Even without Reggie, A&M offense is scary

By Darrell Laurant  |   Saturday, May 06, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Texas A&M Aggies
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Given last year's 5-6 record, the temptation is to say that the Texas A&M football team is currently rebuilding.

That would be wrong. The Aggies aren't even reloading. A&M had 12 returning starters participate in spring drills, as well as another 14 who had started a game at some point in their college careers.

True, Reggie McNeal is gone. Probably the most athletic quarterback in the country last year (he ran a sub 4.4 40 at the NFL combine and was drafted in the sixth round by Cincinnati), the Lufkin product left as the school's career leader in passing yardage and total offense. But the ankle injury that sidelined McNeal for the 2005 season finale against national champion Texas may have been a blessing in disguise, because it enabled backup Stephen McGee to show what he could do -- 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns against a rugged Longhorn defense.

Not surprisingly, McGee emerged from offseason practice as the unquestioned starter and team leader for 2006.

"He's only a sophomore, but he seems older," said A&M coach Dennis Franchione. "I was impressed with his improvement in the spring."

During his prep career at Burnet (TX) High School, McGee threw for 8,256 yards and 101 touchdowns against just three interceptions. Big and strong at 6-3, 205, he's also fast enough to have run track in high school.

This fall, McGee will be operating behind one of the better offensive lines in the Big 12, anchored by returning starters Yemi Babola (6-4, 308), Corey Clark (6-6, 311), Cody Wallace (6-4, 296) and Kirk Elder. Tight end Martellus Bennett (6-7, 248) caught 18 passes for 162 yards in his first season, earning Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News.

And if that wasn't enough, the Texas A&M Aggies will roll out a legitimate "Thunder & Lightning" backfield storm. Courtney Lewis (723 rushing yards, seven TD's in 2005) returns in the role of Lightning, with Jorvorskie Lane as his co-star.

Lane is one of the more remarkable physical specimens in college football today, a 5-11, 274-pounder with the speed to take that bulk outside. From the same high school as Reggie McNeal, he scored nine touchdowns last year -- and Jorvorskie Lane with a head of steam in the open field is enough to to make a defensive back's life flash before his eyes.

Another formidable physical specimen is wide receiver Earvin Taylor (6-3, 244), who caught an 80-yard touchdown pass against SMU last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Converted running back Kerry Franks, possibly the fastest Aggie, takes over the other wideout spot.

Of course, the primary problem last season was the defense, which surrendered 56 points to Texas Tech, 42 to Iowa State, 41 to Colorado, 40 to Texas and 36 to Oklahoma.

In order to limit a glaring vulnerability to the pass, defense coordinator Gary Darnell initiated a 4-2-5 defense this spring, and has five starters back. And while top quarterbacks McGee and Jamie McCoy did convert 10 of 11 passes in the annual Maroon & White spring game (won by 27-24 by the White on Richie Bean's 39-yard field goal with six seconds left), both defenses demonstrated a bend-but-don't-break tendency.

Last year, they broke a lot. But that was last year.
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