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| Sunday, August 12 Updated: August 13, 10:53 PM ET QB Farris solid, but Aggies need receivers to step up By Todd Cooper Special to ESPN.com |
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Texas A&M Aggies 2000 record: 7-5 (5-3). Coach: R.C. Slocum (13th year, 109-37-2). Starters returning: 6 offense, 5 defense, punter. Outlook: Last year, the tough-luck Aggies lost four games in which they carried a lead into the second half. Then, after a 7-5 season, they lost two gamebreakers -- running back Ja'Mar Tombs and receiver Robert Ferguson -- before their eligibility expired. That led Slocum to declare: "We're not a team that is going to dazzle anybody with our talent level." Still, the Aggies have talent in quarterback Mark Farris and they have toughness in center Seth McKinney and linebacker Brian Gamble. They just desperately need someone who can takeover games the way Ferguson did last year. Among returning receivers, Bethel Johnson is solid, Greg Porter is surehanded and Dwain Goynes is speedy. The verdict is out, however, on whether any of them have star power. Freshman tailback Keith Joseph, a pounding runner, will battle Richard Whitaker at tailback. McKinney, an All-America candidate, leads a thin line that needs to improve from last year. As usual, the Wrecking Crew defense should be solid, despite the loss of six starters. Lineman Rocky Bernard, linebacker Brian Gamble, cornerback Sammy Davis and safety Jay Brooks all are playmakers. Keep an eye on: Mark Farris. Now that Chris Weinke is gone, Farris is college football's resident old guy. Farris, a former minor league baseball player like Weinke, should top last year's school-record of 2,551 yards passing -- especially if a big-play receiver steps up. Key game: Notre Dame, Sept. 29. If the Aggies avenge last year's loss to Notre Dame, they'll prove that they haven't lost the luster of Kyle Field, perhaps the toughest place to play in college football. That will be especially helpful when they try to knock off Texas in College Station on Nov. 29. It's a good year if... The Aggies pull some upsets at Kyle Field, starting with Notre Dame and ending with Texas. A&M closed each spring practice by shouting "National Champions!" Guess it had a better ring to it than "Galleryfurniture.com Bowl Champions!" -- which is the best the Aggies can hope for. Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald. |
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