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PAGE FOURTEEN

Jake Matthews named to SEC community service team

T

he Southeastern Conference recognized senior offensive tackle Jake Matthews on Thursday as officials selected him to the league’s Service Team. Matthews, who won last season’s Outland Trophy — awarded annually to the nation’s top offensive lineman — has volunteered consistently at Twin City Missions throughout his career at Texas A&M, assisting with meals, working around the property and even helping build a playground on site. Additionally, Matthews has taken part in Aggie Athletes Involved (AAI), a group of A&M student-athletes who visit various schools in the area speaking about the importance of education and hard work. On the gridiron, Matthews is a standout player, having made 36 consecutive starts in his four years with the team. As returning All-American (Football Writers Association of America), Matthews has played a vital role in protecting quarterback Johnny Manziel as well as providing leadership for the A&M offense.

Staff report

thebattalion

16

TAILGATE

PAGE ELEVEN

DRUM MAJORS

KYLE FIELD INSIDER

PAGE TWO

9.13.13 9.20.13

THE ‘O’ IS DOING JUST FINE. AND JOHNNY IS READY FOR SMU.

Ricky SealsJones catches his only touchdown of the season against Rice.

Chase Krumholz — THE BATTALION

Freshman to undergo knee surgery Friday

T

rue freshman standout wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones — Texas A&M’s top prospect from the 2013 recruiting class — will undergo knee surgery Friday, per a report from the A&M athletic department.

Staff report

BAT_09-13-13_A1-A16.indd 1

PAGES EIGHT & NINE

CASHIN’ OUT AND SHARKIN’

PAGE FOUR

SENIORS TONEY HURD JR. AND BEN MALENA HAVE BEEN CALLED ON TO LEAD THE LOCKER ROOM.

9/19/13 9:50 PM

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Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION

A&M GEARS FOR BOUNCEBACK Michael Ayo The Battalion

C

oming off a heartbreaking loss to top-ranked Alabama, Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1) will look to rebound as they take on the Southern Methodist Mustangs (1-1) on Saturday. The loss dropped the Aggies from No. 6 to No. 10 in the AP Poll, but kept A&M in the top 10 for the sixth consecutive regular season week.

Once again, Texas A&M’s high-powered offense, led by Johnny Manziel, will be on display at Kyle Field. Manziel is coming off a school record of 464 yards passing against the Crimson Tide and currently leads all SEC quarterbacks in passing yards with 984 through the first three games, an average of 328 yards per game.

Sophomore receiver Mike Evans has been a major factor in Manziel’s early season success. Evans leads the nation with 518 total receiving yards and 172.7 receiving yards per game. Evans’ 518 receiving yards also has him second in all-purpose yards in SEC, behind LSU’s Odell Beckham. “The sky is the limit for [Evans],� said offensive

BAT_09-13-13_A15-A2.indd 1

coordinator Clarence McKinney. “The talent is there but he’s really just starting to learn the position.�

The combination of Manziel-to-Evans has become one of the top quarterback-to-receiver hookups in the nation after Evans’ 279 yards receiving against Alabama.

These two, and the rushing attack led by senior Ben Malena, are the main reasons Texas A&M has averaged 609 yards of offense per game. The Aggie offense is also tops in the SEC with 94 first downs, ahead of Ole Miss with 81, through the first three weeks. “The mindset of our offense is to score every time you get the ball,� Malena said. “We stress third down and red-zone scoring.�

The Aggie secondary will have their hands full against an SMU “Run ‘n Raid� offense led by quarterback Garrett Gilbert.

The Mustangs are coming into the weekend averaging 352.5 yards per game — a statistic common after passing enthusiast head coach June Jones left Hawaii to take over the program.

Texas A&M will likely be without starting safety

Floyd Raven Sr. for the second consecutive game as he continues to heal from a broken collarbone that could sideline him for the remainder of the season.

The Aggie defense has held opponents to 229 yards through the air despite Raven’s absence. “Young guys are stepping up on defense each week and older guys are becoming leaders,� said senior defensive back Toney Hurd, Jr. “Confidence is growing.�

Texas A&M is also hopeful for the return of sophomore running back and return specialist Trey Williams who is nursing an ankle injury suffered in the opening week of the season. Williams has missed the past two games and his return is questionable for Saturday. Last season, Williams averaged 22.3 yards per return as the deep man on kickoff return.

The Aggies are looking for their third win in as many years against the Mustangs. Last season, Texas A&M faced SMU in Dallas and came away with a 48-3 victory while the Mustangs left Kyle Field in 2011 with a 46-14 loss.

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14

smuinsider

VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDELINE

Sean Lester interviewed Demetrio Teniente, sports editor for The Daily Campus, SMU’s student newspaper

THE BATTALION: What does this SMU team bring to the field entering Saturday’s game?

A TAILGATE IN THE CROWD Groups use varying strategies to draw attention

Mackenzie Mullis The Battalion

I

n another testament to the dedication of the 12th Man, Aggie tailgaters were voted the No. 1 tailgaters in the nation by “Tailgater Magazine.”

But making a tailgate stand out in a sea of “No. 1 tailgaters” can prove to be a challenge. Students, parents, friends and rivals all pitch their tents, light their grills, paint their bodies and make signs in an attempt to be the most unique.

Blake Johnson, senior agribusiness major, made signs for College Gameday before the A&M-Alabama game to draw crowds to his tailgate. One read “Show Me Your TDs” with a photo of Johnny Manziel in a jersey-ripping pose.

The other had a photo-shopped head of Manziel on Miley Cyrus’ body in her now infamous “Wrecking Ball” music video.

“I went to Gameday at 5:20 a.m. and I got so many pictures with people,” Johnson said. “Everyone loved these signs.”

Strangers crowded around the tailgate to take photos with these tongue-in-cheek posters.

“A buddy of mine made the ‘Show Me Your TDs’ catch phrase for when Johnny [Manziel] pulls at his shirt,” Johnson said.

Inside the tents, Johnson showed off a homemade TV stand he had personally made.

“I took an old military wagon and stripped the sides off of it, drilled some wood to it to make this really cool TV

BAT_09-13-13_A3-A14.indd 1

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(Right) Blake Johnson, Robert Bordovsky and Brandon Bordovsky put their homemade signs on display for other tailgaters.

David Cohen — THE BATTALION

3

Held at the College Station

stand,” Johnson said.

Other tailgates went all out, making signs and coming up with unique tailgate names. “The Fifth Quarter,” set against the University Center parking garage, hosted generations of Aggies from the Class of 1979, 2006 and 2008.

“We even have some future Class of 2033 and 2034,” said Anne Lowe, Class of 2006, about her two daughters.

“We have been tailgating for about 10 years,” said Jared Lowe, Class of 2006. “We used to be right up next to the stadium but since the construction, we moved over here.”

The Lowes have lived in College Station for three years, which makes tailgating a simpler process.

“We tailgate every week,” Jared said. “We used to live in Waco, but we moved back here three years ago which makes tailgating easier because we don’t have to travel.”

Jared, a third-generation Aggie, said their tailgate name was born after an extended period of time and many email exchanges.

“We were drunk,” Jared said. “Our name just kind of happened. We sent about 50 emails back and forth between everyone doing the tailgate.”

Corley Walter, Class of 2007, showcased a distinct, homemade selection of food at his tailgate — from brisket to deer sausage to dove.

“Everything we have here to eat was pretty much killed yesterday,” Walter said. “This is our fourth year in a row to tailgate as a family, we have about 30 people here with us.”

Walter said he had never seen more people tailgating in

Spence Park as he did before the Alabama game.

“This just makes me wish I was a student all the time,” Walter said.

Connor Pittman, sophomore political science major and Ben Jones, sophomore Blinn Team student were in charge of grilling at the Brotherhood of Christian Aggies tailgate.

Pittman said they tried to hype up their tailgate through social media so more people would come hang out before the games.

“We have been blowing this up on Facebook all week,” Pittman said. “We have been going since 8 a.m. We are one of the only tailgates where there are different people here each week. This was by far the biggest tailgate we have done. We have fed about 500 to 600 people.”

Some Alabama fans were impressed by the Aggie turnout and the hospitality everyone showed.

“We have had such a blast,” said Hunter Johnson, an Alabama fan. “We went to Northgate and stopped at O’Bannons and The Chicken. Everyone has been really nice. Some guys even offered us a ride on their golf cart back to our tailgate.”

With the fourth-largest attendance in Kyle Field history — 87,596 people — and thousands more mingling about tailgates, A&M fans lived up to their national tailgating title.

TENIENTE: We’ve got this June Jones offense and this marriage has happened here. You get a little bit of the air raid with the run-and-shoot offense. We have seen a bit of a West Coast feel as far as the offense goes.

Defensively you could say the defense is opportunistic.

THE BATTALION: QB Garrett Gilbert is familiar for A&M fans from last season’s game to his days at Texas.

How has he progressed and how has he looked this year?

TENIENTE: He’s playing the best football that we’ve ever seen him play.

Most certainly it’s hard to compare that to his performance in the national championship game but he definitely looks more comfortable behind his line.

THE BATTALION: What were your takeaways from watching AlabamaA&M last week?

TENIENTE: Based on that game, you lose by one possession and you think, ‘If Johnny Football would have had one more shot.’ You see them march down the field for 14 unanswered points almost effortlessly, tearing up Alabama’s defense. It’s a scary thought when you think about, ‘That’s who we’re going to play next week.’

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THE BATTALION: There is a history between SMU and A&M. What does it mean to the SMU fans when A&M is on the schedule?

TENIENTE: I don’t want to bash my school or anything but what I’ve been getting from people is them wanting to get past this game. They want to get to TCU and not because anyone is overlooking A&M, but I think they realize how good of a team A&M is and they realize that we’re going against the best in the NCAA right now. There’s hope that we can pull off some sort of an upset, but there’s kind of a reserved excitement.

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THE BATTALION: Last year’s final score in Dallas between the two teams was 48-3. What is your predicted score for this game?

TENIENTE: 60-9, A&M. That’s just my realistic score prediction. I guess if you were to get my idealistic score prediction it would be much closer, 40-21. The only way that I can see us competing is the defense has to create turnovers. Against Alabama, there were turnovers to make things happen in the game. That’s what turned the momentum of the game in Alabama’s favor. If this game is going to be close at all, they are going to have to force some turnovers, Gilbert’s going to have to take care of the ball, there has to be some kind of run game and they’ll have to take some shots down field.

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9/19/13 10:00 PM

I

Graphic by William Guerra — THE BATTALION

Down, BUT Not Out

SEAN LESTER: Losing to Alabama hurts, but history proves A&M is not out of championship contention

Sean Lester Sports Desk Assistant @s_lester14

BAT_09-13-13_A13-A4.indd 1

t was being called the Game of the Century.

Saban versus Manziel.

Alabama against A&M. While most Games of the Century fail to live up to the hype, this one did. This time, unlike a year ago, the team that was supposed to win did.

The parallels from a season ago were so similar that Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin addressed them in his post-game sermon to the players following the loss to No. 1 Alabama at home.

Johnny Manziel thought the same.

“This isn’t the end of our season,” Manziel said following the game. “This wasn’t the Super Bowl. This wasn’t the last game of the season. Alabama lost a game last year and still went on to win a national championship. They lost to LSU the year before and still went on to win a national championship. Our season isn’t over. Anything could happen. This is college football.”

Manziel and Sumlin are right.

Just because the Aggies lost a game to the top-ranked team in the nation doesn’t mean their ultimate goals are now unattainable.

The battered Aggie inside most juniors and seniors on campus, and countless A&M graduates, told us Saturday night following the game that the season was a lost cause. Having to watch highly touted Mike Sherman-coached teams consistently choke in the second half has left bruises that are still changing color.

This A&M team is much different than those that once battled on Kyle Field. These are the Aggies of new that truly run out of time.

Not the teams of old that forced us to convince ourselves walking down the ramps of Kyle that they ran out of time when in reality they had laid an egg coming out of the locker room — again.

4 But if there is any proof behind Sumlin and Manziel’s claim of optimism it’s the history of the Bowl Championship Series.

Since 1998, the first year of the BCS, 11 of the 30 teams that have competed for the BCS National Championship crystal football trophy have entered the game with a loss.

Heck, in 2007 LSU made it into the game with two losses — against No. 17 Kentucky and unranked Arkansas. That’s what happens when computers decide which two teams are the best.

And subsequently, that is why those computers will be trashed after this season in favor of a playoff system.

Still, the odds may not seem to be ever in A&M’s favor. But in just six of the 15 years that the BCS has existed has there been an undefeated-on-undefeated championship game. It happened most recently in 2009 and 2010.

A&M already played a role in one team’s less than perfect season entering the national championship game. In the first year of the BCS, Florida State opened its season with a win against A&M at the neutral site of Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

The Seminoles lost the next week to North Carolina State but still made the national championship game after dropping as low as 11th in the standings.

As a matter of fact, 1998 Florida State and 2008 Tebow-led Florida were the only two teams to make it to the championship game after losing in the first four weeks of the season.

Florida would have to be the best comparison to this season’s A&M team. Polarizing quarterbacks, coaches on the rise (Sumlin and Urban Meyer) and losses in the first few weeks that dropped them to the edge of the top 10. (Florida dropped to No. 12 — the lowest a team that would later contend for the championship has ever dropped in the BCS era.)

The two teams split in com-

parison when looking at Florida’s loss to an unranked Ole Miss team while A&M lost to the defending champion and topranked Tide.

But what Aggie wouldn’t like to see Manziel make a Tebowlike run toward the national title and win it all? The Gators did defeat No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship that year before making it to the title game.

A&M’s loss to Alabama seems deflating in Week 3 of the season and it drops the Aggies to No. 10 nationally. But nine weeks remain for this team to rise again, and with a favorable schedule at hand, a BCS run seems possible.

The history suggests that Sumlin and Manziel weren’t wrong for implying the Aggies aren’t out of this long distance race.

As a matter of fact, after losing to A&M in its 10th game of the year last season, Alabama watched both Kansas State and Oregon lose on the same Saturday paving the road for a Crimson Tide trip to the ’ship.

The Aggies aren’t out of the national title race according to history, but in order to repeat what they read in college football’s index, they’ll have to win this week and win out.

While A&M won’t be overlooking SMU at Kyle Field Saturday, the team certainly can’t afford to look too far ahead to LSU on Nov. 23 either.

This week’s game marks the beginning of a new season for A&M. If they make goals of winning each game until the end of the season, they may hear their name called come December for a trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

“This is college football,” Manziel said. “Some of the craziest things happen every week so you never know how things will turn out. All we can do is take care of ourselves and continue to get better as a team.”

aggiehistory Nguyen named to SEC Legends class of 2013 T

13

exas A&M All-American linebacker Dat Nguyen was one of 14 named Thursday to the Southeastern Conference 2013 Football Legends Class, according to an SEC press release. The class will be honored in December and recognized prior to the SEC Football Championship Game. Nguyen, a consensus All-America linebacker of the famed “Wrecking Crew” defense, won the Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award in 1998. He is the only player in A&M history to lead the team in tackles four straight years.

Nguyen was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1999 and played in the NFL until 2005, earning All-Pro honors in 2003.

Staff report

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Just walk in to have your portrait made for Texas A&M’s 2014 Aggieland yearbook. 10 a.m – 4:30 p.m. Mon. – Thurs. in the Student Media office, Suite L400 of the MSC. Or, for appointment email arphototamu@gmail.com or call 979.846.9690.

December grads: have portraits made by Oct. 10 to have pictures for your graduation announcements.

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9/19/13 7:50 PM

thebattalion 9.20.2013 page12

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Did the loss to Alabama ruin A&M’s title chances?

“There’s just too many people ranked ahead of us that I just don’t see losing. I can see us going to a major bowl game, but national championship-wise, we’re kind of screwed.”

“Johnny’s the truth. He’s going to take us all the way. Him and Mike Evans, we’re going to win another Heisman between the two of them. Someone’s going to get it. Were going to win out the rest of the season and win the SEC championship game.”

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“LSU’s got to beat ’Bama first, then we’ve got to beat LSU, then ’Bama’s got to lose again.”

Charlie Beck, junior finance major

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battasks

FOOTBALL

David Sanchez, senior accounting major

GAMEDAY

“The quote that keeps going around is, ‘I’ve seen ’em win and I’ve seen ’em lose, but I’ve never seen ’em give up,’ so I think we’ll continue to fight for that title and it’s definitely possible.”

Kimberly Cuccia, senior accounting major

“I think we still have a chance. This exact same thing happened to Alabama last year.”

Paige Smith, freshman biological and agricultural engineering major

2013

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BAT_09-13-13_A5-A12.indd 1

Scan with your smartphone for more gameday info!

P

HOW TO GET THERE transport.tamu.edu/football

9/19/13 8:36 PM

soccerinsider

6

A&m opens conference play against vols No. 20 Aggies travel to Tennessee to face historically tough league opponent Clay Koepke

The Battalion oming off a 4-0 shellacking of the Cal Poly Mustangs Sunday and ending nonconference play with a 5-2-1 record, the No. 20 Aggies hit the road to take on the University of Tennessee Volunteers on Friday.

The match in Knoxville will mark the opening of A&M’s 2013 SEC play.

With star striker Annie Kunz still out with the leg injury she suffered against Baylor, freshman forward Liz Keester and the team’s unity has been vital to the Aggies’ recent success.

“I think we are definitely ready for it and geared up,” Keester said. “I have never been on a team that’s so close, and I think [it] definitely shows on the field as well.”

The Aggies enter this year’s conference play with an air of confidence. Last year, in their inaugural season in the SEC, the Aggies posted a 10-2-1 conference record, earning them the SEC Western Division crown.

“Everyone in the SEC is competitive — great teams, great conference,” said junior forward Shea Groom. “I think that we just kind of worry about ourselves though, and we are a team that’s looking to improve and we have been improving this whole non-conference.

This is when it really starts to count.”

The Friday matchup between the Aggies and the Volunteers will be the third meeting between the two programs, and only the second meeting as conference foes.

“There are going to be a few more big-time players [on Tennessee] that we have to watch out for and just have a little bit more combination and patience with our play,” Groom said.

“But I think we are prepared for it and ready to get out there and win the SEC championship.”

The Aggies visited Tennessee in a non-conference match in 2011 and again in 2012 as SEC foes. Despite outshooting the Volunteers 16-8 and 23-9 respectively, A&M fell short in both matchups, becoming the only SEC school the Aggies have yet to defeat.

Like the Aggies, Tennessee is coming off a strong year in the SEC, finishing third place in the SEC East on their way to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Tennessee’s offense is spearheaded by soph-

Junior forward Allie Bailey dribbles during a 4-0 win against Cal Poly on Sept. 15.

C

CONGRATULATIONS! Join the celebration as 3,500 shiny new Aggie Rings are delivered today at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center.

September 20 • Aggie Ring Day 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Ring Tickets distributed online at AggieNetwork.com.

Limited tickets available at Alumni Center.

Approximate Schedule for Groups to Enter the Ring Delivery Area Group #1 Group #2 Group #3 Group #4 Groups #1-4 Group #5 Group #6 Group #7 Groups #1-7

2:00 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:15 3:30 3:45 4:00

pm pm pm pm pm pm pm pm pm

Group #8 Group #9 Group #10 Groups #1-10 Group #11 Group #12 Group #13 Groups #1-13 Group #14

4:15 4:30 4:45 5:00 5:15 5:30 5:45 6:00 6:15

pm pm pm pm pm pm pm pm pm

Group #15 Group #16 Groups #1-16 Group #17 Group #18 Group #19 Groups #1-19

6:30 6:45 7:00 7:15 7:30 7:45 8:00

pm pm pm pm pm pm pm

If your group’s time has already passed, please wait until the top of the hour when your group will be called once again. Entry into the Ring Delivery Area will only be allowed if it is either your group’s approximated time slot or when your grouping is called at the top of the hour (see schedule for clarification).

Parking is available with a valid parking permit in PA 100. Those without valid permits may park at the University Center Garage, as available, and the West Campus Garage (WCG). All garage parking is based on an hourly rate.

BAT_09-13-13_A11-A6.indd 1

AggieNetwork.com

bandinsider

Behind the band Fightin’ Texas Aggie drum majors lead the Noble Men of Kyle on and off the field

Jonathon Sheen — THE BATTALION

omore forward Hannah Wilkinson. With five goals and three assists this season, Wilkinson also has a plethora of outside experience, having represented New Zealand’s national team in the 2011 Women’s FIFA World Cup and in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Aggie head coach G Guerrieri said that, even with the potent Wilkinson up top, the Volunteers are more of a defensive-minded team, only giving up goals on really good shots or set pieces.

Regardless of the opponent, one thing remains constant among Aggie coaches and players.

“It’s us. It’s about us,” Guerrieri said. “We’ve got to polish the things that we’ve been doing OK and make sure that we get a little more quality out of each of our attacks and that we learn from the things we do.”

Following Friday’s game in Knoxville, A&M will make the journey back to Texas and continue SEC play when it prepares to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Ellis Field Sep. 27.

“As much as anything, we have to be able to play within ourselves,” Guerrieri said. “Too many times we’re trying to do more than we should be asking ourselves to do. It’s kind of like in basketball. If you’re not a three-point shooter, don’t shoot three pointers. That’s kind of where we are. You’re here because you’ve got special skills, use those special skills. Let’s not try and do things beyond our capacity right now.”

Jennifer Reiley The Battalion

W

hen the nationally famous Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band forms at the north end of Kyle Field at halftime, it is led by the designated drum majors with a mission to uphold that “nationally famous” title.

Throughout the performance, these three top-ranking drum majors make sure the band stays on beat and remains organized, but the responsibilities of their position extend far past the fifteen-minute halftime performance or even the full three-hour game.

Steven Hering, head drum major and senior chemical engineering major, said his biggest responsibility as head drum major is preparing the band for Saturday’s halftime show, a week-long preparation that includes knowing the drill forward and backward.

Sometimes less than 24 hours after their last performance, all three drum majors meet on Sundays to get ready for the next week’s rehearsals. For some members of the band, practice is seven days a week, Hering said.

“Sunday evening we have bugle rank practice where the drum majors and bugle rank learn the drill for the week so we can hit the ground run-

ning on Monday with the rest of the band,” Hering said.

The band practices from 7-8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. With the beginning of game day on Saturday, there is little rest for the band.

On gameday morning, the band practices one final time. Cody Ward, Artillery Band drum major, said the drum majors will give some remarks after practice to get the band motivated and mentally prepared for the day.

“Our role before the games is to ensure that the members of the band fulfill all of their pre-game duties such as Spirit Walk and, in some cases, other events such as ESPN College Gameday [last week],” Ward said.

Spirit Walk takes place two hours and fifteen minutes before the football game starts. Beginning at the Clayton Williams Alumni Center, the band leads the football team to its locker room next to Kyle Field, playing the Aggie War Hymn as they march through streets crowded with hundreds of fans.

An hour before the game, the band then leads the Corps march-in.

Soon after, the game begins, with the three drum majors leading the Aggie Band every step of the way — carrying on a tradition embedded in the history of Texas A&M.

11

Adding to this history of tradition, the drum majors also have their own personal pre-game traditions.

Urbane Martinez, senior Infantry Band drum major and senior engineering technology major, said one of his favorite traditions is the MSC Salute.

“It is a respect paid from the band to the Memorial Student Center each time the band passes by during a football game march in,” Martinez said. “This symbolizes that we pay tribute to the sacrifices made by those who came before us and honor the fellow Aggies who are no longer able to be with us today.”

Beyond the game day preparation, Hering said a drum major’s commitment to the band extends throughout the year.

“In addition to what you see on field every Saturday, it is also my responsibility to set policies and procedures for the band throughout the year as far as practices and performances go,” Hering said. “That being said, there is no way I could do my job without Cody [Ward] and Urbane [Martinez]. I think sometimes people try to give me too much credit when they work just as hard as I do.”

Photos by Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION

Artillery Band drum major and senior mathematics major, Cody Ward, leads the Aggie Band into Kyle Field prior to the Alabama game.

9/19/13 9:21 PM

sportsopinion

10

RECOVERY THEORY

Michael Ayo Sports Writer @M_Ayo10

Michael Ayo: Texas A&M’s history may not reflect it, but the Aggies will bounce back

T

exas A&M suffered its first loss of the season to rival SEC foe Alabama this past weekend. The heartbreaking 49-42 loss to the top-ranked Crimson Tide snapped an eight-game win streak for the Aggies that dated back to last season.

In the past five years, the Aggies are just 6-13 in games following a loss.

However, during their short time in the SEC, Texas A&M has responded differently after a loss than in years past. Saturday was only the third loss the Aggies have experienced in their brief SEC history, losing to Florida and LSU in 2012.

In both losses last season, the Aggies were held under 20 points, losing to Florida 20-17 and LSU to 24-19. In games after a loss in 2012, Texas A&M outscored opponents 111-24, winning by margins of 45 and 42.

“It will be kind of challenging to have that kind of enthusiasm [this Saturday],” said senior running back Ben Malena.

“But our emotion level isn’t going to change.”

Texas A&M’s offense responded in a big way after a loss last season. In the two games following a defeat, the Aggie offense averaged 638 yards per game. A large part of that offense was the play of Johnny Manziel, who averaged 277 passing yards and 108.5 rushing yards in games against SMU and Auburn that followed a loss and scored 11 total touchdowns.

“When Johnny Manziel goes out and plays wonderful offense it’s just high-powered,” said senior defensive back Toney Hurd, Jr. “Johnny Football is being Johnny Football.”

Defense played a big role in rebound games for the Aggies last season as well. Aside from allowing only 24 points in two games, the defense allowed an average of 322 yards per game, 208.5 passing and 113.5 rushing. The defense has also shown an ability to get to the quarterback, registering nine sacks in the two games.

“We attacked this as a group,” said sophomore defen-

sive end Julien Obioha. “There are multiple leaders, like the sophomores who got playing time last year or a senior. We need to come out and work hard to help our team win a championship.”

Despite going 4-13 in games after a loss in their final four years of Big 12 play, including seven different losing streaks of two or more games, Texas A&M has shown no signs of returning to those ways since moving to the SEC. Each loss that the Aggies have experienced has been by a touchdown or less since making the switch to a new conference.

The fact that A&M was down by 21 before making a fourthquarter comeback last week against Alabama should be enough momentum to prevent the Aggies from falling victim to an upset against SMU this weekend.

SMU was one of the two teams the Aggies faced last season coming off of a loss and the Mustangs fell to A&M by 45 points.

The Mustangs are entering this weekend’s contest averaging 27 points in two games, but Texas A&M and its scoreat-will offense should have no worries getting back to its winning ways.

staff insider thebattalion

STAFF PICKS Week Four

*neutral location

(10) Texas A&M vs.

SMU

Jake Walker

Mark Doré

James Sullivan

Sean Lester

William Guerra

Jessica Smarr

Editor-in-Chief Record: 8-6

Managing Editor Record: 11-3

Sports Editor Record: 8-6

Sports Desk Asst.

Record: 14-0

Graphics Chief Record: 11-3

Copy Chief Record: 8-6

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

Texas A&M

The second team’s got this one guys

Documentary: “Last Ride of Garret Gilbert”

Curse you Sean, and your perfect record

This is a one-horse race

No-trick Ponies

Oh fish spurs, how I do truly hate you

(6) LSU vs.

Auburn

LSU

LSU

Auburn

LSU

LSU

LSU

Swamp kitties have this one in the bag

Imagine: Cam Newton was two years ago

It’s upset city in Death Valley

Les Miles is actually Mike the Tiger with fur

Respect for our new Thanksgiving rivals

Mike is actually the best tiger name of all

(22) Notre Dame vs.

Michigan State

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

How can you not root for Notre Dame?

Sean picked Notre Dame, and I’m behind

The Spartans take care of business

Even the Spartans in 300 lost eventually

Wow, this is the least interesting thing ever

Good enough for Rudy, good enough for me

Houston

Houston

Rice

Houston

Houston

Rice

They have a better record. That’s all I’ve got

I hear they have a Sumlin shrine in the locker room

The Owls showed spunk three weeks ago

Sumlin and Co. would be proud

1) Bring water to boil 2) Simmer until soft

Mr. Owl, how many points does it take?

Houston vs.* Rice Texas vs.

Kansas State

Notre Dame

Kansas State

Kansas State

Texas

Kansas State

Kansas State

Nobody wants you around, Mack!

Sean, go ahead and pull the knife from our backs

Wildcats are more of an A&M tradition than t.u.

They can’t lose three in a row, right?

The Big XII is just a mess right now

Rumor: UT students kick puppies

(WAY TOO EARLY)

HEISMAN WATCH

from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Palace Theater, Downtown Bryan

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The celebration will commemorate the Independence of Mexico with music and performances by Mariachi Gala, the Ballet Folkorico NIZI, and the Ballet Huachichil from Monterrey.

King and Queen and essay contest presentations.

JOHNNY

MANZIEL

Sunday, September 22 , nd

from Noon-10:00 pm, Downtown Bryan The celebration will begin with a parade starting at noon.

The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, along with General Ramirez and Reveille, will be in attendance with many other parade floats.

The street festival on Bryan Street in Historic Downtown Bryan will follow from 1-10pm in Downtown Bryan, with authentic Mexican Food, crafts and children’s activities.

TEXAS A&M (2-1) SO QB #2 6’1 - 210

MARCUS

MARIOTA

OREGON (3-0) SR QB #8 6’4 - 211

Last Week: 49-42 loss to (1) Alabama

562 total yds, 5 TD

Last Week: 59-14 win over Tennessee

483 toal yds, 5 TD

Passing: 63-89 for 984 yds, 11 TD Rushing: 27 carries for 153 yds, 1 TD

Passing: 49-82 for 889 yds, 7 TD Rushing: 15 carries for 262 yds, 4 TD

FILE

Michael Arellano — The DAILY EMERALD

TAJH

BOYD

The success of the Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas organization is due to the outstanding support of sponsors. Many students have been able to continue their higher education because of the generosity, committment, and trust the sponsors have given to this effort. The community also benefits by having the opportunity to experience two days of tradition, culture and history.

All proceeds go toward youth and adult scholarship awards within the community.

Allen Randall — TheTigerNews

BAT_09-13-13_A7-A10.indd 1

Michigan State Michigan State

Kansas State

Saturday, September 21st,

Perfect Blend of Location, Lifestyle and Luxury

7

CLEMSON (2-0) SR QB #10 6’1 - 270

JAMEIS

WINSTON

FLORIDA STATE (2-0) FR QB #5 6’4 - 227

Last Week: Unimpressive bye week

Last Week: 62-7 win over Nevada

222 total yards, 3 TD

Passing: 32-53 for 439 yds, 3 TD Rushing: 19 carries for 52 yds, 3 TD

Passing: 40-45 for 570 yds, 6 TD Rushing: 12 carries for 33 yds, 2 TD Riley Saaber – FSView

9/19/13 8:30 PM

footballinsider

SHARKIN’

CASHIN’ OUT Ben Malena’s leadership in loaded

‘Energizer bunny’ Toney Hurd Jr. lends passion, energy to secondary

backfield starts in weight room

James Sullivan The Battalion

O

ver the course of the past two seasons, the positive direction of Texas A&M’s football program has been shaped by a multitude of factors, ranging from coaching changes to the evolution of a certain Heisman-winning quarterback.

However, one element to the Aggies’ recent surge has been the development of senior leadership within the locker room, as players with veteran experience equipped themselves with the means necessary to take charge of the young squad on the field.

A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin saw potential for running back Ben Malena to take over the vacant leadership position for the offense when he arrived on campus.

One season later, Malena has matured into that role and has emerged as one of the team’s undisputed leaders.

“Leadership starts with the coaches, but real leadership starts in the locker room,” Sumlin said.

“That’s where guys like Ben [Malena] tell them ‘Here’s how we win games — not just how we play the game.’”

One component of Malena’s leadership has stemmed from his selflessness in volunteering for the less-glamorous positions outside of running back, particularly on special teams.

From the kickoff team to punt return, Malena felt he could create better field position for both the offense and defense, exemplifying every coach’s dream “leadby-example” player.

Lately Sumlin and Malena have discussed the senior acting as

BAT_09-13-13_A9-A8.indd 1

a more vocal leader on the team, generating energy and enthusiasm from both the sideline and on the field.

“Ben [Malena] has been a guy that has been a leader for us, even before this season,” Sumlin said. “Last year he was on all the special teams. We’ve had some discussions and talks about him becoming a vocal leader. He’s already led the team by example, now he’s a guy that people will follow based on what he’s done on the field.”

Before the season even began, Malena said he concentrated on evolving his leadership capabilities because of the importance a central team figure will play during the grind A&M will experience within the Southeastern Conference.

“That’s one of my main focuses this year — to be a leader on this team,” Malena said. “In this conference, you need to have a solid leader to have success.”

On the field, Malena has separated himself from other running backs around the country, building a reputation among the coaching staff as one of the team’s smartest players.

Offensive coordinator and running backs coach Clarence McKinney said Malena’s “football IQ” has been essential to his instinct at the position. “[Malena] has a high IQ,” McKinney said. “He’s the one guy who has never written anything down in the film room, but he never messes up when he goes out to practice. He’s a smart football player.”

McKinney said Malena’s work with strength and conditioning coach Larry Jackson was key to his development during the off-

season.

“The biggest improvement with Ben [Malena] has been his body,” McKinney said. “He’s really worked hard in the weight room to get his body prepared for all the things he’s doing for us, from special teams to offense.”

Even within his own position, which added sophomore transfers Brandon Williams and Tra Carson to its active roster this season, Malena’s grind-it-out attitude has set him apart from his teammates.

Malena said the group’s success on the field is dictated by his starting approach each game, especially since three talented, yet inexperienced, sophomores receive playing time after him.

“I think as a unit we work well together,” Malena said. “The one thing we have in common is our work ethic. All of us go out every day to compete and consider this a competition. With this group, I think it all starts with me.”

Malena’s dedication to team victory, rather than personal statistics, has been the quality Sumlin and the coaching staff have raved about most throughout the offseason, always noting the senior’s work ethic and passion as vital components of his overall approach to the game.

“I think what you don’t see is the amount of the emotion and passion that Ben Malena plays with,” Sumlin said. “You don’t see it from the stands but he’s talking constantly. He plays with emotion. You see that in his play.

He’s a great example to both the younger and older players on this team. He’s doing whatever he can to help us win and because of that, he’s a great leader.”

9

Sean Lester The Battalion

T

THE LEADERS Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION

““

Leadership starts with the coaches, but real leadership starts in the locker room.”

— Kevin Sumlin

Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION

exas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. didn’t always have a reason to show off the ear-to-ear smile that has made him so popular among Aggie football fans.

Raised by a single mother in Missouri City, Texas, Hurd moved from one home to the next growing up.

“Growing up, I had it tough,” Hurd said. “My family struggled.

I always kept myself motivated in school and on the field. I wanted to be great, no matter where I came from.”

Fortunately for both the Aggies and Hurd, the always-smiling student athlete consistently found joy in football. That passion shined through at Fort Bend Marshall High School where Hurd was an Under Armour High School All-American during his senior year in 2009.

As elite college football programs like Auburn, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee and Oklahoma arrived at his doorstep as a high-school senior, Hurd began to wonder if his new four-year residence needed to be closer to home.

He ultimately signed on as a member of coach Mike Sherman’s 2010 Texas A&M signing class and has yet to look back.

Flash forward and the senior has become the leader of a young A&M defense that has struggled through three games.

“Toney Hurd, he’s the leader of my group,” said defensive backs coach Marcel Yates. “He’s a guy that can do it on the field and off the field. He’s a guy that’s smart, he works hard. He’s a se-

nior so he’s made plays. He’s the guy that has kind of done it all.”

Appearing in special teams opportunities as freshman, Hurd had to find his way onto the field. He made his mark as a sophomore in 2011, becoming the top backup in the Aggie secondary, recording 20 tackles.

Hurd emerged as a leader last season on an A&M defense that was doubted. He helped hush the naysayers with a career-best 67 tackles and four tackles for a loss. In the Aggies wild 30-27 win over Ole Miss in 2012, Hurd recorded the game-clinching interception.

“He understands the defense real well,” Yates said. “He’s a student of the game which is what you want as a coach. The more you can get him to be like you, the better we can be as a group.”

In the 2013 season, Hurd has been as important to the A&M team off the field as he has been on it. He has spoken at every team press conference this season and is among what Kevin Sumlin calls the team’s “leadership council.”

“This year, because of our leadership council we’ve tried to spread that role throughout the classes,” Sumlin said. “We have those classes vote on those guys and they are leaders.”

Hurd has earned his leadership badges by playing so many different roles — special teams specialist, cornerback, safety and, most recently, nickelback.

As a nickelback, Hurd is used as a fifth defensive back but acts as a linebacker. Known for his tackling, Hurd has settled into the nickelback roll since last season and can now focus on other aspects of the game.

“As a defense, just getting into our gaps and reading our assignments [is important],” Hurd said.

“Things like that are the difference between a big win and a bad loss. It’s easy to watch film after the game and make those adjustments. It’s much harder during the game. As a team, I feel like we’ll get those things fixed.”

Described as the “energizer bunny” of the Aggie defense by defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, Hurd has been focusing on football as a career after Texas A&M. “He wants to play pro, so what I told him was to give it all you’ve got,” Yates said. “That way if you don’t make it you can say, ‘I gave it all I got.’ And if you do make it, then great.”

An intelligent speaker, Hurd took to his personal Twitter account to voice his opinion before the Alabama game.

“Texas A&M is the university of Texas,” his tweet read after the Texas Longhorns lost to BYU on Sept. 7.

“I just feel like right now around Texas A&M we have a lot of swagger and confidence,” Hurd said. “I feel like we’re kind of taking over the state, recruiting, playing football. As a whole, we’re a pretty solid University.”

Texas A&M is a place Hurd said he feels passionately about and hopes the best for. That’s why he is on a mission to bring a national championship back home to Aggieland.

“I’ve been working hard and dedicating myself for a while,” Hurd said. “This being my senior year, I’d love to go out on top with a national championship.”

9/19/13 7:12 PM