Jimcs50
09-01-2004, 10:04 AM
Sept. 1, 2004, 1:16AM
Aggies looking for ways to stop run before it stops them
By NEIL HOHLFELD
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
Of all the statistics that showed the dramatic fall of the Texas A&M defense last season, one might be the most telling:
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In 12 games, the Aggies allowed nine players to rush for 100 or more yards.:shock
In a stretch of 20 games from 2000 to 2002, the Aggies did not allow a single player to rush for 100 yards.
When the Aggies open the 2004 season Thursday night against No. 20 Utah at Salt Lake City, stopping the run will be one of their top priorities. If teams keep running for eye-popping yardage, the Aggies could be doomed to repeat what happened during their 4-8 season last year, when they allowed an average of 225.1 rushing yards, 431.5 total yards and 38.5 points per game.
"(We need) total improvement on that side of the ball," said coach Dennis Franchione, "but it generally starts with your ability to defend the run."
A group of highly touted redshirt freshman defensive linemen will be called upon to slow down the Utes' running game. Jason Jack is expected to start at defensive end and Red Bryant at defensive tackle, while fellow freshmen Chris Harrington and Jorrie Adams also are scheduled for significant playing time.
Their arrival has defensive coordinator Carl Torbush hopeful that the run defense will be better.
"We're excited to see what the four young guys can bring," Torbush said. "I know they have a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. That makes everybody a little looser and a little more reckless. I think that'll make us better in itself."
Because the Aggies couldn't stop the run last season, they couldn't get off the field. Opponents held the ball for nearly 3 1/2 more minutes per game than A&M and ran nearly 80 more plays over the course of the season. For a team that lacked depth, that led to second-half problems. A&M was outscored 252-165 in the second half.
"Our third-down conversion ratio (44.3 percent) was way too high," Torbush said. "We kept ourselves on the field way too long. Part of that problem was that we were looking at second-and-four too many times instead of second-and-nine.
In the final three games last year, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas rushed 169 times for 1,097 yards. Twice since 1991, an A&M team allowed fewer yards rushing for an entire season than last year's team allowed in those three games.
:shock
However, Utah rushed 57 times for 205 yards in the second game last season. Though the Aggies won 28-26 at Kyle Field, Utah's Brandon Warfield ran for 181 yards, the first of the nine century-plus rushers against A&M. Utah has three solid running backs in Mike Liti, Quinton Ganther and Marty Johnson this year.
Free safety Jaxson Appel, who led the Aggies with 135 tackles last season, thinks the defense should be improved for several reasons. There is better talent and more depth, and this is the second season of working under Torbush and his system.
"Everyone understands what they're supposed to do without that little bit of hesitation we had last year," Appel said. "A lot of times, that can be the difference between making the tackle and missing the tackle."
According to Torbush, nearly half of the school-record 5,178 yards allowed last year came after contact. That means the Aggies weren't as physical as necessary and put themselves in position to miss tackles.
"I think we're bigger and stronger and faster at every position, and we have the young guys who can make us better," Torbush said. "We've looked pretty good against ourselves. But we don't play ourselves Thursday night."
[email protected]
Aggies looking for ways to stop run before it stops them
By NEIL HOHLFELD
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
Of all the statistics that showed the dramatic fall of the Texas A&M defense last season, one might be the most telling:
ADVERTISEMENT
In 12 games, the Aggies allowed nine players to rush for 100 or more yards.:shock
In a stretch of 20 games from 2000 to 2002, the Aggies did not allow a single player to rush for 100 yards.
When the Aggies open the 2004 season Thursday night against No. 20 Utah at Salt Lake City, stopping the run will be one of their top priorities. If teams keep running for eye-popping yardage, the Aggies could be doomed to repeat what happened during their 4-8 season last year, when they allowed an average of 225.1 rushing yards, 431.5 total yards and 38.5 points per game.
"(We need) total improvement on that side of the ball," said coach Dennis Franchione, "but it generally starts with your ability to defend the run."
A group of highly touted redshirt freshman defensive linemen will be called upon to slow down the Utes' running game. Jason Jack is expected to start at defensive end and Red Bryant at defensive tackle, while fellow freshmen Chris Harrington and Jorrie Adams also are scheduled for significant playing time.
Their arrival has defensive coordinator Carl Torbush hopeful that the run defense will be better.
"We're excited to see what the four young guys can bring," Torbush said. "I know they have a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. That makes everybody a little looser and a little more reckless. I think that'll make us better in itself."
Because the Aggies couldn't stop the run last season, they couldn't get off the field. Opponents held the ball for nearly 3 1/2 more minutes per game than A&M and ran nearly 80 more plays over the course of the season. For a team that lacked depth, that led to second-half problems. A&M was outscored 252-165 in the second half.
"Our third-down conversion ratio (44.3 percent) was way too high," Torbush said. "We kept ourselves on the field way too long. Part of that problem was that we were looking at second-and-four too many times instead of second-and-nine.
In the final three games last year, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas rushed 169 times for 1,097 yards. Twice since 1991, an A&M team allowed fewer yards rushing for an entire season than last year's team allowed in those three games.
:shock
However, Utah rushed 57 times for 205 yards in the second game last season. Though the Aggies won 28-26 at Kyle Field, Utah's Brandon Warfield ran for 181 yards, the first of the nine century-plus rushers against A&M. Utah has three solid running backs in Mike Liti, Quinton Ganther and Marty Johnson this year.
Free safety Jaxson Appel, who led the Aggies with 135 tackles last season, thinks the defense should be improved for several reasons. There is better talent and more depth, and this is the second season of working under Torbush and his system.
"Everyone understands what they're supposed to do without that little bit of hesitation we had last year," Appel said. "A lot of times, that can be the difference between making the tackle and missing the tackle."
According to Torbush, nearly half of the school-record 5,178 yards allowed last year came after contact. That means the Aggies weren't as physical as necessary and put themselves in position to miss tackles.
"I think we're bigger and stronger and faster at every position, and we have the young guys who can make us better," Torbush said. "We've looked pretty good against ourselves. But we don't play ourselves Thursday night."
[email protected]