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PAGE TWELVE

KENNEDY

PAGE FOURTEEN

EDWARDS

thebattalion

KYLE FIELD

already have enough stories for the grandkids. I get to perch them on my knee and tell them about the old Ag in Tuscaloosa in 2012 — on the Bryant-Denny sidewalk with a half-smoked cigar and five-beer breath — who lost his ever-loving mind after Johnny Manziel toppled the Tide. I get to point to the hole in my wall and say, “My foot caused that, right when Johnny’s Heisman was announced.” I get to remember the side-arm throws no one can teach (because no one would want a quarterback with a habit like that — no one except Johnny). I get to remember the reckless abandon of Year One and the sometimes-caution and pocket poise of Year Two. It’s important we remember these things. It’s important we show No. 2 how much he matters every moment he touches the field. But the time has come to accept that the man who dead-eyed and Twitter-trolled the national media and walked away unscathed will play on Kyle Field grass for the last time. It’s over, and what a run. We’ll still see him in Death Valley and in a bowl game, and there will always be Sundays (looking at you, Houston Texans — I want a Battle Red jersey with “Manziel” across the back). Watching Johnny on TV is scintillating. But watching Johnny in person is a revved-up sports car. It’s the part in old Westerns when the woman is still tied to the train tracks but you know help is on the way. It’s Lance

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Armstrong in 2001 in the French Alps before the Oprah interview and before the stripped Tours de France. Manziel has taken the field at Kyle 13 times. Mississippi State makes 14. That stretch includes the oh-so-close Florida loss when the 12th Man and Kirk Herbstreit were still learning to pronounce his name, the SEC coming-out party against Arkansas, the knee scare in the Missouri thrashing and the 42 points against Alabama. Save those memories and tuck them in a safe place. We’ll have time for them later. And then file into the stadium Saturday and let loose your voice. Give it all you have — it’s your last chance, after all. Show Johnny what he’s done for this town, this brand, this University. Tell him with your presence and your voice that we’re Aggies. We’re irrationally hopeful. We still think there’s a chance he could eye his draft stock and decide another year at A&M would give him a better angle to his goal. He’s been gone since he accepted that trophy in New York, if not before, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it. As is so often the case, Johnny stole this column — and probably the attention of a few of you. He distracted us from the other goodbyes. Saturday is full of them. After Saturday you won’t again see University President R. Bowen Loftin in his dapper maroon coat and life-of-its-own bowtie. You won’t again see Mike Evans chew the opposing secondary like bubblegum.

Chase Krumholz — THE BATTALION

(He’s gone, too, guys. Sorry. Take solace in the fact it looks like tackle Cedric Ogbuehi will stick around and take the Jake Matthews route. Silver lining, or something like that.) And then there are the seniors: Toney Hurd Jr., Jake Matthews, Derel Walker, Malcome Kennedy, Ben Malena, Nate Askew, Steven Jenkins, Otis Jacobs and more. You won’t again see the Kyle Field monolith in her current form cradle the 12th Man in her belly — all concrete, sharp lines and Aggie character. She’ll be back. Better than ever, they assure us. Some kind of makeover. But you’re going to want to remember what she looked like so you can impress the next generations. MSC and Kyle Field renovations offer — for this iteration of the student body — one of the quickest paths to the grumpy old Ag stage, which I can’t wait for. We get to say we remember the old days. So prepare for a Saturday of goodbyes. Stand and watch The Football, The Hands, The Bowtie, The Shark and The Cash-Out King bookend their Aggie careers. Kyle will close the door behind them.

Mark Doré Managing Editor @Mark_Dore

PAGE TWENTY

Mark Doré: Prepare to say goodbye Saturday to Manziel, Evans, Loftin and more

11.7.13

IS THIS GOODBYE?

INSIDER

CURTAIN CALL

11/7/13 7:25 PM

gameinsider

MISS. ST. MARKS FINAL HOME GAME Michael Ayo The Battalion

Dee Huggan — THE BATTALION

Johnny Manziel scrambles against UTEP, a game in which he rushed for two touchdowns and threw for four more.

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exas A&M will play its final home game of the 2013 season on Saturday against Mississippi State, marking the last game played inside Kyle Field before redevelopments begin. The No. 15 Aggies (7-2, 3-2) dropped in the BCS standings after their 57-7 victory over UTEP. This weekend’s “Senior Day” game will be the last home game for 13 players and the first of three straight SEC games before the conclusion of Texas A&M’s season. Mississippi State is the only team of the three that is not ranked in any poll, leaving the Aggies to end their season on the road against No. 13 LSU and No. 8 Missouri. “This Saturday will be a historical moment for everyone,” said head coach Kevin Sumlin. “Kyle Field will never look the same after the game.” The Aggie offense will look to continue the dominant play they have exhibited all year long. Through nine games, the Aggies have yet to score fewer than 40 points and have scored more than 50 in four games. Texas A&M is averaging 49 points per game and is third in the nation with an average of 583 yards of total offense each week. Saturday’s game could feature a matchup between the two top dual-threat quarterbacks in the SEC. Mississippi State’s sophomore quarterback Dak Prescott leads SEC quarterbacks with 568 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns, just ahead of A&M’s Johnny Manziel who has 564 yards and eight touchdowns. “[Prescott] is a big guy and a really strong kid,” said defensive coordinator Mark Snyder. “He’s so strong and has a lot of yards after contact.” Prescott left the Mississippi State team earlier this week to be with his family following the loss of his

mother. It is uncertain whether Prescott or last year’s starter, Tyler Wilson, will start against A&M. “To see one of our young men and someone we care so much have to go through this is very, very difficult,” said Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen. “I know all his teammates are there. A lot of them were here yesterday supporting him, and he’s been able to get home and spend time with his family.” However, Manziel has the edge over Prescott when it comes to passing categories. Manziel leads the SEC with 2,867 yards passing and 26 touchdowns on the season, compared to the 1,393 yards and five touchdowns Prescott has thrown. Manziel has accounted for a total of 34 touchdowns so far this season, scoring more touchdowns than 75 college football teams across the nation. Redshirt sophomore receiver Mike Evans continues to be Manziel’s go-to target and one of the top receivers in the nation. Evans is second in the nation with 1,147 receiving yards and third in the nation with 12 touchdowns. Evans tied Jeff Fuller for the school record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season when he recorded his 12th touchdown reception last week against UTEP. Fuller set the mark when he caught 12 touchdowns in 2010 for the Aggies. The Aggie defense will look to continue forcing turnovers. In the last three games, Texas A&M has forced eight turnovers, including four against UTEP. Junior safety Howard Matthews contributed to that statistic by intercepting three passes in the last two games. “[Matthews] has played really well,” Snyder said. “He’s the captain in the back end. He’s getting more comfortable and involved.”

hostessinsider

THE HOSTESS TOUCH Aggie Hostesses facilitate gameday atmosphere with a friendly face

David Cohen — THE BATTALION

The Aggie Hostesses pose for a photograph on the sidelines during the UTEP game.

““

We’re all in it for the game. So it’s fun to be there with like 30 other girls who love it as much as I do and then we can hold a 20-minute conversation about our offensive line.” — Lauren Fulcher, head coordinator for Aggie Hostesses

Allison Rubenak

The Battalion porting matching maroon jerseys and cowboy boots, 27 girls will stand and proudly yell for the Aggies from Section 103 Saturday at Kyle Field, just as they do for every football game. The Aggie Hostesses have played a role in assisting the A&M football program since 1985. Whether gameday or offseason, the hostesses work throughout the year as a football support group that strives to uphold A&M’s values, traditions and love for Aggie football. Emily Cowen, Aggie Hostesses advisor, said July and August are two of the busiest months of the year for the football program. With practices and scrimmages, Cowen said several hostesses are needed every day throughout the offseason schedule. “They will come up to the office during the month and do office hours, helping out with different projects going on,” Cowen said. “Sometimes we have either mail outs that we’re doing or preparing for a specific event, making name tags and that sort of thing. That’s definitely a behind-the-scenes thing they do.” Hostesses also work events like July’s Chalk Talk, a clinic held for Brazos Valley women benefiting Pink Alliance, a local nonprofit for breast cancer support. During Chalk Talk, women have an opportunity to learn from the coaches about Aggie football, the program’s upcoming season and even participate in drills. Lauren Fulcher, senior marketing major and head coordinator for Aggie Hostesses, said Chalk Talk is one of her favorite events because the hostesses are able to participate after performing their duties. “They’ll have the quarterback drill where [the women] learn how to throw passes or they’ll have the kicking drills where they will learn how to kick a field goal,” Fulcher said. “It’s so funny to see the coaches interacting with the women rather than their players.” Haley Cox, senior communication

major and gameday coordinator, said the girls arrive on campus three and a half hours prior to a game, working their stations at either the Player and Development Center or nutrition center in the Bright Football Complex. Cox said on gameday, the girls typically spend their time assisting and directing the visiting football recruits and their families rather than the football team. “There’s a lot of rules with NCAA, so we aren’t supposed to hang out with recruits coming through,” Cox said. “But we’re more like a friendly face and there to answer any questions they might have coming through.” Adriana Jennings, senior accounting major and administrative coordinator, said being a hostess gave her an inside look into the football program. As a coordinator, she and the others seek out girls who “really bleed maroon” and are passionate about the program, she said. “To be honest, I think the majority of us in the organization would agree that we’re not really interacting with players at all, just making sure everything is going well on gameday and throughout the other events,” Jennings said. Fulcher said becuase the hostesses spend the entire game together, it allows them to form strong bonds within the organization. “These girls are just kind of built like me in that they love sports,” Fulcher said. “We’re all in it for the game. So it’s fun to be there with like 30 other girls who love it as much as I do and then we can hold a 20-minute conversation about our offensive line.” Cowen said the football department is able to put on their events because of the assistance the hostesses provide. In some ways, she said, the hostesses are a face of Aggie Football and represent A&M and the SEC well. “If it weren’t for them, we’d have to reach out to someone else,” Cowen said. “They do it because they love it and volunteer their time.”

11/7/13 10:43 PM

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himself time and time again and I admire his toughness and ability to make plays out of nothing. I know some fans criticize his off-the-field THE BATTALION: What sticks out when issues, but I think he lets his talent on the field speak for itself. He utilizes thinking about last yearâ€™s A&M-Miss. the weapons around him like Mike State game? Evans, Ben Malena and even Ryan GALATAS: What stuck out to me most Swope from a year ago, and I like the is this game marked when the college way he balances his game with run football nation really started to take and pass. He seems to be a positiveManziel as a Heisman candidate play player who stays ahead of the seriously. The following weekâ€™s win chains and I donâ€™t think there is any over Alabama confirmed it. question he is one of the greatest players of our generation. THE BATTALION: Do you see quarterback Dak Prescott starting THE BATTALION: Do you see Manziel against A&M after the loss of his having a chance at repeating as mother this week? Heisman winner with two games

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GALATAS: It certainly has been an emotional and devastating week for Prescott and the Bulldog family. He has been with his family this week during this difficult time and it is still unknown if he will play this weekend. THE BATTALION: If Prescott doesnâ€™t start, itâ€™ll be Tyler Russell instead. What is different about him this season? GALATAS: Russell has been in the system for four years now and has the full confidence of his teammates and coaches to lead the offense. He simply just has not had the time to put up the stats that weâ€™ve seen in years past because of injury. THE BATTALION: What is your opinion of Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel? GALATAS: There is no question Johnny Manziel is the most exciting player to watch in college football. He proves

remaining after facing Mississippi State? GALATAS: While polls have Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston as the top two contenders, Manzielâ€™s been more productive. Manziel has more passing and rushing yards and thrown for more touchdowns than both so far, but I think the number that may get him in trouble is the eight interceptions. He will have to limit those and put up solid numbers on the road at LSU and Missouri to repeat. THE BATTALION: What is your game prediction? GALATAS: Texas A&M 51, Mississippi State 21.â€¨With the most exciting player in the country in Johnny Manziel, and the fourth-best total offense in the nation, itâ€™s not hard to see how A&M has posted 40-plus points in every game this year.

11/7/13 7:08 PM

bowlinsider

volleyballinsider 17 Senior outside hitter Heather Reynolds celebrates with teammates during a 3-2 loss to LSU on Oct. 9.

THE MANZIEL EFFECT James Sullivan The Battalion

ome factors of Johnny Manziel’s impact on Texas A&M may be immeasurable, but that hasn’t stopped marketing agencies in their attempt to stamp dollar signs of media exposure on his Heisman presence alone — 1.8 million media impressions in coverage surrounding the Heisman presentation translated into $37 million in exposure, according to Joyce Julius & Associates. As A&M looks to its postseason appearance, bowl selection committees have different opinions on how much of an impact the “Manziel Effect” will have on the bowl game selection. Bowl executives from many of the Southeastern Conference’s top-tier postseason tieins — including the AT&T Cotton, Chickfil-A, Allstate Sugar, Outback and Capital One bowls — weighed in on how an athlete of Manziel’s caliber affects the selection committees’ deliberations. Gary Stoken, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO, said the selection of any team was based on a philosophy the committee has followed for decades, one that centers on creating a best-case scenario for every facet of the bowl experience. “Philosophically, what we try to do is put the best of the two teams that are most deserving in our bowl game,” Stoken said. “At the end of the day, you want to create a win-winwin: a win for the conference, a win for the team and a win for the bowl.” Stoken said the Chick-fil-A Bowl committee utilizes a set of 20-25 criteria when considering teams. A star player’s magnetism is a factor, he said, but it receives no greater weight than other criterion. “We believe [using that philosophy] is the right thing to do and the fair thing to do,” Stoken said. “It takes out of [the process] the cigar-filled backroom where you’re saying, ‘We should take this team because of this or that team because of that.’ It just makes it more equitable, because the players deserve that respect.”

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Capital One Bowl director of digital media, Matt Repchak, had a similar perspective and said the committee is more concerned with the team as a whole rather than the effect of a single player. “The talent level on a given team does play into the conversations but is not weighted any more or less than any other factor,” Repchak said. “Ultimately, the committee is deciding the team on the field, so if you have a dynamic, awardwinning, really fun player, that helps.” Though Repchak said reports from A&M scouting missions always focused on Manziel’s electric style of play, the committee focuses more on the team as a whole than the magnetism of one player. “We’ve had previous Heisman winners play in our game,” Repchak said. “There is no way it doesn’t have an impact on how a team is considered, but it’s part of the overall team on the field that we’re considering.” John Sudsbury, Allstate Sugar Bowl director of communications and media relations, said Manziel’s impact gave A&M a noticeable edge in considerations in his committee. Due to the number of games left in the season for both Auburn and A&M, Sudsbury wouldn’t speak toward the likelihood of selecting either one, but he said the impact of having a “star athlete or former Heisman Trophy winner” gave any team looking for BSC leverage an edge. The executives said the committees also take recent or previous play in a specific bowl game into consideration. The Cotton Bowl has hosted A&M 13 times, including last season’s 41-13 victory against Big 12 opponent, Oklahoma. Rick Baker, Cotton Bowl president and

illi

—

Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION TH

VOLLEYBALL TRAVELS TO MISSISSIPPI STATE Andrew White

The Battalion exas A&M 11-10 (3-7 SEC) will be on the road this weekend to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs 11-13 (2-8 SEC). The Bulldogs are on a five-game losing streak after winning their first two games in conference play. The latest losses include a 3-1 defeat to Alabama and a 3-0 loss to Auburn, both over last weekend, and a 3-1 loss Wednesday to Ole Miss. “I feel like every team is after us,” said A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli. “Our opponents often hit the highest percentage against our team, so I always expect we get the best of what Mississippi State can give.” Texas A&M enters the matchup on a twogame losing streak, including a 3-0 sweep by Missouri and a 3-2 heartbreaker to Florida on Sunday, where the Aggies held set and match point but were unable to capitalize. Middle blocker Shelby Sullivan kept her hot streak going for the Aggies in both games, finishing the weekend with 31 kills. “Those were tough losses,” Sullivan said. “But we learned a lot from those losses and have been working hard in practice and are excited for the weekend.” Texas A&M is 18th nationally in kills per set with 14.29 and 1,100 kills on the year. Additionally, A&M has three players with more than 200 kills on season — Sierra Patrick with 224 and Angela Lowak and Sullivan with 205 each. The Aggies average more than two blocks a set and are are led by Jazzmin Babers with 1.23 blocks per set, second best in the SEC.

CEO, said A&M’s recent appearance in the bowl would hurt the Aggies in the committee’s deliberations as they aim to bring in new programs to visit each season. “Historically, we have tried to not have the same teams back in our game consecutively,” Baker said. “It’s a little bit different for us [this season]. We’re going to look at all of the factors and certainly one of those factors would be having the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, but another will be that we had A&M in our game last year.” A&M does gain an advantage with many of

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ANSWERS

the SEC tie-in bowls that have never had the opportunity to invite the

Aggies. Mike Schulze, Outback Bowl director of communications and sponsorships, said the possibility of inviting a team with no experience in their bowl game would be viewed as exciting and boost A&M’s virtual application. “We look at a lot of different things in regard to teams that are available to us,” Schulze said. “If A&M is available to us, we would love to have them coming from the standpoint that we’ve never hosted them before.”

“I think our offense is one of our strengths,” Lowak said. “We run a fast offense and [Sawatzky] spreads the ball and we get a lot of one-on-one attacks.” The Bulldogs are led by freshman Kimmy Gardiner, who averages roughly four kills per set and has 346 kills on the season. As a team, Mississippi State has 1,115 kills on the season while shooting a .211 clip. MSU averages 1.58 blocks per set with no player averaging more than one block a set. “As a team, we have been working on our blocking,” Babers said. “We need to get up early and hold on our blocks.” A&M’s ability to attack Mississippi State’s defense with multiple threats, both on the outside and in the middle, will be a key part of the matchup. Also key for the Aggies will be the continuing growth of senior outside hitter Heather Reynolds, who has stepped up in the libero position and will be making her fourth start of the season. “I like our attacking a lot — it has been the most consistent thing for us,” Corbelli said. “If we get our attack rhythm consistent and we can rely on our attack and I have confidence that we will get our offense rolling early.” The Aggies played Mississippi State earlier in the year with A&M sweeping the Bulldogs 3-0. Senior setter Allie Sawatzky posted 10 kills, 25 assists and 12 digs for her sixth tripledouble of the season. A&M will continue the road trip, playing Ole Miss Sunday before facing LSU Wednesday.

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soccerinsider

Clay Koepke The Battalion

Junior Shea Groom dribbles during the win over LSU that clinched a share of the SEC title for the Aggies.

fter taking care of business Wednesday in the SEC quarterfinals against Auburn, 1-0, only the No. 9 South Carolina Gamecocks stand between the No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies and their first-ever SEC Tournament championship game. The Gamecocks advanced to the semifinal match against the Aggies after a 4-0 victory over the sixth-seeded Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday. The meeting Friday against the two teams will be the fourth meeting, a series in which the Aggies hold

a 3-0 advantage. A&M ended Carolina’s 2012 SEC Championship hopes in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in overtime, 1-0. South Carolina (16-2-2, 8-2-1 SEC) comes into the match as the top defensive team in the league and 16th in the nation, allowing 0.53 goals per game. Much of its defensive dominance can be attributed to the play of South Carolina’s goalkeeper, Sabrina D’Angelo. D’Angelo, All-SEC First Team selection and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, will look to slow down a

potent A&M scoring attack that ranks 11th out of 329 qualifying Division I schools with 46 goals on the season. If the match results in an Aggie victory, the maroon and white would next take the pitch Sunday for the SEC Tournament championship against the winner of Friday’s FloridaGeorgia matchup. The Aggies’ semifinal against the Gamecocks in Orange Beach, Ala., is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN 3.

Bryan Johnson — THE BATTALION

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11/7/13 10:02 PM

battasks

“I think he will get us to a bowl game, but it can’t be a one-man show all the time. The rest of the team has to step up.”

What effect do you think Johnny Manziel will have on A&M’s bowl game selection?

Amber Zuniga, senior theater arts major

TEXAS A&M DEPTH CHART WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR WR

“No matter what bowl game we get into, it’ll be a fast game with Johnny.” Jacob Breaux, sophomore biomedical sciences major

“He is the reason we would go to any bowl because it’s about money and TV, so he will be the deciding factor to where we go.” Colton Allee, junior engineering technology major

QB “I think we will be in a better bowl game because everyone knows who he is because he won a Heisman.” Emily Peck, junior nutrition sciences major

“I think he will carry the whole team to victory. ”

Jordan Kilburn, sophomore electrical engineering major

Photo feature by Shelby Knowles — THE BATTALION

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FRESHMAN DB SUSPENDED FOR SUBSTANCE POSSESSION Kadie McDougald The Battalion

enneth Marshall, redshirt freshman defensive back, was arrested Tuesday on possession charges for marijuana and prescription pills from October. According to a College Station Police report, Marshall was in possession of a “usable quantity” of between two and four ounces of marijuana and an unlabeled bottle of the prescription-only drug, Bupropion.

“Since there is no set timetable, you could say it’s indefinite, but he is suspended.” — Alan Cannon, associate athletic director for media relations

Alan Cannon, associate athletic director for media relations for the Athletic Department, said Marshall has been suspended from “all athletic activities,” which includes traveling with the team for the remainder of away games. “Since there is no set timetable, you could say it’s indefinite, but he is suspended,” Cannon said. The report said Marshall’s apartment unit was reported on suspicions of marijuana and paraphernalia possession by an apartment maintenance worker on Oct. 7. CSPD obtained a search warrant and discovered marijuana, a digital scale, plastic baggies, a pill bottle containing 20.9 grams of the prescription-only drug and two Texas driver’s licenses belonging to Marshall. Marshall was not on the scene when the warrant was served, but according to Brazos County jail records, Marshall was confined Tuesday morning and released that afternoon on a total $8,000 bond. The jail records also showed that Marshall had a previous possession charge — of less than two ounces of marijuana — from November of last year.

www.legacyattraditions.com

BAT_11-08-13_A15-A6.indd 1

11/7/13 10:21 PM

soccer insider

staff insider thebattalion

STAFF PICKS

ONE SPORT, ONE GOAL

Position change not enough to shake Edwards’ commitment to win

Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION

Leigh Edwards’ soccer path led her to A&M and All-SEC second team honors.

Clay Koepke

The Battalion ome people choose what sport to play, and then there are those that are destined to play a certain one — like Leigh Edwards. “[My love for soccer] started when I was like five and my sister played. So it started there,” said Edwards, a junior from Coto de Caza, Calif. “My dad played in college, so a lot of it came from my dad putting me in soccer since he played soccer. From there, I just stuck with it from five until now. I made some great friends, had a great club team and just stuck with it.” Edwards’ soccer pedigree was visible

throughout her high school years as a fouryear starter at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, including a one-year stint as the team’s captain. Edwards began to draw college attention after being named to the 2011 All-Trinity League First Team, winning the 2011 Trinity League Offensive MVP and being named to the 2011 California ESPN RISE All-State Team her senior year. A&M head coach G Guerrieri and associate head coach Phil Stephenson have made their recruiting intentions in the state of California known. This year’s Aggie squad — SEC regular season champions currently attempting to claim the conference tournament crown — has six players

from California, one less than the seven Texans on the team. “[California soccer] is every bit as good as it is in Texas,” Guerrieri said. “There’s a lot of really, really great players that have come out of there who have represented the United States for decades and decades. When we have the opportunity to bring in kids who come from somewhat sophisticated soccer backgrounds like Leigh [Edwards] does, then it automatically makes us a little bit better.” Edwards began her career in Aggieland just as her soccer career began — playing in an attacking role. Last spring, Edwards was thrown a curve ball when she was asked by the coaching staff to move to a defensive minded left-back role — a position she has never played before. “I honestly was so scared,” Edwards said. “I never wanted to mess up and the defensive part I hated. I thought it was a joke because I have never played it in my life. I have only played attacking positions. I was so nervous, but now the transition has gone really well.” Senior captain and fellow back line teammate, Rachel Lenz, said despite being a funny, relaxed, “chill” person, Edwards’ successful transition to defense can be attributed to her knowledge on and off the soccer field.

“She has made the transition to a left back look amazingly easy,” Lenz said. “She’s so intellectual on the field that whenever someone tells her something, she always takes a note of it and immediately improves. She pulls moves I’ve never seen before — she makes forwards look like cones. She’s done so well and it’s great to have her on the back side.” For Edwards, school is just as, if not more, important than soccer. As a political science major and aspiring lawyer, Edwards was named to the 2012-13 SEC Academic Honor Roll. Edwards has quickly transformed into one of the premier defenders in the league and was awarded with 2013 SEC All-Second Team honors as she started in all 19 games this season at left back. “She’s a very, very smart person in general,” Guerrieri said. “All the way around, she’s a great student, she has great street smarts to her, and as a soccer player growing up in a very good club and environment, and she’s very smart in how she uses her skills. She’s got great speed, she’s technical. In other words, she’s skillful. She’s as good with her left foot as she is with her right foot and that’s because of a lot of the hard work she has done outside of practice.”

Week 12

(15) Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Michigan vs. Nebraska (11) Miami vs. Virginia Tech (1) Alabama vs. (13) LSU Florida vs. Vanderbilt

Mark Doré

James Sullivan

Sean Lester

William Guerra

Jessica Smarr

Editor-in-Chief Record: 28-16

Managing Editor Record: 30-14

Sports Editor Record: 22-22

Sports Desk Asst. Record: 34-10

Graphics Chief Record: 31-13

Copy Chief Record: 26-18

Texas A&M

Last home game as a student. Sad day

Johnny’s Kyle Field swan song

Is it not evident I will always select A&M?

The other Bulldogs... we’re good

See you next year, Kyle

A&M better holla at their boi Johnny

Nebraska

Michigan

Nebraska

Michigan

Yeah, that Hail Mary...

That Hail Mary last week was dope

Michigan lost a hardfought battle last week

Nothing likable about the Big 10

Huskers are so hot right now

Swiggity swag, Cornhuskers are a drag

Miami

Virginia Tech

Miami

Virginia Tech

I’ll side with Mark. He has a pretty good record

I still think Miami is really bad

I still respect the ’Canes

No Duke spells stormy weather for ’Canes

No way, Hokies

Swiggity Swokies, I love those cray Hokies

Alabama

LSU

I feel like this is a safe bet

Because ’Bama

Same rule applies with the Tide as A&M

LSU gets it past the 50-yard line

If we couldn’t do it...

#YOLO? Please. Tigers are cats, they got 9 lives

Florida

Vanderbilt

Florida

Sometimes I get a good feeling

Wouldn’t pick Vandy over anyone

And everyone had such high hopes for Vandy

Erin Andrews is a Gator

Man, Florida is disappointing

Vandy sounds too classy. Not about that life

(EARLY)

HEISMAN WATCH JOHNNY

MANZIEL

TEXAS A&M (7-2) SO QB #2 6’1 - 210

MARCUS

MARIOTA

OREGON (8-1) SO QB #8 6’4 - 211

Last Week: 57-7 win over UTEP 340 total yds, 6 TD

Last Week: 26-20 win over (5) Stanford 233 total yds, 2 TD

Passing: 200-276 for 2867 yds, 26 TD Rushing: 96 carries for 564 yds, 8 TD

Passing: 164-259 for 2531 yds, 22 TD Rushing: 62 carries for 494 yds, 9 TD

Yomi Adenuga — THE BATTALION

Michael Arellano — The DAILY EMERALD

JAMEIS

WINSTON

Riley Saaber — FSView

BAT_11-08-13_A7-A14.indd 1

Jake Walker

FLORIDA STATE (8-0) FR QB #5 6’4 - 228

BRYCE

PETTY

BAYLOR (8-0) JR QB #14 6’3 - 230

Last Week: 41-14 win over (11) Miami 352 total yds, 1 TD

Last Week: 41-12 win over (10) Oklahoma 249 total yards, 5 TD

Passing: 149-212 for 2502 yds, 24 TD Rushing: 50 carries for 153 yds, 3 TD

Passing: 135-202 for 2657 yds, 21 TD Rushing: 44 carries for 118 yds, 8 TD Robby Hirst — THE LARIAT

11/7/13 11:11 PM

playerinsider

Receiver-gonelinebacker thrives in new role

THE ASKEW EXPERIMENT

James Sullivan The Battalion

ate Askew was built to be a wide receiver. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, the senior owns the correct physique and unquestioned athleticism to play toe-to-toe with the nation’s best defenders and come out on top. After three seasons leading Texas A&M’s second string group — and little hope to joining the first string this year — Askew turned to defense in the offseason, a side of football he had only ever known as an enemy. Two months later, the Askew experiment has yielded positive results, as the wide receiver-turned-linebacker has found his niche in the A&M defensive unit and proceeded to make tackles rather than receptions. “I feel way more comfortable than I did in the first game,” Askew said. “I feel like I’ve made a lot of improvement. There are still things I need to work on, but we’ve got a few games left.” Askew’s transition was a centerpiece storyline over the course of the offseason, with A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin offering the only assurance of his success when he said

BAT_11-08-13_A13-A8.indd 1

Askew was “one of the four or five best athletes on the team.” Nine games into the season and Askew has proven to be an effective outside linebacker, starting multiple games and utilizing his athleticism in coverage and his size against opponents’ rush attack. Defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said he has been supportive of Askew since the decision was confirmed last spring to now, recognizing that his senior linebacker has grown more “comfortable” since first picking up the position. “[Askew] has made some good plays,” Snyder said. “I think he’s starting to get more comfortable on our side of the ball. There were a couple shots where he went to the left, went to the right, spun out and chased down the quarterback. I think he’s getting more comfortable.” After losing two senior linebackers from the mix last season — Sean Porter and Jonathan Stewart — the Aggies were looking to fill a void as they entered spring training. With Askew’s transfer, the defense gained an asset they had sought to harness all year.

In addition to Askew, the Aggies gained multiple true freshmen linebackers as incoming recruits, including starter Darian Claiborne. Askew compared their learning curve to his own, as his only advantages over the freshmen were the three years of physical training and exercise at a collegiate facility. “Everything is new, really, for the freshmen, because they’ve never played college football before,” Askew said. “Even though I had played on the offense, I had never played defense and have had to look at it from a whole other perspective. [The freshmen and I] are experiencing things for the first time and we’re out there together.” Despite his mental youth within the group, Askew said he felt like he has emerged as a leader after his three seasons on the team. “I think at first, I was kind of learning the position,” Askew said. “I was just trying to follow people. Off the field, I feel like I lead by example in trying to do the right thing and whatnot. I was still trying to play catch up on defense, and now I feel very comfortable out there. Now, I feel like I’m able to lead guys by the way I play and telling them different point-

Jade Bedell — THE BATTALION

reedinsider

Senior linebacker Nate Askew made the transition from receiver over the offseason.

ers out there.” Askew has accumulated 20 tackles in nine games, including one sack and three tackles for loss, along with two interceptions — one of which was returned for a touchdown. Last season alone, the former wide receiver snared just two passes, meaning Askew has caught as many balls on defense as he has on offense the past two years, a fact offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney said he could poke fun at with Askew. Askew’s former offensive teammates have been supportive in his transition. Ben Malena, senior running back and team captain, said he was impressed with how adept Askew has been thus far. “I think [Askew] is performing real well,” Malena said. “That’s tough having never really played defense in your whole life to switching over and starting in the same year. You have to learn the defensive mentality, you have to learn schemes, you have to learn concepts. You have to learn run fits, pass coverage. There are so many things you have to understand, and the way he picked it up and his effort in running to the football is really outstanding.”

Photos by Tanner Garza — THE BATTALION

Sophomore forward Alex Caruso (left) and senior guard Fabyon Harris will help lead A&M into the season.

A&M shoots for bounceback in sophomore SEC effort

HOOPS TEAM TIPS OFF FRIDAY Connor Darland

Special to The Battalion

fter finishing his inaugural SEC season at 17-14, Texas A&M head basketball coach Billy Kennedy is looking to begin another winning season Friday against the University at Buffalo. Sporting a roster of both newcomers and veterans, Kennedy said the Aggies will be focusing on their own skills as they officially begin their season against non-conference Buffalo. “We’re going to really have to be prepared for them,” Kennedy said. “They’ve got a new coach so they’ll be doing different things, but most of the

time you’re worried about you. With our young guys, it’s a balance of both worrying about us and about the opponent.” Kennedy said he will be looking to his returning players to help instill his tough defensive philosophy in the team’s newer members. “Guys who are producing on the court and in practice will have the first opportunity,” Kennedy said. “I know our veterans are ahead of our young guys in knowing what to do and knowing our system. I’m sure I’ll lean on them a little bit more than the young guys right now.”

The team newcomers include true freshmen Tavario Miller, Davonte Fitzgerald and Dylan Johns and junior college transfer Jamal Jones. Power forward Miller, small forward Fitzgerald and center Johns were all three-star recruits. Hailing from Ipswich, England, Johns is rated as the 21st best center in the 2013 recruiting class by ESPN. Kennedy picked up shooting guard Jones from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, after he helped his team to a NJCAA Region 14 championship. Jones was rated as a three-star prospect coming out of high school and is now

ranked as one of the nation’s Top-5 junior college recruits. Texas A&M played its first and only exhibition game against The University of Texas-Permian Basin on Oct. 30. A&M claimed the victory 80-70, with a team high of 13 points from Fabyon Harris. Defensively, A&M ended the game with a total of eight blocks and 12 steals. The team had trouble scoring from three-point range, shooting 0-9 from behind the arc. The game against the University at Buffalo starts at 7 p.m. at Reed Arena.

11/7/13 7:02 PM

coachinsider Sean Lester The Battalion

““

Young people are hard to fool, and you need to be yourself because if you’re not yourself, in times of turmoil or undue pressure, the ‘real’ you is coming out.” — Kevin Sumlin, A&M head coach

exas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin is the hottest commodity in the football coaching world. From the professional to college ranks, when there is a coaching vacancy at a major university or organization, Sumlin’s name isn’t far away. But on the second floor of the Bright Football Complex, Texas A&M’s lead man is carefully constructing what he believes is a national powerhouse program. He is the architect of Aggie football, building a once dormant program into a threat, week in and week out. “Winning is winning, [the] stress level in this job is hard to describe,” Sumlin said. “I think a lot of people think what you do on Saturday is about all you do. There’s a lot of things that go in. I was listening to Herm Edwards the other day say, ‘It’s like being in Las Vegas. There’s no clock.’ There’s no, ‘Oh, it’s fiveo’clock, I can go home.’ You do the job until you get done what you need to get done for that day, because you owe your team the best plan. That’s the way coaching has been.” Through five and a half seasons as a head coach, Sumlin is 53-21 and has led A&M to an 18-4 record since being hired

THE Chase Krumholz — THE BATTALION

BAT_11-08-13_A11-A10.indd 1

from Houston in December of 2011. In the time since he was brought on, Sumlin has been able to help change the culture around the A&M program. The Aggies have yet to lose a road game under Sumlin and players say that’s due to their head coach’s preparation. “Coach Sumlin puts together a good game plan and we know if we follow it, we’ll be successful,” said offensive lineman Jake Matthews during the offseason. The team now enters to Kanye West’s “Power” with a slew of fireworks erupting above Kyle Field. New jerseys and Bright Complex renovations were just some of the first changes Sumlin made upon arriving in Aggieland. Sumlin was the force behind A&M football’s “Aggie Football Life” website

and social media push, which was created in hopes of giving recruits and their families an inside look at how the program operates on a daily basis. “Social media is important for us from three or four different factors,” Sumlin said. “Number one, we can get our message out as a marketing tool instead of having people talk about us that aren’t here every day, making assumptions about our program and our University. It gives us a window to tell our story to fans and to recruits. AggieFBLife is about utilizing the complete social network board. We’re on everything from Twitter to Pinterest to get recruits and their moms.” Sumlin quickly gained the respect of the Aggie players who were left in limbo when Mike Sherman was fired following the 2011 season. “[Sumlin] doesn’t sugarcoat anything with the kids and I think kids respect that,” said defensive coordinator Mark Snyder. “Our entire staff, from the top, we tell them exactly what we feel here in this room. He brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of youth. He can relate to the players and, because he can relate to the players, he can be brutally honest with them and they appreciate that. I think he does a great job of that.” Sumlin’s honesty establishes a trust inside the program, he said, holding each player accountable. “Because of that [trust], I think they know where they stand and that alleviates

ing out. If that’s something they haven’t seen, it can scare a lot of people. From that standpoint, our players know where I stand with our team all the time. We don’t play mind games.” The A&M team endured its share of mind games during the offseason as stories of quarterback Johnny Manziel circulated on a daily basis. When Manziel left the Manning Passing Academy early this summer, rumors swirled detailing how he was sick or hung over. Manziel’s first contact was Sumlin. “I told him I felt like the deal really got blown out of proportion and I’m sorry for that, for the way it was spun and the way it was taken out of context,” Manziel said. “I never meant to make A&M look bad, or especially him. Me and Coach Sumlin have such a special relationship and I never would have wanted to upset him.” Sumlin made it his job to continue his work with the team and the program, despite additional scandals surrounding Manziel as the season neared and following the first game of the season when Manziel was caught talking smack to the Rice defenders. “It’s my job as a coach to prepare him and it’s my job as a coach to keep his energy positive and try to channel that energy and emotion and make it positive,” Sumlin said. With two games remaining on the 2013 schedule, Sumlin is preparing A&M to finish strong, much like his team did a

a lot of pressure,” he said. “Once you lose that trust, you lose it. And you may not get it back.” One of Sumlin’s biggest connections comes on the practice field when he cuts it up with his players with various genres of music playing on the speakers behind them. “I only know one way to do things,” Sumlin said. “Young people are hard to fool, and you need to be yourself because if you’re not yourself, in times of turmoil or undue pressure, the ‘real’ you is com-

year ago. That will mean additional hours spent studying opponents, contacting recruits and continually trying to make the Aggie program better. And he’s OK with that. “It’s just part of the business, part of the makeup,” Sumlin said. “What’s interesting is, when I go talk to young coaches, I write up there, ‘12 x 3 = 36.’ All the hours you put in for recruiting, fundraising, all the other jobs and you’re still judged on 36 hours of work. That’s a pretty stressful situation.”

ARCHITECT

Jenna Rabel — THE BATTALION

Kevin Sumlin continues to build the A&M program as a players’ coach

11/7/13 7:28 PM