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It’s just over halfway through the 2001 college football season, which means hockey must be under way and the Astros out of the way. As for the Aggies, mid-October meant a change in the seasons and the schedule. Bowl teams from 2000 only remain. So how has Texas A&M fared? Well, outside of ESPN’s Sidelines, this fall has been quite entertaining for the maroon and white. A look at the mid-term report:
TEAM MVP The quiet corner just goes about his business of shutting down the other team’s best receiver. Or in the case of Colorado, Davis had to shut down one of the Big 12’s best tight ends in Daniel Graham. The Colorado star’s numbers against the Candy Man? Very average with four catches for 29 yards. Davis was tied for the league lead with four interceptions and gives the Aggies the rare ability to cordon off one section of the field from much offensive action. WHERE WOULD A&M BE WITHOUT…? He was a flunked pop quiz away from heading back home to Mission. Now he’s on a mission. In fact, the absence of Robert Ferguson has been tempered somewhat by the emergence of Taylor and his big-play capabilities. From teetering at the bottom of the receiver depth chart to a possible spot on an all-Big 12 roster, Taylor’s story is one of the best of the year.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Confidence was the key for Penright, who has all the physical tools of being the next dominating force in the Big 12. SENIOR PRIVILEGES FOR THIS FISH But the freshman who has really earned his spurs is wide receiver Terrence Murphy. With injuries decimating the receiving corps, Murphy has stepped in like a grizzled veteran. The Tyler Chapel Hill product has given A&M a very athletic deep threat with great hands. Sure, he dropped a few balls against Colorado, but he also kept the Aggies in the game with a two-catch drive that ended in a 36-yard touchdown. Even on a busted play against the Buffs, in which Murphy wasn’t even supposed to get the ball on a lateral, this East Texas gem turned the play into a 15-yard gain. As far as offensive injuries are concerned, it’s been a Murphy’s Law situation for A&M this season. But Terrence Murphy has changed the outlook for the future. Maybe with him, what can go right will go right. BIGGEST SURPRISE AS A FRESHMAN Get used to seeing Randall Webb on the football field. "Randall Webb, by far, has to be the biggest surprise since he starts on all of the special teams and can contribute at outside linebacker," Slocum said of the linebacker from North Mesquite. "You would prefer to have older guys, but it is encouraging to see younger guys in your program that will be with you the next few years." BEST GAME SO FAR Yes, the blindside sack and fumble recovery for a touchdown is what fans will remember most about this 31-21 game. But A&M had a good chance to beat this top 15 team on the road. It was a mid-term loss for the Aggies, but A&M players and fans have to feel much better about the finals in November and December. WHY YOU LOVE AGGIE FOOTBALL Games with defending national champion Oklahoma and Rose Bowl pretender Texas are still left to be played. And to think there are people out there who actually don’t like college football. WHY YOU LOVE TEXAS A&M As the A&M players repeated over and over, there’s no campus in the world that could have pulled off what A&M and its enterprising students did with the Red, White and Blue Out. Every time you think A&M can’t top itself spirit-wise, it does. But the sight of 70,000 T-shirts sparkling in color-coordinated decks at Kyle Field even blew away the most casual and jaded fans outside the A&M community. How can you compare any future event this fall to what transpired that day? It’ll be tough. Perhaps an upset of Oklahoma in Norman could do the trick… or another classic with the Horns the day after Thanksgiving. In any case, the home stretch will be interesting. And there will only be 10 more months until the start of the 2002 season.
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12th Man Foundation unless otherwise noted.