Jimcs50
10-29-2006, 09:35 AM
A&M uses big plays, just enough defense to beat Baylor
By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Sports Writer
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WACO - Freshman running back Mike Goodson and Texas A&M showed they're ready for prime time in a big way.
Needing a couple of first downs to run out the clock on the Baylor Bears, the Aggies gave the ball to Goodson on a third-and-five. The play, called "55 Smoke Draw," gives the running back the flexibility to pick his hole.
"All we tell the back is run where they ain't," A&M head coach Dennis Franchione said.
Baylor's defenders were stacked to Goodson's right, so the 192-pounder cut back left. A couple Bears thought they could contain the play, but they were a couple steps too slow.
Goodson dashed down the left sideline 64 yards to the end zone, sealing A&M's 31-21 victory and showing the Floyd Casey Stadium-record crowd of 51,385 why Southern Cal recruited him as a possible successor to Reggie Bush.
"When he came around the corner toward our sideline, I never dreamed he was going to the house with it," Franchione said. "You saw the jets right there.
"The home-run hitter hit a home run."
That was the final big play in an entertaining Big 12 showdown that didn't have a turnover until the final minute.
It also was the fourth straight victory for 22nd-ranked A&M (8-1, 4-1). The Aggies had to win each game with pivotal plays in the fourth quarter, but the last two wins didn't earn much fanfare, because they weren't televised.
That's about to change.
A&M, with its best start since winning the Big 12 in 1998, returns home to face Oklahoma (6-2, 3-1) in a nationally televised game by ABC at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Baylor (4-5, 3-2) had visions of earning national attention by adding to its most wins in a Big 12 season, but the Bears couldn't match the Aggie firepower, even though senior wide receiver Dominique Zeigler tried.
Zeigler had four catches for 166 yards in the first half, including a 79-yard touchdown. His only second-half catch, a 14-yarder, helped the Bears tie the game at 21 on their first possession of the third quarter.
Baylor managed only 57 yards in its final 17 plays as the Aggies slowed down the Bears by switching secondary coverages.
Baylor's defense, meanwhile, never got a handle on A&M's diversified offense, which had a season-high 507 yards.
Tight end Martellus Bennett, the state's top recruit two years ago, had his best collegiate game. He scored A&M's first points on a 3-yard touchdown pass, then teamed up with quarterback Stephen McGee on a 75-yard touchdown strike. McGee hit the 6-foot-7 Bennett on a slant with the blitz coming. Bennett ran through Baylor free safety Dwain Crawford at the Aggie 32 and eventually dove head first into the end zone to make it 21-14 just three plays after Baylor had tied it.
Bennett ended with 133 yards on five catches.
McGee had a solid game running the option, finishing with 89 yards on 17 carries.
"Most of the time they took the tailback, and that opened it up for me," McGee said. "The O-line did a good job of blocking it up. I just made the read and most of the time, it was there for me to take it."
Tailback Jorvorskie Lane chipped in 53 yards on 12 carries, scoring his 17th touchdown of the year as A&M rushed for a season-high 292 yards.
"We were out-athleted, out-whooped," Baylor coach Guy Morriss said. "We just didn't get it done. That's what the difference was."
A&M's ground game allowed it to keep the ball 36:52 compared to Baylor's 23:08. But the Bears managed to make it a fourth-quarter game with their 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to open the second half being key.
A&M had to settle for a 24-21 lead after having a field goal blocked early in the fourth quarter. Layne Neumann then kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:32 left for the three-point lead.
Baylor was forced to punt with 4:14 left, hoping to get the ball back with two timeouts left.
Goodson, who had been plagued by fumbles early in the season, ended any thought of a Bear rally.
Goodson finished with 96 yards on just eight carries.
Baylor's Paul Mosley led the Bears in rushing with 53 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Sports Writer
.
WACO - Freshman running back Mike Goodson and Texas A&M showed they're ready for prime time in a big way.
Needing a couple of first downs to run out the clock on the Baylor Bears, the Aggies gave the ball to Goodson on a third-and-five. The play, called "55 Smoke Draw," gives the running back the flexibility to pick his hole.
"All we tell the back is run where they ain't," A&M head coach Dennis Franchione said.
Baylor's defenders were stacked to Goodson's right, so the 192-pounder cut back left. A couple Bears thought they could contain the play, but they were a couple steps too slow.
Goodson dashed down the left sideline 64 yards to the end zone, sealing A&M's 31-21 victory and showing the Floyd Casey Stadium-record crowd of 51,385 why Southern Cal recruited him as a possible successor to Reggie Bush.
"When he came around the corner toward our sideline, I never dreamed he was going to the house with it," Franchione said. "You saw the jets right there.
"The home-run hitter hit a home run."
That was the final big play in an entertaining Big 12 showdown that didn't have a turnover until the final minute.
It also was the fourth straight victory for 22nd-ranked A&M (8-1, 4-1). The Aggies had to win each game with pivotal plays in the fourth quarter, but the last two wins didn't earn much fanfare, because they weren't televised.
That's about to change.
A&M, with its best start since winning the Big 12 in 1998, returns home to face Oklahoma (6-2, 3-1) in a nationally televised game by ABC at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Baylor (4-5, 3-2) had visions of earning national attention by adding to its most wins in a Big 12 season, but the Bears couldn't match the Aggie firepower, even though senior wide receiver Dominique Zeigler tried.
Zeigler had four catches for 166 yards in the first half, including a 79-yard touchdown. His only second-half catch, a 14-yarder, helped the Bears tie the game at 21 on their first possession of the third quarter.
Baylor managed only 57 yards in its final 17 plays as the Aggies slowed down the Bears by switching secondary coverages.
Baylor's defense, meanwhile, never got a handle on A&M's diversified offense, which had a season-high 507 yards.
Tight end Martellus Bennett, the state's top recruit two years ago, had his best collegiate game. He scored A&M's first points on a 3-yard touchdown pass, then teamed up with quarterback Stephen McGee on a 75-yard touchdown strike. McGee hit the 6-foot-7 Bennett on a slant with the blitz coming. Bennett ran through Baylor free safety Dwain Crawford at the Aggie 32 and eventually dove head first into the end zone to make it 21-14 just three plays after Baylor had tied it.
Bennett ended with 133 yards on five catches.
McGee had a solid game running the option, finishing with 89 yards on 17 carries.
"Most of the time they took the tailback, and that opened it up for me," McGee said. "The O-line did a good job of blocking it up. I just made the read and most of the time, it was there for me to take it."
Tailback Jorvorskie Lane chipped in 53 yards on 12 carries, scoring his 17th touchdown of the year as A&M rushed for a season-high 292 yards.
"We were out-athleted, out-whooped," Baylor coach Guy Morriss said. "We just didn't get it done. That's what the difference was."
A&M's ground game allowed it to keep the ball 36:52 compared to Baylor's 23:08. But the Bears managed to make it a fourth-quarter game with their 11-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to open the second half being key.
A&M had to settle for a 24-21 lead after having a field goal blocked early in the fourth quarter. Layne Neumann then kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:32 left for the three-point lead.
Baylor was forced to punt with 4:14 left, hoping to get the ball back with two timeouts left.
Goodson, who had been plagued by fumbles early in the season, ended any thought of a Bear rally.
Goodson finished with 96 yards on just eight carries.
Baylor's Paul Mosley led the Bears in rushing with 53 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.