thebattalion ● friday,
october 5, 2012
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2012 student media
Chase Krumholz — THE BATTALION
Senior safety Steven Terrell snagged two picks in A&M’s 58-10 win over Arkansas, continuing A&M’s improvement in the ever-significant arena of turnovers.
Turnover terror Terrell makes his mark forcing key takeaways
A look at the stats ◗ Senior safety Steven Terrell leads the Aggies this year in interceptions with two. Both came last week in the win against Arkansas. ◗ Terrell has 13 tackles on the season. ◗ The safety from Allen, Texas, has a total of 91 tackles in maroon and white.
Chandler Smith The Battalion
T
o remember the last truly elite defenses to don the maroon and white, A&M fans have to look back to R.C. Slocum’s “Wrecking Crew” of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Known rightfully as “Linebacker U” in the same era — with such greats as Aaron Wallace, John Roper and Quentin Coryatt — there was one area of strength often overlooked in Slocum’s stalwart units: defensive backs. Since the end of the “Wrecking Crew” era following Slocum’s departure and as the game of football evolved into more “spread based” concepts, the secondary hasn’t lived up to its previously exceptional reputation. One of the larger question marks for the 2012 season in a conference
known for its defense, the A&M secondary was hurting for experience. After losing four seasoned seniors and as underclassmen were injected into starting jobs, the unit was begging for a leader. Senior safety Steven Terrell answered the call. Named a team captain prior to
the season’s beginning, the speedy great as our offense is, we know if defensive back is making his pres- we get turnovers they’re going to ence known after mixed experi- turn them into points,” Terrell said ence as a starter and backup. With following the Aggies’ 58-10 drub91 career tackles, two interceptions bing of the Razorbacks. “That’s and 11 career starts leading all we were working on, up to his senior year, trying to get turnovers. Terrell had his sights Luckily we got some Check out page 4 set on going out the this week.” for a look into Ole right way in his fiTurnovers were Miss’ legendary nal hurrah. a rare commodity tailgating In a heated rifor the Aggies in experience: valry game with 2011, a commodity The Grove. serious season imdesperately needed plications against Aras the offense was regkansas, Terrell did what ularly distributing it to the Aggies couldn’t accomother teams. A similarly talplish a year prior: force turnovers ented conference rival with com— and two to boot. parable expectations that season, “This whole week we’ve been Oklahoma State, took advantage emphasizing turnovers because as of turnovers better than any other
campus
team by forcing 44 takeaways. The Aggies, meanwhile, only forced 15 last year. The result? Oklahoma State skyrocketed to a 12-1 record and conference championship status. The Aggies skidded to a disappointing 7-6 finish after a preseason Top 10 ranking. By Terrell picking off vaunted Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson twice — particularly the first with the score at 13-10 A&M — he bucked more than the trend of losing to Arkansas, but possibly the trend of losing much at all. Head coach Kevin Sumlin lauded the initial interception and teased Terrell for nearly giving the See Terrell on page 2
football preview
Male pageant raises minority awareness A&M travels to Oxford for first conference road game Joseph Puente
Special to The Battalion
Among the student body at Texas A&M University are developing role models and leaders within respective organizations who emphasize academic success and applied skills. Within these diverse organizations are underrepresented students who demonstrate a commitment to serving their university and becoming men and women who others want to follow. The Xi Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., has been on the A&M campus since 1985, and has served the community through countless projects from providing free childcare services to single parents in Bryan-College Station to having a scholarship pageant for underrepresented men at Texas A&M. The Xi Psi Chapter will be holding their fourth annual “Mr. Ivy League Scholarship Pageant” at 6:08 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom on Oct. 6. The pageant is themed “Havana Nights.” “This pageant serves as a way to highlight the underrepresented leaders and role models on campus who can easily be overshadowed at a predominantly white institution,” said
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“But what about the three hours the week after that? The Battalion The Aggies (3-1, 1-1) be- The ability to keep focus and lieve they broke a barrier last maintain a certain level of play week in a home victory over takes maturity.” Few have talked about the Arkansas, notching their first Aggies this season without Southeastern Conference win mentioning freshman quarterand proving they can retain a large lead. Moving the ball in back Johnny Manziel in the same breath. In the friendly confines four career starts, of Kyle Field and Ole Miss Manziel has yet to snatching a win from thus far surrender a single an SEC opponent on turnover and ac◗ Ole Miss is 3-2 the road are two difcounted for 16 on the season and ferent games. touchdowns and 0-1 in SEC play. A&M makes its 1,460 total yards. conference road de- ◗ Last week, the leading but against Ole Miss Rebels lost 33-14 to A&M’s passer and rusher, (3-2, 0-1) Saturday Alabama on the Aggie offense in Oxford, Miss. has begun and endHead coach the road. ed with Manziel to Kevin Sumthis point in the season. In his lin said last week’s 58-10 last outing, Manziel’s 557 total thrashing of Arkansas was promising, but consistency yards broke school and SEC single-game records. plays into the equation. Sumlin said the quarterback “There are a lot of teams that can play well for three See Ole Miss on page 4 hours one week,” Sumlin said.
Mark Dore
Aaron Cranford — THE BATTALION
Pageant contestants practice their dance performance for the Alpha Kappa Alpha sponsored “Mr. Ivy League Pageant,” taking place Saturday. Lucretia Stanfield, senior accounting major and president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. “The contestants are able to serve as role models for other minority males on campus and are able to
prove that they can stand out in the crowd as well.” The six candidates were selected after being considered men of high See Pageant on page 3
10/5/12 12:11 AM