 6-2 tackLe Spencer Nealy 6-5 Ivan Robinson 6-3 eNd Damontre Moore 6-4 Tyrone Taylor 6-3 Weakside LiNebacker Steven Jenkins 6-2 Donnie Baggs 6-1 MiddLe LiNebacker Jonathan Stewart 6-4 Justin Bass 6-2 stroNgside LiNebacker Sean Porter 6-2 Michael Richardson 6-2 corNerback Deshazor Everett 6-0 Dustin Harris 6-0 corNerback Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Vante Harris 5-10 Tremaine Jacobs 6-1 stroNg safety Steven Campbell 6-0 Johntel Franklin 6-2 free safety Steven Terrell 5-10 Toney Hurd 5-9

SpEcial tEamS Weight

174 185

class

Fr. Fr.

No.

Name

75 50

Height

deeP sNaPPer

Matthews Justin Ortega

6-2 6-3

195 220

Sr. So.

Williams

6-2

195

Sr.

Harris

Height

6-5 5-10 kick returNer 5-8 PuNt returNer 6-0

Weight

270 255

class

So. Fr.

300 300

Jr. Sr.

277 270

Sr. So.

250 210

Jr. Fr.

220 230

Jr. So.

244 217

Sr. So.

230 230

Sr. Fr.

181 175

So. Sr.

175 190

Fr. Jr.

201 200

Sr. Jr.

193 180

Sr. Jr.

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305 235

class

Jr. So.

185

Fr.

175

Sr.

Texas A&M Football 2012 Wednesday, August 29, 2012

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Sean Porter (10) talks with teammates on the sideline during Texas A&M’s 33-22 victory over Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas at Reliant Stadium in Houston last season.

PORTER: Older brother Jamal says he enjoyed helping Sean mature Continued from 7

Eagle file photo

to 14 hours a day, and I raised my brother,” Jamal said. “It wasn’t a matter of when [he started looking up to me]. It’s always been there. I’m the first he’s known as an older sibling, as a parent type, because we spent so much time together. I changed his diapers, wiped his butt, fed him every day, picked him up at school.” Despite the age difference, Jamal said he never felt hampered by Sean hanging around, and was proud to have played a role in shaping his younger brother’s demeanor, which is one of having an edge, wanting to dominate at whatever he does. “A lot of people wonder

where that comes from because they see my dad, he’s kind of a happy-go-lucky guy, always smiling, so they wonder where I get that hardness from,” Sean said. “I got it from my brother. He’s pretty aggressive, pretty straightforward, serious. When growing up, he made sure if I wanted to do something I was truly serious about it and would attack it. I get all that from him.” The nurturing of a sibling came naturally to Jamal, who now has a 3-year-old boy and recently has been one of the mainstays of ZAGS, an organization in San Antonio that helps teenagers reach their athletic and academic potential. “I enjoyed being the bigger brother. Right now, I have a 3-year old son and I can’t help

feel deja vu of raising him or being around him because I’ve done it already,” Jamal said. “I love kids to death, and my little brother was my brother.” Sean enjoyed basketball over football in middle school and for most of his time at Schertz Clemens High School, but it was obvious the direction he was headed after a breakout junior season in which he had 137 tackles and was involved in causing or recovering five fumbles. He was named to the San Antonio Express-News all-area second team and then made an immediate impact as a freshman at A&M despite weighing only 195 pounds. With Sean having started 28 games as an Aggie, it’s now Jamal, whose football career

ended after a knee injury at Kansas, watching Sean garner all the accolades. Sean’s all-Big 12 first team selection and preseason all-SEC honors haven’t changed much between the two brothers when it comes to their relationship. “At the end of the day, I’m still big brother. If he needs me, he’ll call me and we discuss it,” said Jamal, who lives in Houston and attends nearly every A&M football game. Sean discussed his thoughts of going pro after his junior year with many of those close to him, including Jamal, who wanted to see his brother finish at A&M. “He called Von [Miller] and other people and at the end of the day it was probably the best

decision for him to come back,” Jamal said. “I would say I would have a lot of influence on the decision from the point that I’m the elder brother that played sports and had been there before. I wanted him to come back to college.” Sean will be doing his own leading this season. T he 230-pound senior was voted captain by his teammates. Many of the traits he will use will come from his brother, including his mindset from the moment he decided to return to A&M. “After I made the decision to come back to college, I just wanted it to be all about college,” Sean said. “Just focus on my team right now.”

Texas A&M Football 2012

The Sumlin Spread Former Tech QB has helped create dynamic offense By DAVID HARRIS david.harris@theeagle.com

Tight end, anyone?

XXXXX QB TE TE RB During running downs, Hicks or Lamothe was usually found in the backfield as a glorified fullback. At times, Hicks was split out in the slot. And in short-yardage situations, A&M used a tackle over, double tight end formation. Suffice it to say, A&M has two capable tight ends and plans on using them.

Eagle photo by Stuart Villanueva Texas A&M tight end Michael Lamothe’s position is in the middle of a debate over the offense new head coach Kevin Sumlin is bringing to Aggieland. Because Sumlin’s Houston Cougar teams didn’t always lean on a tight end, many think Lamothe and his positionmates won’t get much work this season. Sumlin, however, has a history of using whatever he’s got on the roster, including tight ends at Oklahoma while an assistant with the Sooners.

Running the ball A misconception of the Air Raid offense is that you can’t run the ball out of it. The fact of the matter is that it can be beneficial to run out of a spread formation — especially in a league such as the SEC where the front sevens are built like stone walls. Sure, A&M is going to spread defenses out in 2012, running four and five wide receiver sets. But the Aggies have shown throughout fall camp that they’re willing to run the ball out of differing formations. Whether they use Christine Michael out of the pistol or line up a tight end in the backfield, A&M plans on using its tal-

ented group of backs. People look back to Houston in 2011 and see a team that absolutely demolished Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl. However, they point to Case Keenum’s 69 pass attempts and wonder if Kingsbury is willing to pound the ball on the ground. Thursday, when asked what people can expect from his offense, he said, “We aren’t going to throw the ball 70 times.” He’s explained that those Cougars had a sixth-year quarterback and were going against the No. 1 rush defense in the nation. Oh, and Houston was undersized up front. So why not take what the defense gives you? During the entire season,

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Sumlin has said multiple times that he is fond of using tight ends when he has them. At Houston, he said he didn’t have capable tight ends to get the ball to, so the Cougars spread it out with four — sometimes five — wide receivers. While at Oklahoma as the offensive coordinator, though, Sumlin used the tight end plenty. During the 2007 season, both Jermaine Gresham and Joe Jon Finley saw the field regularly for OU. The two combined to catch 60 passes for more than 800 yards and 15 touchdowns. They also proved beneficial in the running game as the Sooners ran for almost 3,000 yards that season. With Nehemiah Hicks and Michael Lamothe, Sumlin and Kingsbury have a few toys to play with. Hicks, when healthy, is an imposing physical presence who can block and is athletic enough to be a weapon in the passing game. Lamothe, used primarily as an H back in 2011, is a do-it-all type player. In Saturday’s scrimmage, A&M went double tight on more than one occasion. At one point, the Aggies lined both Lamothe and Hicks up in the backfield, with the running back behind them in a shotgun diamond formation.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

When Kevin Sumlin was hired away from Houston in December, his easiest staff decision may have been to bring his fast-rising offensive coordinator, Kliff Kingsbury, with him. Kingsbury’s ascension in the business has been impressive. In four years, he’s gone from quality control coach at Houston to offensive KINGSBURY coordinator in the country’s best conference. As a quarterback at Texas Tech, Kingsbury set seven NCAA records, running Mike Leach’s famous version of the “Air Raid” offense — giving Texas A&M fits in the process. Early on at Houston, he learned under Dana Holgorsen — another disciple of the complex-looking, yet simple-to-run offense that has blitzkrieged opponents over the past decade. Holgorsen moved on to Oklahoma State and, eventually, became the head coach at West Virginia. As a result, Kingsbury took over the play calling duties at Houston. In 2011, with record-setting senior Case Keenum at quarterback, the Cougars led the country in virtually every offensive statistic — avKEENUM eraging nearly 50 points and 600 yards per game. Now Kingsbury brings that same variation of the Air Raid offense to College Station. But this time, he has an unproven freshman quarterback. Here, we’ll delve into Kingsbury’s system — from what we’ve seen through spring

workouts and training camp.

Houston showed an ability to successfully run the ball, averaging nearly 150 yards per game on the ground with a five yards per carry average. At A&M, Kingsbury has at his disposal an experienced offensive line and three running backs who are of starter quality. Kingsbury and Sumlin know their strength on offense lies on the offensive line and in the backfield. Look for the tandem to utilize that.

A young quarterback The biggest question mark is whether the Air Raid offense can be successful when run by

See OFFENSE, Page 23

AggieSports.com Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Texas A&M Football 2012

Deep LSU has high goals despite loss of Mathieu Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — The “Honey Badger” won’t be playing for LSU this season and the Tigers do indeed care. Still, they remain confident they will overcome the recent dismissal of All-America cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. There is too much talent across the roster for LSU to sell itself short against anyone. “There’s a limitation to what losses we can sustain, but I think there’s a strength and foundation in this program,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “That allows us to have depth, play a quality player and step the next guy on the field that really is expected to play big.” The loss of Mathieu notwithstanding, the most important change for the Tigers this season might be the emergence of new starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger. His exceptional ability to throw down field has been obvious to coaches since his arrival on campus as a junior college transfer last year, but he had to sit behind seniors Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee in 2011 while learning the offense. Now Mettenberger is the clear number one, giving a greater passing threat to an offense that has all key players returning to a running game that put up 203 yards a game last season, when the Tigers won their first 13 contests before falling to Alabama in the national title game. “He has that arm strength and knows that he can make those throws,” receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said. “He is a risk taker. He will throw those balls and trust us to make plays.” When offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa talks about the difference in LSU’s offense this year, he lists examples from recent practices in which Mettenberger made bold throws into tight coverage, hitting receivers deep down the middle for huge gains. When such a route appeared to be covered last year, Studrawa said, the instructions to the quarterbacks would be, “Get off it, check the ball down.” “We wouldn’t have even thrown those balls before. That’s been a struggle,” Studrawa said. “When [Mettenberger] sits back there and that play’s called, he’s going to make that throw. He’s going to zip that thing in there. He’s got the confidence to do it.”

AP file photo LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) returns a fumble for a touchdown against Kentucky in the Tigers’ 35-7 victory over the Wildcats on Oct. 1, 2011, in Baton Rouge, La. The effect has been noticeable on receivers Russell Shepard, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, Studrawa said, because they’ve learned not to give up on deep routes when they appear to be covered. “When you run it, keep going, because he’s going to put that ball on you,” Studrawa said. “That’s what got those young kids [at receiver] so excited, and me.” Mettenberger senses he has the confidence of the coaches now, and what he needs to do is not take so many risks that he loses that. “They’re going to give me a lot of opportunities to check at the line of scrimmage, to throw the ball,” Mettenberger said. “But I’ve got to be smart with the ball.” Miles still wants the offense to be balanced, and does not want to venture too far from the physical, grind-’em-down, ball control offense that served LSU so well last season. LSU’s top five running backs from last season — Michael Ford, Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue, Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee are all back. And they’ll be joined by another talented young running back in Jeremy Hill. “We tied a school record with 35 rushing touchdowns (last season) and all the guys that were leaders at that position have returned,” Miles said. “We’ll be talented there.” LSU’s offensive line is big and experienced, and will benefit from the return of former starter Josh Dworaczyk, whose medical redshirt last season allowed him to return to LSU for a sixth year.

AP file photo LSU head coach Les Miles fires up his players before taking the field against Northwestern State last season at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. LSU opened the AP poll ranked third.

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Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Bowling Green 2:30 p.m. at Texas A&M 2:30 p.m. at Tennessee 5 p.m Kentucky TBA LSU TBA at Vanderbilt TBA South Carolina TBA at Georgia 2:30 p.m Missouri TBA Louisiana-Lafayette TBA Jacksonville St. TBA at Florida St. TBA

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 23

Jacksonville St. 6 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe 6 p.m. Alabama 2:30 p.m. Rutgers TBA at Texas A&M TBA at Auburn TBA Kentucky TBA Mississippi TBA Tulsa TBA at South Carolina TBA at Mississippi State TBA LSU 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Buffalo 11:21 a.m. at Missouri 6:45 p.m. FAU 7:30 p.m. Vanderbilt TBA Tennessee TBA at South Carolina TBA at Kentucky TBA Florida 3:30 p.m. Mississippi TBA at Auburn TBA Georgia Southern TBA Georgia Tech TBA

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Clemson 6 p.m. at Mississippi State 11 a.m. Louisiana-Monroe 11:21 a.m. LSU TBA Arkansas TBA at Mississippi TBA at Vanderbilt TBA Texas A&M TBA New Mexico State TBA Georgia TBA Alabama A&M TBA at Alabama TBA

Sept. 2 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

at Louisville Kent State W. Kentucky at Florida South Carolina Mississippi State at Arkansas Georgia at Missouri Vanderbilt Samford at Tennessee

ARKANSAS

AUBURN

GEORGIA

KENTUCKY

2:30 p.m 6:30 p.m. 6 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

LSU

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 23

North Texas Washington Idaho at Auburn Towson at Florida South Carolina at Texas A&M Alabama Mississippi State Mississippi at Arkansas

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Cent. Arkansas UTEP Texas at Tulane at Alabama Texas A&M Auburn at Arkansas at Georgia Vanderbilt at LSU Mississippi State

MISSISSIPPI

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

6 p.m. 6 p.m. 8:15 p.m. 11 a.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Aug. 30 at Vanderbilt Sept. 8 East Carolina Sept. 15 UAB Sept. 22 Missouri Sept. 29 at Kentucky Oct. 6 Georgia Oct. 13 at LSU Oct. 20 at Florida Oct. 27 Tennessee Nov. 10 Arkansas Nov. 17 Wofford Nov. 24 at Clemson

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Jackson State Auburn at Troy South Alabama at Kentucky Tennessee Middle Tennessee at Alabama Texas A&M at LSU Arkansas at Mississippi

MISSOURI

6 p.m 6 p.m. 7 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 7 p.m. TBA TBA 1:30 p.m.

6 p.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

SE Louisiana 6 p.m. Georgia 6:45 p.m. Arizona State 6 p.m. at South Carolina TBA at UCF TBA Vanderbilt TBA Alabama TBA Kentucky TBA at Florida TBA at Tennessee TBA Syracuse TBA at Texas A&M TBA

Aug. 30 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

VANDERBILT

South Carolina 6 p.m. at Northwestern 7 p.m. Presbyterian 11:30 a.m. at Georgia TBA at Missouri TBA Florida TBA Auburn TBA UMass TBA at Kentucky TBA at Mississippi TBA Tennessee TBA at Wake Forest TBA

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aug. 31 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

6 p.m 11:21 a.m. 6 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

TENNESSEE

at N.C. State 6:30 p.m. Georgia State 3 p.m. Florida 5 p.m. Akron TBA at Georgia TBA at Mississippi State TBA Alabama TBA at South Carolina TBA Troy TBA Missouri TBA at Vanderbilt TBA Kentucky TBA

AP photo LSU head football coach Les Miles takes thestageforaninterviewduringBeachFest on Saturday in Gulf Shores,Ala.The threeday festival helps kick off the college football season for Alabama,Auburn and LSU.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Texas A&M Football 2012

SEC SCHEDULES

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AggieSports.com Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Texas A&M Football 2012

SWOPES: Ryan, Hannah talk on Skype Continued from 8 touch. “We’ve got a great relationship,” he said. “I always look forward to coming home, playing with her and being a good big brother.” In a high school essay titled “The Gift,” Ryan wrote, “I can’t begin to imagine my life without Hannah. She is the cutest little girl and so fun to play with. She screams when I chase her and laughs when I catch her. She is always happy; I rarely see her sad.” Every year on her birthday,

Louie, Regan and Ryan have lunch with their sister. Ryan said he talks to Hannah on Skype and that she just got a cell phone, so text messaging has become their go-to form of communication. Louise said Hannah is just like their other children and that they don’t try to hide her past from her. “We’re totally open with her,” she said. “I share everything I can with her about where she came from, how special her mom was and how that was a decision the government had made and not her mother.”

After the conversation was finished, Louise got off the phone. She and Paul took their last remaining nesting child to the store to buy school supplies. But a day later, she sent over an essay she had written a few months back titled “Home is where the heart is.” “One of my favorite gifts has been adopting a sweet baby girl from China,” she wrote. “I wanted to make a difference for her and change her life forever. But truthfully SHE made the biggest difference in my life. She is such a blessing; a gift that keeps on giving.”

Eagle file photo TexasA&M senior wide receiver Ryan Swope has built a strong bond with his adopted sister Hannah.

SUMLIN: Spread offenses that could run the ball have won in SEC Continued from 5 didn’t get credit for the victory on his record, but it was his offense, one that threw for 6,301 yards last season, which is more than any of Mike Leach’s teams did at Texas Tech. “People say we throw the ball all the time,” Sumlin said. “That’s fine. I like for people to think that.” Sumlin threw it 62.4 percent of the time the three seasons at UH when Heisman Trophy candidate Case Keenum was healthy. Still, UH was able to have a 1,000-yard rusher in 2008 and had two rushers top 625 yards in each of the last three seasons. “You look at what Kevin and Kliff did at Houston,” said Florida head coach Will Muschamp, the former University of Texas defensive coordinator who faced A&M three times. “They put up video game numbers as far as offense is concerned. They do a great job of spreading the field in a little different manner. They give you the illusion it’s a throw offense.” Spread offenses that didn’t rely solely on passing have won in the SEC. Florida won two of the SEC’s six straight national championships behind quarterback Tim Tebow, who rushed for a combined 1,142 yards and 20 TDs in those title years. However, he was supported by Top 10 defenses. Sumlin’s first-year offense at A&M won’t be complemented by a highly-regarded defense, especially up front where the Aggies could have four true freshmen in the rotation. “We’re a long way away

The talent is certainly good enough to debut in the SEC and it will get better with him. I think there’s no reason why this program can’t compete for championships pretty soon. Chris Fowler ESPN college football analyst

[from where we need to be in the SEC],” defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said. “We’ve got to get bigger, we’ve got to get more physical. The SEC has big guys that are explosive, sudden.” A stout defense is not a must for winning in the SEC, which Auburn proved in 2010 with Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton operating the spread of offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn. The Tigers led the league in points per game, rushing yards, passing efficiency and total yards. Malzahn’s play-calling and Newton’s athleticism made up for a defense that ranked eighth in the SEC in points per game, ninth in total yards, 11th in rushing yards allowed and last in passing yards allowed. Auburn didn’t have a single player on the All-SEC defensive team. Snyder and Sumlin said that A&M’s defense will have to adjust to the SEC’s physical style, but SEC defenses also will have to adjust to the Aggies’ offense. And it won’t be the same offense Sumlin ran at UH. Sumlin has more flexibility besides

a veteran offensive line and NFL-type running backs. He has veteran tight ends in senior Michael LaMothe and junior Nehemiah Hicks, physical players he wasn’t able to recruit at Houston, which is why he typically utilized small, shifty wide receivers. In four seasons he had receivers catch at least 80 passes nine times, and had them top 1,000 yards seven times. “We’ve been able to adapt to things, whether we were at Houston or other places, I’ve been,” Sumlin said. As co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2007, he made good use of tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Joe Jon Finley, a trio of all-conference linemen and freshman running back DeMarco Murray to go 113, winning the Big 12. OU averaged 190.7 yards rushing, which was 30th in the country. The Sooners passed for a modest 258.2 ypg, which was only 36th in the country. But in passing efficiency, the Sooners ranked No. 1, followed by Tebow-led Florida and pass-happy teams Hawaii, Tulsa and Texas Tech. OU’s quarterback was red-

shirt freshman Sam Bradford, a three-star recruit who wasn’t nearly as heralded as A&M redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel, who was picked to become the program’s first freshman to start the season opener. “Not much phases him,” Kingsbury said. “[He] won’t let outside factors bother him.” Sumlin has taken the same approach, focusing on his team getting better, not worrying about the SEC. “This is a great league, it’s a tough league, we all know that,” said Auburn head coach Gene Chizik, who played the Aggies and Missouri when he was at Iowa State before taking the Auburn job in 2009. “To think that Missouri and Texas A&M are going to come in here and all of a sudden they’re going to have their eyes open to football, that’s insane.” ESPN’s Chris Fowler thinks Sumlin is a perfect fit for Aggieland. “He brings a fresh enthusiasm,” Fowler said. “I admired his Houston teams. I got to know him when he was an assistant at Norman, and I’ve always been impressed by him and I think he’s got a lot of things you look for in a head coach.” Former Texas A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill said Sumlin learned plenty during his five seasons at Oklahoma as the Sooners won 54 games and three Big 12 titles under Bob Stoops, and it shows. “[Sumlin’s] been around one of the best coaches out there of making players do things they don’t want to do, and having players accomplish things they didn’t think they can accom-

plish,” Sherrill said. Sumlin isn’t afraid to play youngsters. A&M has 11 freshmen on its two-deep depth chart for Thursday’s season opener against Louisiana Tech. Sumlin said they will play because they earned their spot during fall competition. “He’s going to demand a higher performance from the players,” Sherrill said. “And every football team takes on the personality of its head coach.” Sumlin’s personality is to win now, not next year or next decade. “The talent is certainly good enough to debut in the SEC and it will get better with him,” Fowler said. “I think there’s no reason why this program can’t compete for championships pretty soon.” Sumlin has done well in recruiting, which doesn’t surprise Sherrill, who visits many high school coaches as president of GameOn, a sports nutrition drink. “All the high school coaches like Kevin,” Sherrill said. “He has that personal touch. He doesn’t go in there with a posse.” Sherrill, who won three Southwest Conference championships with the Aggies, said Sumlin has a great eye for talent and an uncanny knack for getting players on the field, not necessarily at the position they were recruited at. A&M’s last line of defense for the opener will include sophomore cornerback Deshazor Everett and freshman De’Vante Harris. “Just because you’ve been here five years doesn’t guarantee you the right to play,” Sumlin said.

Associated Press

the while with the uncertainty of Long’s coaching search hanging over their heads. ”Right now, that’s not a concernatall,”ArkansaskickerZach Hocker said. “For the big guys, that’s all their concern. For us as players,wejusthavetoplayunder [Smith]. If we win, we want him to stay here. Absolutely, we don’t AP file photo wantanybodyelse.Buttheseason Coaches asked Arkansas defensive end Tenarius Wright to move to linebacker this determines that.” spring,andWright agreed.He is expected to be an anchor on the Razorbacks’defense. The season itself has been viewed as almost a relief of sorts but I think our football team to become the head coach at his for the Razorbacks, following the ... we’re trying to express that, alma matter, Weber State, but chaotic spring. They are deter‘Hey, we have an opportunity to athletics director Jeff Long saw mined to not let the mistakes of do something special this year. Smith and his close relationship their former coach affect what Let’s go do it.’” with the players as the perfect fit. they hope is a dream season. Smith’s return to Arkansas Smith sees himself as the long“I think everyone knows that after a four-month absence was term solution for Arkansas not Bobby set in place what we’re lauded by the Razorbacks. He justa10-monthoption.Heandthe about to do this year, but it’s rehad left his position as the Razor- players also know they both have ally the players that got us here,” backs’ special teams’ coordinator to earn their keep this season, all safetyRossRasnersaid.“Coaches

will come and go, but it’s the players that build the foundation of a program and I think we’re still playing off that.” That foundation is about as solid as they come, led by Wilson. The first-team All-SEC quarterback threw for 3,638 yards and 24 touchdowns last year as a junior, and he bypassed the NFL draft in order to return for one final chanceatwinningArkansas’first SECchampionshipsinceentering the league in 1992. Wilson evolved from first-year starter last year to the unquestioned leader from within following Petrino’s firing. Along with Davis, who led all SEC running backs in rushing yardage two years ago before missing last season with an ankle injury, the Razorbackshaveanoffensiveduo equal to any in the country.

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AP file photo Arkansas’ first-year defensive coordinator Paul Haynes prepares for a spring workout on April 13 in Fayetteville, Ark.

John L. Smith Arkansas head football coach

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As offseasons go, chalk Arkansas’ up as one of a kind. The Razorbacks had anything but a normal go of it in the wake of coach Bobby Petrino’s firing in April for lying to his boss about his affair with a 25-year-old football staffer after crashing his Harley-Davidsonwithheraboard. Yet the expectations haven’t changed for a team whose only losses last season came to national champion Alabama and runner-up LSU especially one that returns Heisman Trophy hopefuls at quarterback (Tyler Wilson) and running back (Knile Davis). It’s Southeastern Conference championship or bust for Arkansas this season. Whatever happens after that is just fine for Petrino’s successor, former Michigan State and Louisville coach John L. Smith. The ever-entertaining Smith was hired under a 10-month contract in April. He uses the words “national championship” without hesitation, a goal he sees as realistic for a program that’s 21-5 over the last two seasons. Smith also sees a veteran team that bonded throughout the Petrino saga last spring, one whose ultimate fate will likely be determined with how it reacts to his gentle touch after Petrino’s iron fist. “We have an opportunity, without a doubt, to make something special happen and to be something special this year,” Smith said. “Those opportunities don’t come around all the time in life,

We have an opportunity, without a doubt, to make something special happen and to be something special this year.

Texas A&M Football 2012

Arkansas’ hopes high despite wild offseason

AggieSports.com

Mullen’s Bulldogs want more improvement Mississippi State just 3-12 against SEC West last three years

Texas A&M Football 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Associated Press

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Dan Mullen has managed to build a good football program during his four years at Mississippi State. The problem for Mullen and the Bulldogs: In the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division, good isn’t good enough. Mullen takes a glass-halffull look at the program’s current predicament, saying the program is closer than ever to challenging Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Auburn for the division crown. “We’re not far off from there, which means we’re not far off from the national title,” Mullen said. “As you’re developing, as you’re building the program, the confidence that comes in our guys ... I think they see that.” The Bulldogs have undoubtedly improved during Mullen’s tenure but haven’t been able to make much headway within the SEC. Mississippi State has a 3-12 record against its division, with all three wins coming against instate rival Ole Miss. Junior Tyler Russell takes over at quarterback after a part-time role last season. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Russell threw for 1,034 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in 2011, and his presence under center will mark a stark contrast

two touchdowns last season and also caught 13 passes for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Perkins bristles when asked about how his smaller frame will hold up over a full season. Nick Griffin and Josh Robinson are also options at running back. “I feel like I can get the job done,” Perkins said. “I’m in topnotch shape, I’m more experienced and I’ve played in a lot of big-time games.” Mississippi State’s veteran receivers will finally get a chance to stand out thanks to Russell’s emergence. Seniors Chris Smith, Arceto Clark and Chad Bumphis all caught at least 25 passes last season, and figure to play a more prominent role in the revamped offense. Mississippi State’s defense has several returners, including defensive tackle Josh Boyd, linebacker Cameron Lawrence and cornerbacks Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield. Boyd teamed with first-round NFL draft pick Fletcher Cox to dominate the interior defensive line last season. Now that Cox is with the Philadelphia Eagles, the focus is on the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Boyd, who made 51 tackles last season, including 8 for a loss and 4 sacks in 2011. Lawrence was oneof the SEC’s most productive defensive players last season, ranking second in the league with 123 tackles.

AP file photo Mississippi State quarterbackTyler Russell throws over linebacker Cameron Lawrence (10) during a Bulldog practice earlier this month in Starkville, Miss.

New-look Auburn trying to improve on 8-5 season By JOHN ZENOR Associated Press

from last year’s starter Chris Relf, who was an accomplished runner but inconsistent passer. Mullen said Russell’s strengths should make Mississippi State more proficient in the passing game. “We will tweak,” Mullen said. “I think every year, you take your playbook, you take what you have in your playbook, and you’re not going to use 100 percent of it. You have to take whatever percentage, 60, 75, 80, whatever, fits that year’s team.” Russell said he feels ready to take on the added responsibility, but was confident he wouldn’t be shouldered with too much of the burden. “If you look across the board on offense, you’ve got four or five running backs who can tote it,” Russell said. “All of them can play. You’ve got receivers — plenty of seniors and then some other guys who have experience. And the offensive line, we’ve got a lot. They did great in the spring and have picked up right where they left off.” LaDarius Perkins steps into the starting role at running back after two years behind Vick Ballard. Perkins is generously listed at 5-10 and 190 pounds, and it remains to be seen whether his body can manage the physical burden demanded of a full-time SEC back. He rushed for 422 yards and

AUBURN, Ala. — These Auburn Tigers don’t bear much resemblance to Cam Newton’s version. The Tigers have undergone major changes since celebrating the new year in Atlanta, much less from the Newton-led national championship season two years ago. Gone are title game MVP Mike Dyer, Gus Malzahn’s celebrated fast-break offense and both coordinators. The huddle is back in style in Auburn. Whether it adds up to the winning continuing, well, that remains to be seen. The Tigers fell from 14-0 be-

Now [quarterback Kiehl Frazier’s] kind of assumed it’s an opportunity for him to take the reins of this offense. He’s gained everyone’s respect with what he’s done this offseason.

ley battling well into preseason camp before Auburn gave Frazier the starting nod. The entire team got plenty of motivation from strength coach Kevin Yoxall during workouts. “He made it real clear that 8-5 wasn’t good enough here at Auburn,” tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen said, “and I think everyone bought into that.” Phillip Lutzenkirchen Buying in is just one step. Auburn senior tight end Coach Gene Chizik continues trying to rebuild depth and climb the ladder in the Southeastern Conference’s Western hind their Heisman Trophy- on Dec. 31. Auburn returns to Division — and a state that has winning quarterback to 8-5 with the Georgia Dome to open Sept. produced the last three national a revolving door of three signal 1 against Clemson. champions. callers, but did finish with a The Tigers still don’t have an Auburn’s veterans can at least dominant performance against established quarterback, with draw from that experience two Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Kiehl Frazier and Clint Mose- years ago. Defensive tackle Jeff

Whitaker could relate when he heard an interview with NFL star Ray Lewis recently. “He was talking about his first Super Bowl and how hard it FRAZIER is to get back,” Whitaker said. “It’s always hard to get back but for us, we saw what great looked like. We saw the camaraderie. We saw how we’re supposed to be a unit. That’s what we’re shooting for.” They’ll have to resolve some questions in the offensive back-

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New coach Freeze hired to revive Mississippi Rebels own 1-15 record in SEC over past two seasons

Texas A&M Football 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

By DAVID BRANDT Associated Press

OXFORD, Miss. — First-year Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze promises his offense will play fast. Winning? That might be a little more difficult for the Rebels. “What I do know is that we will compete with passion and intensity for 60 minutes every time we’re on the field,” Freeze said. “How does that translate into wins and losses? I’m not completely sure. Nobody is. The Southeastern Conference is incredibly talented and competitive and we’re going to have to earn everything we get.” Ole Miss has already lived through two dreadful football seasons that produced just six total victories, a 1-15 Southeastern Conference record and an embarrassing loss to a Football Championship Subdivision program. That led to the firing of coach Houston Nutt and the hiring of Freeze, whose meteoric rise through the coaching ranks has led him to Oxford, which is just 50 miles from his hometown in Independence, Miss. Less than 10 years ago, Freeze was coaching high school football. Now he’s charged with leading the Rebels to the top of the brutal SEC Western Division. Freeze has already turned around programs at NAIA-levAP file photo el Lambuth (Tenn.) and at ArFirst-year Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze and quarterback Barry Brunetti (11) kansas State. But Ole Miss will study the defensive lineup during practice earlier this month in Oxford,Miss.Brunetti is likely prove to be his toughest expected to split playing time with junior college transfer BoWallace to open the season. challenge.

“There’s going to be some times we’re going to rejoice this year and there will be some difficult times,” Freeze said. “Those are times we’ll have to lean on our core values. Hopefully we’ll pull a few surprises that will sustain us.” The Rebels will build around a nucleus of young players. Jeff Scott rushed for a team-high 529 yards last season and six touchdowns. He’ll be joined in the backfield by converted quarterback Randall Mackey, who threw for 1,112 yards and rushed for 180 yards last season. “It feels natural for me in the backfield,” Mackey said. “You’ve got the same view of the defense like at quarterback and it’s been really easy picking up the plays since I had to know where everyone was going when I was the quarterback. I just want to help us win. If that’s at running back, receiver or quarterback, I’m fine with it.” The quarterback race is down to two — junior Barry Brunetti and junior college transfer Bo Wallace. Freeze has said the race could last well into September, and it might take a few games to figure WALLACE out which quarterback performs the best under pressure. The 6-foot, 215-pound Brunetti played in five games last season, completing 19 of 35 passes for 144 yards. He also rushed for 110

yards. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Wallace was an All-American at East Mississippi Community College last season, where he threw for 4,604 yards and 53 touchdowns. Whoever wins the job will lead an up-tempo offense. Freeze’s Arkansas State offense averaged 32.5 points and nearly 300 passing yards per game last season. The Rebels do have a group of talented, young receivers. Sophomore Donte Moncrief led the team with 31 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns last season. Ja-Mes Logan, Vincent Sanders and Tobias Singleton are also highly regarded. Freeze said he became enamored with the no-huddle offense during his days as a high school coach in Memphis, Tenn., and cobbled together a philosophy by watching tapes of hundreds of games. “I did it from studying various people and various offenses at every level and putting it to my personality,” the coach said. “If you were to ask me three years ago who I’d study, it would be Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma. I think we are a mixture of all of them, really.” On defense, the Rebels will lean on cornerback Charles Sawyer and linebacker Mike Marry to lead a turnaround after giving up more than 32 points per game last season. Marry led Ole Miss with 81 tackles last season while Sawyer was right behind him with 70 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions.

AUBURN: McCalebb, Mason set to replace Dyer in Tiger backfield Continued from 18

field and improve the defense to make up much ground on SEC West rivals Alabama, LSU and Arkansas. Frazier finally gained the edge over Moseley, a six-game starter who has been limited since the spring by a sore throwing shoulder. Frazier was used mostly as a Wildcat quarterback as a freshman, going 5-of-12 passing with a couple of interceptions. “Kiehl has gotten a lot better from last fall to where he’s at

now,” tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen said. “Kiehl has taken that leadership role. I think last year being a true freshman trying to lead an offense, he wasn’t that comfortable with it. Now he’s kind of assumed it’s an opportunity for him to take the reins of this offense. He’s gained everyone’s respect with what he’s done this offseason.” Dyer followed Malzahn to Arkansas State after being suspended for the bowl game after rushing for 2,335 yards his first two seasons. He has since been dismissed from that team.

That leaves speedster Onterio McCalebb and the more balanced Tre Mason, the SEC’s leader in kick returns. Much of Mason’s backfield work came in the bowl game when he had 64 yards and a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, a former Florida quarterbacks coach and Temple offensive coordinator, replaces Malzahn. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder brings a background that includes both SEC (Georgia) and NFL (Atlanta Falcons) to try to turn around a unit that hasn’t ranked better

than 53rd nationally in scoring or total defense over the past three seasons. The defense returns nine starters and the offense seven, but perhaps the most encouraging thing for Chizik is that others have been challenging for some of those jobs. “I think we’re in a much stronger position as a football team than we were a year ago,” Chizik said. “We’ve finally developed some depth and we’ve got a little bit of experience.” Nowhere are those qualities

more evident than the defensive line. All four starters return, including defensive end Corey Lemonier, who had 9.5 sacks last season. Dee Ford is likely to take over on the opposite side over returning starter Nosa Egaue. Leading tackler Daren Bates is back at linebacker while cornerback Chris Davis also returns. Cornerback T’Sharvan Bell returns after starting the first 10 games in 2011 before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. The Tigers also return Ray Guy Award finalist Steven Clark at punter.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

AUBURN TIGERS

• 2011 record: 8-5, 4-4 in the SEC West, fourth place • Offensive starters returning: QB Clint Moseley, 6-4, 233, jr. (66-108, 800 yards, 5 TDs, 3 int.); RB Onterrio McCalebb, 5-11, 174, sr. (112-641, 5.7, 5 TDs, 2nd A-SEC); TE Philip Lutzenkirchen, 6-5, 250, sr. (24-238, 9.9, 7 TDs, 2nd A-SEC); WR Emory Blake, 6-2, 197, sr. (36-613, 17.0 5 TDs); G Chad Slade, 6-5, 308, soph. (10 starts); C Reese Dismukes, 6-3, 300, soph. (SEC freshman team); G John Sullen, 6-5, 333, sr. (11 starts) • Defensive starters returning: E Corey Lemonier, 6-4, 240, jr. (47 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 5 CF, A-SEC); T Jeffrey Whitaker, 6-2, 312, jr. (25 tackles); T Gabe Wright, 6-3, 316, soph. (12 tackles); E Nasa Eguae, 6-3, 258, jr. (38 tackles, 6 TFL); LB Jonathan Evans, 5-11, 225, sr. (40 tackles); LB Daren Bates, 5-11, 205, sr. (105 tackles, 8.5 TFL); CB Chris Davis, 5-11, 188, jr. (60 tackles); S Demetruce McNeal, 6-2, 193, jr. (74 tackles); CB Jonathan Mincy, 5-10, 180, soph. (29 tackles) • Specialists returning: Cody Parkey, 6-0, 194, jr. (1318 FGs, 45 long); P Steven Clark, 6-5, 235, jr. (40.8 avg. on 72, 33 inside 20, A-SEC) • Key departures: RB Michael Dyer (242-1,242, 5.10, 10 TDs, A-SEC); LB Eltoro Freeman (58 tackles, 9.5 TFL), S Neiko Thorpe (102 tackles, 3 int., 6 PBU); OT A.J. Greene; OT Brandon Mosley (2nd A-SEC) • All-time record vs. A&M: 0-2 • Head coach: Gene Chizik, 15-9 at Auburn, 17-23 overall in 5 years

FLORIDA GATORS

• 2011 record: 7-6, 3-5 in the SEC East, third place • Offensive starters returning: WR Andre Debose, 5-11, 186, jr. (16-432, 4 TDs & 19 KOR, 26.1 avg.); TE Jordan Reed, 6-3, 239, jr. 28-307, 11.0, 2 TDs); RB Trey Burton, 6-3, 227, jr. (37-125, 3.4, 3 TDs rushing & 19-149, 7.8, TD receiving); L Chaz Green, 6-5, 300, soph. (Freshman A-American); C Jonotthan Harrison, 6-3, 309, jr. (12 starts); G Jon Halapio, 6-3, 325, jr. (13 starts); T Matt Patchan, 6-6, 279, jr. (7 starts) • Defensive starters returning: T Dominique Easley, 6-2, 286, jr. (37 tackles, 7.5 TFL); L Sharrif Floyd, 6-3, 305, jr. (46 tackles, 6.5 TFL); LB Ronald Powell, 6-4, 250, jr. (32 tackles, 9 TFL); LB Jelani Jenkins, 6-0, 233, jr. (75 tackles); LB Jonathan Bostic, 6-1, 243, sr. (94 tackles, 10 TFL); LB Lerentee McCray, 6-2, 247, sr. (24 tackles, 7.5 TFL); CB Cody Riggs, 5-9, 180, jr. (31 tackles); Matt

Pendleton, 5-11, 180, sr. (19 tackles, 4 PBU) • Specialists returning: PK Bryson Rose, 5-11, 202, sr. (9-11 FGs, long of 43); P Tyler Campbell, 6-2, 220, sr. (43.6 avg.) • Key departures: WR Nickolas Brassell (24-336, 14.0, 2 TDs); OG Matt Hall; LB Damien Jackson (64 tackles); DE Kentrell Lockett (33 tackles); OT Bobby Massie; NT Justin Smith (44 tackles); T Bradley Sowell. • All-time record vs. A&M: 0-4 • Head coach: Hugh Freeze, 18-1, at Lambuth and Arkansas State

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

• 2011 record: 7-6, 2-6 in the SEC West, fifth place • Offensive starters returning: WR Arceto Clark, 5-10, 180, sr. (30-442, 14.7, 4 TDs); WR Chad Bumphis, 5-10, 200, sr. (25-339, 13.6, 3 TDs); WR Chris Smith, 6-2, 205, sr. (35-330, 9.4, 2 TDs); G Gabe Jackson, 6-4, 310, jr. (2nd A-SEC); C Dillon Day, 6-4, 285, soph. • Defensive starters returning: T Josh Boyd, 6-3, 295, sr. (51 tackles, 8 TFL); E Kaleb Ellis, 6-4, 280, soph. (30 tackles, A-SEC Freshman Team); LB Deonte Skinner, 6-2, 235, jr. (69 tackles, 9 TFL); LB Cameron Lawrence, 6-2, 225, sr.; CB Johnthan Banks, 6-2, 185, sr. (2nd A-SEC, 71 tackles, 8 TFL); CB Corey Broomfield, 5-10, 180, sr. (59 tackles, 5 TFL); S Nickoe Whitley, 6-1, 200, jr. (34 tackles, 4 int.) • Key departures: RB Vick Ballard (193-1,189, 10 TDs); OT James Cameron; DT Fletcher Cox (56 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); DE Sean Ferguson (41 tackles, 5.5 TFL); TE Marcus Green (11-188, 1 TD); OT Addison Lawrence; S Charles Mitchell (95 tackles); QB Chris Relf (114-190, 1,212 yards, 10 TDs, 9 int. & 123-375, 2 TDs rushing); OG Quentin Saulsberry; LB Brandon Wilson (94 tackles); P Bake Swedenburg, 6-0, 185, jr. (41.8 avg.) • Specialists returning: PK D. DePasquale (12-18 FGs) • All-time record vs. A&M: 3-2 • Head coach: Dan Mullen, 21-17 in 3 years at MSU

• 2011 record: 10-4, 7-1 in the SEC East, first place • Offensive starters returning: SE Malcolm Mitchell, 6-1, 184, soph. (45-665, 14.8 4 TDs); T Kenarious Gates, 6-5, 328, jr. (9 starts); G Chris Burnette, 6-2, 313, jr. (12 starts); QB Aaron Murray, 6-1, 211, jr. (238-403, 3,149 yards, 35 TDs, 14 int., 2nd A-SEC); SE Tavarres King, 6-1, 192, sr. (47-705, 15.0, 8 TDs) • Defensive starters returning: E Abry Jones, 6-3, 309, sr. (47 tackles, 7 TFL); NG John Jenkins, 6-3, 351, sr.; OLB Jarvis Jones, 6-3, 241, jr. (70 tackles, 13.5 sacks, A-SEC); OLB Cornelius Washington, 6-4, 269, sr. (17 tackles, 6 sacks); ILB Michael Gilliard, 6-2, 220, sr. (65 tackles, 7 TFL); ILB Alec Olgetree, 6-3, 236, jr. (52 tackles, 7.5 TFL); CB Sanders Commings, 6-2, 217, sr. (55 tackles, 12 PBU); SS Shawn Williams, 6-1, 220, sr. (72 tackles, 6 PBU, 4 int.); S Bacarri Rambo, 6-0, 218, sr. (55 tackles, 8 PBU, 8 int., A-SEC) • Specialists returning: none • Key departures: OT Justin Anderson; TE Orson Charles (45-574, 12.8, 5 TDs, A-SEC); TB Isaiah Crowell (185-850, 4.6, 5 TDs); OT Cordy Glenn (A-SEC); C Ben Jones (A-SEC); CB Brandon Boykin (55 tackles, 11 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); P Drew Butler (44.2 avg.); PK Blair Walsh (21-35 FGs) • All-time record vs. A&M: 2-3 • Head coach: Mark Richt, 60-28 in 11 seasons at Georgia

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

• 2011 record: 5-7, 2-6 in the SEC East, fifth place • Offensive starters returning: C Matt Smith, 6-4, 296, sr.; G Lanny Warford, 6-3, 343, sr. (2nd A-SEC); WR La’Rad King, 6-4, 222, sr. (40-598, 7 TDs); QB Morgan Newton, 6-4, 245, sr. (83-174, 793 yards, 8 TDs, 7 int.); FB D.J. Warren, 6-0, 241, soph.; TB CoShik Williams, 5-9, 178, sr. (118-486, 3 TDs) • Defensive starters returning: E Collins Ukwu, 6-5, 258, sr. (28 tackles, 6.5 TFL); T Donte Rumph, 6-3, 301, jr. (31 tackles); T Mister Cobble, 6-0, 328, jr. (33 tackles); S Martavius Neloms, 6-1, 186, sr. (71 tackles, 5 PBU); S Mikie Benton, 5-11, 195, sr. (28 tackles, 7 PBU) • Specialists returning: Craig McIntosh, 6-0, 200, sr. (12-14 FGs, 48 long) • Key departures: OT Chandler Buden; G Stuart Hines; OT Billy Joe Murphy; CB Randall Burden (41 tackles, 3 int.); S Winston Guy (120 tackles, 14 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); CB Anthony Mosley (27 tackles, 5 PBU); WR Mike Roark (36-349, 9.7, TD); LB Danny Trevathan (143 tackles, 11 TFL, 5 PBU, 4 int., 2nd A-SEC); LB Ridge Wilson (47 tackles); LB Ronnie Snead (71 tackles); P Ryan Tydlacka (43.6 avg). • All-time record vs. 1-1 • Head coach: Joker Phillips, 4-12 in 2 seasons

LSU TIGERS

• 2011 record: 13-1, 8-0 in the SEC West, first place • Offensive starters returning: T Chris Faulk, 6-6, 325, jr. (2nd A-SEC) ; C P.J. Lonergan, 6-4, 305, sr. (26 career starts); G Josh Williford, 6-7, 324, jr.; T Alex Hurst, 6-6, 340, sr. (A-SEC); WR Russell Shepard, 6-1, 185, sr. (14190, 4 TDs); WR Odell Beckham Jr., 5-11, 183, soph. (41-475, 2 TDs, A-SEC Freshman Team); RB Spencer Ware, 5-11, 223, jr. (177-707, 8 TDs, 2nd A-SEC) • Defensive starters returning: T Bennie Logan, 6-3, 287, jr. (57 tackles, 6.5 TFL); E Sam Montgomery, 6-4, 245, jr. (49 tackles, 13.5 TFL, A-SEC, Ted Hendricks Award Finalist; LB Kevin Minter, 6-2, 242, jr. (61 tackles); S Eric Reid, 6-2, 208, jr. (76 tackles, 2nd A-SEC) • Specialists returning: PK Drew Allman, 5-11, 183, sr. (16-18 FGs, long of 44, 2nd A-SEC); P Brad Wing, 6-3, 184, soph. (44.4 avg., 2nd A-SEC) • Key departures: DB Tyrann Mathieu (76 tackles, 15.8 avg. on PR, Heisman Trophy finalist, A-SEC); DE Kendrick Adams (22 tackles, 6.5 TFL); LB Ryan Baker (64 tackles, 2nd A-SEC); G Will Blackwell (A-SEC); DT Michael Brockers (54 tackles, 10 TFL); CB Morris Claiborne (51 tackles, 6 int., A-SEC); QB Jordan Jefferson (61-100, 737 yards, 6 TDs, 2 int. & 75-263, 3 TDs rushing); WR Rueben Randle (53-917, 17.3, 8 TDs, A-SEC); S Brandon Taylor (71 tackles, 7.5 TFL) • All-time record v s. A&M: 27-20-3 • Head coach: Les Miles, 33-15 in 7 years at LSU, 49-31 overall

OLE MISS REBELS

• 2011 record: 2-10, 0-8 in the SEC West, sixth place • Offensive starters returning: G Patrick Junen, 6-6, 320, jr.; C Evan Swindall, 6-2, 300, jr.; TE Ferbia Allen, 6-3, 250, sr. (6-69);TE Jamal Mosley, 6-4, 260, sr. (12166, 13.8, 1 TD); QB Randall Mackey, 5-11, 195, sr. (77-155, 1,112 yards, 7 TDs, 5 int. & 83-180, 1 TD); RB Jeff Scott, 5-7, 175, jr. (119-529, 4.6, 6 TDs) • Defensive starters returning: T Bryan Bennett, 6-2, 290, soph. (15 tackles); LB Joel Kight, 5-9, 226, sr. (61 tackles); LB Mike Marry, 6-2, 248, jr. (46 tackles, 5 TFL); S Aaron Garbutt, 6-2, 200, sr. (51 tackles); S Charles Sawyer, 5-11, 175, jr. (70 tackles, 13 QBPs); CB Wesley

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

MISSOURI TIGERS

• 2011 record: 8-5, 5-4 5th in the Big 12 • Offensive starters returning: T Elvis Fisher, 6-5, 295, sr. (missed last year, H-M A-Big 12 in 2010, 40 career starts); T Justin Britt, 6-6, 300, jr.; G Travis Ruth, 6-2. 295, sr.; QB James Franklin, 6-2, 225, jr. (238-376, 2,865 yds, 21 TDs, 11 int. ; TB Henry Josey, 5-10, 190, jr. (145-1,168, 8.1, 9 TDs); WR T.J. Moe, 6-0, 200, 6-0, 200, sr. (54-649, 12.0, 4 TDs, A-Big 12 HM) • Defensive starters returning: L Brad Madison, 6-4, 260, sr. (25 tackles, 8.5 TFL); LB Zaviar Gooden, 6-2, 230, sr. (80 tackles, 6 TFL); LB Andrew Wilson, 6-3, 235,

jr. (98 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2nd A-Big 12); LB Will Ebner, 6-0, 230, sr. (missed all but one game last season with injury); DB Kip Edwards, 6-1, 200, sr. (55 tackles); DB E.J. Gaines, 5-10, 190, jr. (69 tackles, 16 PBU, A-Big 12); S Kenronte Walker, 6-0, 210, sr. (44 tackles) • Specialists returning: P/PK Trey Barrow (7-9 FGs, 39 long & 44.8 avg.) • Key departures: PK Grant Ressel (9-16 FGs) • All-time record vs. A&M: 5-7 • Head coach: Gary Pinkel, 85-53 in 11 seasons at MU, 158-91-3 overall in 21 years

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

• 2011 record: 11-2, 6-2 in the SEC East, second place • Offensive starters returning: G A.J. Cann, 6-4, 309, soph. (Freshman A-American; TE Justice Cunningham, 6-4, 264, sr. (18-142, 1 TD); C T.J. Johnson, 6-6, 319, sr. (40 career starts); RB Marcus Lattimore, 6-0, 218, jr. (2nd A-SEC, 163-818, 5.0, 10 TDs & 19-182, 1 TD receiving); T Mike Matulis, 6-5, 274, soph. (Freshman A-American); WR Ace Sanders, 5-8, 175, jr. (29-383, 13.2, 2 TDs & 9.3 avg. on 16 PRs); QB Connor Shaw, 6-1, 207, jr. (123-188, 1,448 yds, 14 TDs, 6 int. & 135-525, 8 TDs rushing) • Defensive starters returning: LB Reginald Bowens, 6-3, 254, sr. (44 tackles); SS DeVonte Holloman, 6-2, 241, sr. (51 tackles); T Kelcy Quarles, 6-4, 286, soph. (28 tackles); FS D.J. Swearinger, 6-0, 210, sr. (80 tackles); E Devin Taylor, 6-8, 267, sr. (42 tackles, 8.5 TFL, HM A-SEC); E Jadeveon Clowney, 6-6, 256, soph. (36 tackles, 12 TFL, SEC Def. Freshman of Year, 2nd A-SEC); LB Shaq Wilson, 5-11, 224, sr. (52 tackles) • Specialists returning: none • Key departures: LB Antonio Allen (88 tackles, 9.5 TFL); CB Stephan Gilmore (46 tackles, 4 int.); DE Melvin Ingram (48 tackles, 15 TFL, A-SEC); DT Travian Robertson (49 tackles, 8 TFL); G Terrence Campbell; WR Alshon Jeffery (49-762, 15.6, 8 TDs); T Rokevious Watkins, 6-4, 340 (2nd A-SEC); PK Jay Wooten (7-11 FGs) • All-time record vs. A&M: have never met • Head coach: Steve Spurrier, 55-35 at South Carolina; 197-75-2 in college; 244-116-2 overall

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

• 2011 record: 5-7, 1-7 in the SEC East, sixth place • Offensive starters returning: QB Tyler Bray, 6-6, 213, jr. (147-247, 1,983 yds, 17 TDs, 5 int.); FB Ben Bartholomew, 6-2, 251, sr.; WR Justin Hunter, 6-4, 200, jr. (17-314, 18.5, 2 TDs); WR Da’Rick Rogers, 6-3, 208, jr. (67-1,040, 15.5, 9 TDs, A-SEC who is indefinitely suspended); TE Mychal Rivera, 6-3, 251, sr. (29-344. 11.9); T Dallas Thomas, 6-5, 305, sr. (25 straight starts);

G Marcus Jackson, 6-2, 318, soph. (A-SEC Freshman Team); C Alex Bullard, 6-2, 304, jr.; G Zach Fulton, 6-5, 319, jr.; T Ja’Wuan James, 6-6, 320, jr. (25 starts) • Defensive starters returning: L Daniel Hood, 6-4, 293, jr. (8 tackles); LB Jacques Smith, 6-2, 242, jr. 35 tackles, 7.5 TFL); LB Curt Maggitt, 6-3, 227, soph. (56 tackles, A-SEC Freshman Team); LB A.J. Johnson, 6-2, 244, soph. (80 tackles, A-SEC Freshman Team); S Brian Randolph, 6-0, 189, soph. (55 tackles, A-SEC Freshman Team); S Prentiss Waggner, 6-2, 180, sr. (48 tackles); CB Marsalis, Teague, 5-10, 183, sr. (27 tackles) • Specialists returning: PK Michael Palardy, 5-11, 177, jr. (9-14 FGs, long 52); P Matt Darr, 6-1. 213, soph. (38.1 avg.) • Key departures: DL Malik Jackson (56 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 10 QBPs, 2nd A-SEC); LB Austin Johnson (81 tackles, 4 int.); DB Izauea Lanier (48 tackles); RB Tauren Poole (187-693, 5 TDs) • All-time record vs. A&M: 2-0 • Head coach: Derek Dooley, 11-14 at Tennessee, 28-34 overall

VANDERBILT COMMODORES

• 2011 record: 6-7, 2-6 in SEC East, fifth • Offensive starters returning: WR Jordan Matthews, 6-3, 205, jr. (41-783, 19.0, 5 TDs); WR Chris Boyd, 6-4, 204, soph. (31-473, 15.3, 8 TDs); WR Wesley Tate, 6-2, 218, jr. (22-187, 8.5); QB Jordan Rodgers, 6-2, 210, sr. (108-216, 1,524 yds, 9 TDs, 10 int. & 117-420, 4 TDs rushing); TB Zac Stacy, 5-9, 210, sr. (203-1.193, 14 TDs & 20-106 receiving, 2nd A-SEC); T/C Wesley Johnson, 6-5, 285, jr. (25 straight starts); T Andrew Bridges, 6-6, 275, jr.; G Ryan Seymour, 6-5, 305, sr.; G Josh Jelesky, 6-5, 290, sr. • Defensive starters returning: E Walker May, 6-5, 250, jr. (30 tackles); T Rob Lohr, 6-4, 290, sr. (41 tackles, 11.5 TFL); T Colt Nichter, 6-2, 285, sr. (26 tackles); LB Chase Garnham, 6-3, 234, jr. (51 tackles, 5.5 TFL); LB Archibald Barnes, 6-4, 235, sr. (59 tackles, 4.5 TFL); CB Trey Wilson, 5-11, 190, sr. (30 tackles, 11 PBU); FS Javon Marshall, 5-11, 195, jr. (42 tackles) • Specialists returning: P Richard Kent, 6-2 198, sr. (42.5 avg, 23 inside 20); PK Carey Spear, 5-10, 190, jr. (4-7, long of 37); PK Ryan Fowler, 5-10, 174, sr. (4-7, long of 35) • Key departures: E Tim Fugger (33 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); CB Casey Hayward (62 tackles, 7 int., 7.5 TFL, 10 PBU, 2nd A-SEC); LB Chris Marve (91 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); S Sean Richardson (63 tackles, 6.5 TFL); TE Brandon Barden (16-243, 15.2, 1 TD); OT Kyle Fischer. • All-time record vs. A&M: have never met • Head coach: James Franklin, 6-7 at Vandy

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• 2011 record: 11-2, 6-2 in the SEC West, third place • Offensive starters returning: WR Cobi Hamilton, 6-3, 209, sr. (34-542, 15.9, 4 TDs); TE Chris Gragg, 6-3, 236, sr. (41-518, 12.6, 2 TDs); T Jason Peacock, 6-4, 335, sr. (9 starts); C Travis Swanson, 6-5, 305, jr. (26 straight starts); G Alvin Bailey, 6-5, 319, jr. (2nd A-SEC); QB Tyler Wilson, 6-3, 220, sr. (277 of 438, 3,638 yds, 24 TDs, 6 int., A-SEC); RB Dennis Johnson, 5-9, 213, sr. (106-670, 6.3, 3 TDs & 24-255, 2 TDs receiving & 18 KOR-25.6 avg., 1 TD); RB Knile Davis, 6-0, 226, sr. (in 2010, 204-1,322, 13 TDs & 19-136, 1 TD receiving) • Defensive starters returning: T Byran Jones, 6-2, 312, jr. (47 tackles, 4.5 TFL); T DeQuinta Jones, 6-5, 299, sr. (19 tackles); LB Tenarius Wright, 6-2, 252, sr. (25 tackles, 5 TFL); LB Alonzo Highsmith, 6-1, 233, sr. (80 tackles, 12.5 TFL); CB Tevin Mitchell, 6-0, 192, soph. (56 tackles); S Eric Bennett, 6-0, 206, jr. (89 tackles) • Specialists returning: PK Zach Hocker, 6-0, 180, jr. (10-11 FGs, long 50); P Dylan Breeding, 6-1, 211, jr. (45.3 on 53 punts, 16 inside 20, 2nd A-SEC) • Key departures: WR Joe Adams (54-652, 3 TDs, A-SEC); DE Jake Bequette (28 tackles, 10 sacks, A-SEC); C Grant Cook; LB Jerry Franklin (101 tackles, 10 TFL, 2nd A-SEC); OT Grant Freeman; CB Greg Gatson (29 tackles); LB Jerico Nelson (70 tackles); S Tremain Thomas (91 tackles, 5 int.); WR Jarius Wright (68-1,117, 12 TDs, A-SEC) • All-time record vs. A&M: 41-24 • Head coach: John L. Smith, 83-43 in 18 seasons at Idaho, Utah State, Louisville and Michigan State

Elam, 5-10, 210, jr. 78 tackles, 11 TFL, 7 PBU); S Josh Evans, 6-1, 201, sr. (51 tackles); CB Marcus Robertson, 6-0, 180, soph. (22 tackles) • Specialists returning: Caleb Sturgis, 5-11, 187, sr. (22-26 FGs, long 55, A-SEC); Kyle Christy, 6-3, 200, soph. (40.9 avg. on 30 punts, 10 inside 20) • Key departures: QB John Brantley, 6-3, 219, sr. (144-240, 2,044 yards, 11 TDs, 7 int.); Jaye Howard (65 tackles, 10 TFL); Chris Rainey (171-861, 5.0, 2 TDs & 31-381, 12.3, 2 TD receiving, A-SEC); OL Dan Wenger. • All-time record vs. A&M: 1-1 • Head coach: Will Muschamp, 7-6.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

• 2011 record: 12-1, 7-1 in the SEC West, second place • Offensive starters returning: T Barrett Jones, 6-5, 311, sr. (2011 Outland Trophy winner); G Chance Warmack, 6-6, 320, sr. (26 career starts, 2nd A-SeC); D.J. Fluker, 6-6, 335, jr. (22 career starts); TE Michael Williams, 6-6, 269, sr. (16-191); QB A.J. McCarron, 6-4, 205, jr. (219-328, 2,634 yds, 16 TDs, 5 int.); G Anthony Steen, 6-3, 303, jr. (11 career starts) • Defensive starters returning: E Jesse Williams, 6-4, 319, sr. (24 tackles); E Damion Square, 6-3, 285, sr. (30 tackles, 7 TFL); LB Nico Johnson, 6-3, 245, sr. (47 tackles, 6.5 TFL); S Robert Lester, 6-2, 210, sr. (39 tackles) • Specialists returning: P Cody Mandell, 6-4, 202, jr. (39.3 avg. on 39 punts); PK Jeremy Shelley, 5-10, 165, sr. (21-27 FGs) • Key departures: RB Trent Richardson (1,679 yds rushing, 24 TDs, A-American); TE Brad Smelley (34356, 4 TDs); C William Vlachos (Rimington Award finalist, A-SEC); S Mark Barron (A-American, 68 tackles); NG Josh Chapman (23 tackles, 2nd A-SEC); WR Marquis Maze (56-627, 11.2, 1 TD, 2nd A-SEC); LB Don’t’a Hightower (85 tackles, 8 TFL, A-American); CB Dre Kirkpatrick (30 tackles, 9 PBU, 2nd A-American); CB DeQuan Menzie (41 tackles, 11 PBU); LB Courtney Upshaw (52 tackles, 18 TFL, 2nd A-American) • All-time record vs. A&M: 3-1 • Head coach: Nick Saban, 32-8 at Alabama, 90-37-1 in college, 15-17 in the NFL

Texas A&M Football 2012

SEC 2012: Team-by-team

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AggieSports.com Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Texas A&M Football 2012

DEFENSE: SEC schools are landing one third of top D-line recruits Continued from 6 offensive coordinators have to go deep into their bag of tricks to put points on the board. Since Florida won the national title in 2006, the conference has had 51 defensive linemen drafted, 27 in the first three rounds. After the Gators won their first title last decade, all four linemen had their names called in the NFL draft. Last season, the NFL had 60 defensive linemen from the SEC, 20 more than any other conference. Three schools, Georgia, LSU and Florida, average more than one lineman selected in each draft since 2007. In that same period, Texas A&M has had one D-lineman, BRYANT Re d B r ya n t , drafted (fourth round in 2008) . Another indication of the SEC’s hogging of quality defensive linemen is the number of Top 100 recruits who make their way to the conference’s campuses. In the past six recruiting classes, one third of the defensive linemen in rivals.com’s Top 100 recruits have landed with an SEC team. Not a bad percentage considering that until this season, the SEC made up 1/10 of the Division 1 schools and just under 1/6 of BCS schools. In 2010, a banner year for defensive linemen, the SEC corralled half (13 of 26) front-line defenders from the Top 100. Seven schools contributed to the gaudy stat with Florida leading the way with four, including three in the top 10. A&M’s last Top 100 recruit on the defensive line was Chris Smith in 2004. Every team in the SEC but Vanderbilt and Mississippi State have snared Top 100 defensive linemen since then. Three schools — Florida, Georgia and LSU — have only gone two years in the past decade without bringing in a defensive lineman among the nation’s best 100 recruits. Perhaps the most surprising stat in recruiting defensive linemen is that Alabama, a two-time No. 1-ranked defense, has only recruited three defensive tackles in the Top 100 in the past decade. If A&M is to enjoy success in its new conference, the defensive

4SEC D-linE rankingS top sec lines since 2006 Rank, School 1. Georgia 2. LSU 3. Florida 4. Alabama 5. Auburn 6. Tennessee 7. Mississippi State 8. South Carolina 9. Arkansas 10. Mississippi 11. Texas A&M 12. Missouri 13. Vanderbilt 14. Kentucky

Stars 4.00 3.94 3.79 3.58 3.54 3.31 3.22 3.15 3.05 3.00 2.88 2.85 2.69 2.43

Florida Gators, 2006 Derrick Harvey (1st-round pick, No. 8 recruit), Jarvis Moss (1st-round pick, No. 25 recruit), Ray McDonald (3rd-round pick), Marcus Thomas (4thround pick, No. 73 recruit) and Joe Cohen (4th-round pick, No. 16 recruit).

LSU Tigers, 2007

Glenn Dorsey (1st-round pick, No. 47 recruit), Tyson Jackson (1st-round pick), Ricky Jean-Francois (7th-round pick, No. 59 recruit, 2008 BCS title game MVP), Al Woods (4th-round pick, No. 20 recruit), Kirston Pittman.

Georgia Bulldogs, 2008

Corvey Irvin (3rd-round pick), Jarius Wynn (6th-round pick), Geno Atkins (4th-round pick), Jeff Owens (7th-round pick), Kade Weston (7th-round — Rivals.com pick, No. 33 recruit).

We’ve got to continue to recruit big guys that are [fast]. That’s what the SEC has. Not only do they have big guys that clog up the middle ... we’ve got a couple of those guys. We need big guys that are explosive. Mark Snyder Texas A&M defensive coordinator

line is the area it will have to upgrade the most in comparison to its SEC opponents. “We’ve got some work to do; we are a long way away,” A&M’s new defensive coordinator, Mark Snyder, said. “It’s that simple.” In a running league, that equates to adding size and depth. A&M’s line in its two-deep averages 267 pounds. That stat is a bit skewed because pass-rushing end Tyrone Taylor, a freshman, is only 210 pounds, but finding size and physical ability has not been lost on Snyder. “We’ve got to continue to recruit big guys that are [fast],” Snyder said. “That’s what the SEC has. Not only do they have big guys that clog up the middle ... we’ve got a couple of those guys. We need big guys that are explosive.” The only year the Aggies have cracked the Top 10 in a defensive statistical category over the past decade is last season, when they were first in sacks and third in tackles for losses. That was in the pass-dominated Big 12 and despite the lofty numbers (51 sacks, 104 tackles for loss), the Aggies still finished 59th in total defense. Meanwhile, five SEC schools were in the Top 10 in defense, including Alabama, LSU and South Carolina at the top. The most telling stat is A&M gave up 25 touchdowns on the

ground, three more than the aforementioned three teams surrendered combined. “We’ve got to get bigger,” S nyd e r s a i d . “We’ve got to get more physical. We are getting faster. We have brought in some talented kids. They just need to get bigger.” Experienc e MATHIS could also be a factor with only three players — nose guard Jonathan Mathis (10), tackle Spencer Nealy (9) and defensive end Damontre Moore (10) — having started NEALY g ames, while three others in the two-dee p have played less than five games. “ We a r e a work in progress up front,” said head coach Kevin Sumlin. “We’ve got [Kirby] Ennis MOORE and [Jonathan] Mathis to give us size, 300 pounds, and moving Nealy from

outside, where he was limited athletically as a pass rusher, moving him inside creates some problems. “DaMontre Moore has got to be a great pass rusher for us. He’s got to continue to turn up his game.” As far as the other SEC defensive lines, don’t expect any dropoff from last season. Georgia returns 350-pound tackles John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers, Alabama has Jesse Williams, a projected first-round draft pick, and South Carolina can throw two of the best defensive ends in the nation at the quarterback in 2011 defensive freshman of the year Jadeveon Clowney and senior Devin Taylor, who has 27 career tackles for a loss. Florida has three Top 10 recruits from the 2010 class, although the No. 1 recruit, Ronald Powell, will miss much of the season. Juniors Sharrif Floyd (No. 4) and Dominique Easley (No. 7) join senior all-conference end Lerentee McCray and highly-touted JC transfer Damien Jacobs (6-3, 310). And none of those four teams, two of which A&M play, can match LSU, which boasts junior defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo and tackle Bennie Logan. Montgomery and Mingo are projected Top 10 picks if they leave early, and

sec’s Best of 2011 season South Carolina Melvin Ingram (1st-round pick, SEC first team, No. 21 recruit), Travian Robertson (7th-round pick), Jadeveon Clowney (2011 Defensive Freshman of the Year, SEC second team, No. 1 recruit), Devin Taylor (2009 All-freshman team).

LSU Sam Montgomery (2011 SEC first team), Michael Brockers (1st-round pick), Barkevious Mingo (2010 SEC All-freshman), Bennie Logan.

4TExaS a&M 2007

Texas A&M’s 2007 defensive line is the best the Aggies have had in recent seasons. Von Miller,an outside linebacker, is included in the group. • Red Bryant: honorable mention All-Big 12, 4thround NFL draft pick • Chris Harrington: 2nd team All-Big 12, 6th-round pick • Michael Bennett: HM AllBig 12, 5-year NFL veteran • Cyril Obiozor: has played 13 games in NFL with 3 teams • Von Miller: Big 12 defensive player of year in 2011, No. 2 overall pick — RiCHaRd CROOMe

Logan could play his way into the fist round. The Tigers also have depth with Josh Downs, who has played 35 games for LSU, having to battle not one but four others for a starting job.

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Continued from 13

Missouri knows it must earn its spurs in SEC

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Gary Pinkel does his best to downplay the transition. Before the first day of fall camp, he didn’t mention the SEC to his players. Missouri is coming from a pretty strong conference in the Big 12 and has become a perennial bowl team. But his players don’t need to told about the challenge ahead. “We’re going to have to go out and earn respect, and we understand that,” Pinkel said. “I think you kind of figure that out. That’s OK, that’s good.” The preseason SEC poll drives home the point, with Missouri picked to finish fourth in the East behind Georgia, South Carolina and Florida even though the Tigers are coming off an 8-5 season and enter the Sept. 1 opener against Southeastern Louisiana on a four-game winning streak. The lack of recognition has the Tigers burning to prove themselves worthy of membership in a conference that has produced

the last six national champions. “I think it’s kind of odd that they would just ruin us out,” junior running back Kendial Lawrence said. “It’s still football.” During spring practice, they began wearing wristbands with the initials S.W.A.G. — sacrifice will achieve greatness — and during fall camp T-shirts around the practice field bear the word “respect.” “It’s kind of something for us to latch onto,” senior wide receiver T.J. Moe said. “I think it’s a good thingtohaveinyourmind,itgives you something to work for every day. We’ve got all the pieces here to have a championship team, we’ve just got to put it on the field.” In July, oddsmakers in Las Vegas had Missouri listed as the opponent in five high-profile games, and underdogs in all of them. “That’s OK,” Moe said. “By the time you get to Week 8, you’ll have aprettygoodtasteof whatit’slike. They’re going to know how good weareandwe’regoingtodoknow how good they are, so we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

Will it work in SEC? In the late 1990s, Hal Mumme — the instigator of the Air Raid offense — had unparalleled success through the air in the Southeastern Conference — long considered a running league where defense and time of possession win championships — with future No. 1 pick Tim Couch running the show. Since Mumme’s departure, teams have had success with the spread in the SEC. However, nobody has tried to fling the football around like A&M most likely will in 2012. So can it work in the SEC West, where LSU and Alabama have turned the league into a college version of the black and blue division? That remains to be seen. Teams certainly won’t be surprised by it — like they were in the late ‘90s. That’s why it’s up to Kingsbury and company to continue to be innovative.

AggieSports.com

By R.B. FALLSTROM Associated Press

of the offense relying on his ability to make presnap reads and audibles based on what the defense gives him. Considering he’s a freshman running a new offense for a program making the leap to the SEC, Manziel’s job may be one of the toughest in the country.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

an unproven freshman quarterback. At Texas Tech, Mike By MARK LONG night. The 2008 national cham- Leach saw success with upperAssociated Press pions have been an also-ran in classmen running his offense. the SEC East the last two years, Players such as B.J. Symons, GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Every- falling behind South Carolina Graham Harrell and Kingsthing is pretty simple at Florida and Georgia in the race to get to bury flourished further down these days. their careers in Lubbock. the league title game. There is no championship to Kingsbury started dur“When you don’t go to Atlanta, defend. There is no talk about Florida is a failure,” Muschamp ing Leach’s first season as a the national title. There is no said. sophomore, throwing for 3,412 boasting, bragging or trashyards, completing just over 60 Simple math, for sure. talking. Few prognosticators are percent of his passes, throwing The Gators have one statistic picking the Gators to reach the 21 touchdowns and 17 intercepthat resounds loud and clear league title game this year, and tions. through the football facility: 15- for obvious reasons. Although Harrell was stellar during 11, the team’s record the past two Muschamp has plenty of talent his redshirt sophomore season, seasons. in Gainesville, he has several throwing for 4,555 yards, 38 “We need to quit talking and new offensive coaches — embat- touchdowns and 11 intercepstart playing,” second-year tled receivers coach Aubrey Hill tions. coach Will Muschamp said. “At resigned earlier this month — Sam Bradford started as a the end of the day, just get on the and a quarterback competition redshirt freshman when Sumfield and play.” that includes two sophomores. lin was running the OU offense And win, really. The Gators Throw in that Florida lost its and put up excellent numbers, open the season Sept. 1 against top two playmakers, running throwing for more than 3,500 Bowling Green. backs Jeff Demps and Chris yards, 36 touchdowns and eight Florida used to be one of the Rainey, from an offense that interceptions. nation’s elite programs, consis- ranked 105th in the nation in Going into 2012, Johnny tently in the hunt in the power- 2011 and it’s easy to question Manziel has been handed the ful Southeastern Conference how big of a jump, if any, the reins to this high-octane ofand always capable of winning Gators will make after barely fense. He has the advantage of it all. avoiding the team’s first losing a great offensive line and a solIt seemingly changed over- season since 1979. id stable of playmakers around him. But in this offense, it is paramount to protect the football, complete a high percentage of passes and keep the tempo going. When the ball hits

the ground, the tempo slows down and the defense gets the advantage. Unlike those three players listed above, Manziel has the ability to make plays with his legs. However, he doesn’t have the arm that those three players have. Kingsbury will undoubtedly cater the offense to Manziel’s strengths — which includes making things happen out of the pocket. Kingsbury said that Manziel’s made a nice transition because he ran a similar system at Kerrville Tivy High School. The passing game in the Air Raid offense relies on the quarterback’s ability to make quick reads, get through his progressions and make the right throw. It allows you a number of options — the majority of which are underneath. With plays such as slip screens and bubbles, the quarterback’s job is easier, having to just get the ball into his playmaker’s hands as quickly as possible. It uses those easy passes as a replacement for the running game. Over his career, Keenum completed nearly 70 percent of his passes. If Manziel can get anywhere near that number, it will be a huge benefit to the A&M offense. Manziel has to be confident from the start, with so much

Texas A&M Football 2012

Florida Gators hoping OFFENSE: Manziel’s job far from easy for turnaround in 2012

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AggieSports.com Texas A&M Football 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

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