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TEXAS A&M VS NO. 13 KENTUCKY SATURDAY, OCT. 6 @ 6 P.M. ESPN Back in Kyle Field, Aggies look to prove their progress By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ The last time Texas A&M and No. 13 Kentucky met, Dwight Eisenhower was president and Elvis Presley’s music career was just starting to take off. Sixty-five years later, both teams are looking to walk out of Kyle Field, with a win but only one will. For A&M, the biggest emphasis of this week will be running the ball and against the run. The Aggies have the best rushing defense in the SEC, allowing an average of 80.6 yards a game and 3.1 yards per carry. Kentucky has the leading rusher in the conference with junior running back Benny Snell, who averages 132.8 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry. A&M junior middle linebacker Tyrel Dodson said he’s ready for the challenge the ranked team and their elusive running back will bring. “[Kentucky] being a top-25 team, we’re very excited to just got out and play football again,” Dodson said. “They’re a very physical team and Benny is a good running back so I’m looking forward to playing him.” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said Snell’s playmaking ability is one of the best he’s seen from opposing running backs this season. Fisher said the way Snell runs reminds him of Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, and in order to find a solution to such a skilled back, FOOTBALL ON PG. 2
ONE GIANT LEAP Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Junior running back Trayveon Williams leaps over an Arkansas defender during the Southwest Classic in AT&T Stadium, where he rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.
Keeping the Cats contained Kentucky presents set of serious challenges for A&M By Grant Spika @GrantSpika
Chase Phillips — Kentucky Kernel
Junior Benny Snell Jr. from the University of Kentucky leads the SEC in rushing yards and touchdowns.
No. 13 Kentucky hadn’t started 5-0 in 11 years before its 24-10 win over South Carolina last weekend, and hasn’t started 6-0 since the 1950s. Now, the Wildcats put their unblemished record on the line as they head to Kyle Field to take on Texas A&M. This weekend’s matchup is the first conference matchup between the two SEC teams and only their third matchup ever. When looking at what makes this Kentucky football team good, you have to start with junior running back Benny Snell Jr. Snell has carried the Wildcat of-
fense the whole season, accounting for 639 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in just five games. Snell’s performance put him fourth in the nation in both categories. Snell carries the offense in yards more than sophomore quarterback Terry Wilson has thrown for the Wildcats’ this season. Wilson is also dangerous running the ball, as he’s run for 344 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 60 yards per game. “I’ve never seen a guy who can make a one-yard run into eight yards,” A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “Their offensive line does a great job inside blocking, and [Snell] finds holes and boom, he’s out of there with a big play.” Kentucky’s defense is no pushover either. The Wildcats are 12th in the KENTUCKY ON PG. 5
Young: ‘What we do matters’ President presents updates, goals for A&M’s future at yearly address By Shakirat Adetunji @shakeeraah In his State of the University Address on Thursday, University President Michael Young discussed four strategic initiatives — the president’s excellence fund, the student success initiative, enhancing research support and faculty hiring. The 25th president of Texas A&M, who took office on May 1, 2015, said the university remains strong as it turns 142 years old. “Our strength is in our ability to rise into new heights of academic excellence, physical accountability to the state, our students, their parents and affordability compared to our peer universities – and more importantly, the returns on investments which is reflected in lowered debt loads and higher potential earnings,” Young said. Reflecting on the core value of selfless service, Young recalled how the joint efforts of the university saved lives during the devastating hurricane Harvey. “Hurricane Harvey gave our students, faculty and staff the opportunity to do what they do best — helping day in, day out,” Young said. “Our Qatar students also hosted a fundraising event on their campus selling T-shirts and juice to support their fellow Aggies here at Texas. We felt their love and support 8,000 miles away.” Young provided a progress report on the Vision 2020 plan, a set of university goals laid out in 1999 by a group of faculty, staff, students and graduates. It included diversity, elevation of teaching and research parity with the best public universities in the world. Although there is more work to do, Young highlighted some of the successes achieved so far.
“We are nearing more than a billion dollars in research expenditures,” Young said. “Our mission is to have an impact on the state, nation and the world.” One of the current strategic initiatives is the president’s excellence fund — a 10year, $100 million fund help faculty collaborate on research. “An example of this fund is the Triad (T3) award seed grants,” Young said. “One-hundred projects have been funded at $30,000 seed grant each. Half of the funded teams are assistant professors. … Our mission is to support research and discovery that make the human condition better.” Young said he is committed to enhancing faculty capacity for research through grants, partnerships and commercialization. “In the last 3 years, more than $25 million were invested in faculty research,” Young said. “We are committed to renewing that in the coming five years.” In regards to faculty hiring, Young and his team are trying to add 30 tenure-track professors in the next 12 months and 100 new faculty over the next five years. Looking ahead, Young said another set of goals with specific metrics is being put in place — Vision 2030. The committee tasked with researching and presenting these future goals will be co-chaired by Vice Provost and Chief International Officer Michael Benedik and John Zachry, a distinguished former student from the Class of 1984. Transformational learning was one of the three strategic imperatives introduced by Young in 2016, with the aim of providing intensive, intellectually transformative learning opportunities for students. “This not only includes innovative classroom experiences, but capstone projects, undergraduate research, innovation and entrepreneurship programs, scholarships, YOUNG ON PG. 5
Jesse Everett — THE BATTALION
University President Michael K. Young addressed Texas A&M on topics including graduation rates, Triad grants and transformational learning at the annual State of the University Address.