Looking ahead: Aggies look to bury bad memory vs. Huskers

By Josh Lashley  |   Monday, June 18, 2007  |  Comments( 14 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Many coaches will state publicly that whatever happened between their team and an upcoming opponent in previous meetings is simply ancient history. However, it's hard to imagine that the Texas A&M Aggies will soon forget what happened to them versus Nebraska in College Station last fall.

The contest hit a crescendo when Husker quarterback Zac Taylor connected with Maurice Purify for the game-winning touchdown with roughly 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The final score of the matchup was 28-27.

As they did in 2006, look for the Aggies to enter this fall's matchup against the Huskers with an impressive win-loss record. A&M was 8-2 heading into last year's contest, and glancing at their foes leading to the October 20 meeting in Lincoln, the Aggies could even be undefeated, or at least very close to that mark.

After going 9-4 overall last fall, including a resounding defeat of California (45-10) in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, head coach Dennis Franchione welcomes back a crew of players who can get the job done on the ground.

Leading the offense will be junior quarterback Stephen McGee, who passed for just under 2,300 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. McGee is dangerous with his legs, as well, as he tallied 666 rushing yards and four TDs in '06.

A pair of competitive tailbacks, junior Jorvorskie Lane and sophomore Mike Goodson, are back for the Aggies. Lane led the team with 19 touchdowns last fall, and Goodson rushed for 847 yards in 2006. The offensive line will be controlled by senior standout center Cody Wallace.

A&M must prove itself in the air attack this season, but at least one reliable target should be junior tight end Martellus Bennett, who brought in 38 catches for nearly 500 yards last year.

Time will tell what the Aggies' defensive unit is made of, but one athlete who needs to be accounted for at all times is senior defensive lineman Chris Harrington, who recorded 59 tackles and collected 7½ last season

Two linebackers to keep an eye on should be senior Misi Tupe (54 tackles in '06) and Mark Dodge, a senior who had 50 tackles and two interceptions last season. Devin Gregg may be strong at free safety, as he posted 64 tackles and two INTs in 2006; and cornerback Danny Gorrer racked up 52 tackles last season.

Justin Brantly, a junior who averaged over 44 yards per punt in 2006, is back, and so is sophomore place-kicker Matt Szymaski.

The biggest tests for the Aggies leading into the game in Lincoln appear to be a Sept. 20 road game at Miami and a contest at Texas Tech on Oct. 6. If they can win both of those matchups, which very well may be in the cards, then Nebraska will need to halt their ample momentum in Memorial Stadium.
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CommentsComments: 14  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
FootballFan		10:40 AM
06/18/2007
"After going 9-4 overall last fall, including a resounding defeat of California (45-10) in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, head...
No.2
bigredfred		11:06 AM
06/19/2007
Hey Footballfan, do you suppose Dennis Franchione is a alumni of the Steve Pederson school of ethical sports behavior??? I don't...
No.3
Football fan		11:30 PM
06/21/2007
OMG... a Longhorn fan such as myself can laugh at this article because everyone knows A&M is going to get crushed this season to...
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