FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA
TEXAS A&M VS. FLORIDA | SATURDAY OCT. 14 AT 6:00 P.M. | ESPN 2 LAWSUIT
Sophomore linebacker Tyrel Dodson had a career-best 16 tackles against No. 1 Alabama.
FILE
The Sigma Nu chapter at A&M was disbanded following Anton Gridnev’s death.
Sigma Nu sued for negligence Deceased member’s father files suit against students, national chapter
SATURDAY IN THE SWAMP C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION
Aggies look to bounce back, not let loss to Alabama impact final games By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary Coming off a hard-fought loss to No. 1 Alabama last Saturday, Texas A&M will look to get back in the win column as the Aggies travel to Florida to take on the Gators. The Aggies (4-2, 2-1 SEC) gave the Crimson Tide their closest game of the season, and they will try to build on that momentum against Florida — a team that lost to LSU 17-16 last weekend. “This team right now is very close. We’re just moving on,” wide receiver Damion
Ratley said at Tuesday’s press conference. “We know we have to pick each other up, we know we have each other’s back and we just play for the man to the left and right of us.” The Gators rank seventh in the SEC in total defense and don’t boast as intimidating a unit as they have in past years, but they have done a good job of buckling down in the red zone. Florida’s red zone defense has allowed the opponent to score only 73 percent of the time when they get inside the 20-yard-line, the best in the conference. That ability to keep teams out of the end zone will be a challenge for the Aggies, as they have struggled in the red zone at times this season. “For us it will be another challenge. They’ve been real stingy on defense and it’s
going to take a really fine effort out of our team to go there and win,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “Defensively they’ve been strong and they’ve scored enough points to win in different fashions.” The Aggies, who played arguably their most complete game of the season in the 27-19 loss to Alabama, stressed they are not going to let that defeat affect their preparation for Florida. “Every week we always say we reset,” linebacker Tyrel Dodson said. “That game’s over with, it’s done, and we’re moving forward.” Dodson exploded for a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 2.5 tackles-forloss against the Tide, anchoring a linebacker corps that continues to improve as the
By Ryan Brown @ryanbrown03 On April 14, 2017, Eugene Gridnev filed a lawsuit against the Sigma Nu fraternity after his son, Anton Gridnev, died of an accidental drug overdose in the Sigma Nu house in College Station in August 2016. The lawsuit is against the fraternity’s national office, Sigma Nu, Inc. and 10 former members of the now disbanded chapter at A&M, as well as the Aggie Sigma Chi House Corporation, which owns the former Sigma Nu house. The civil suit claims negligence on the part of the defendants led to his son’s death. Gridnev filed the lawsuit in Harris County, seeking more than $1 million in damages and associated costs. “When the Sigma Nu members that were responsible for his safety noticed Anton’s condition, they called the hospital instead of 911,” the suit states. “The Sigma Nu members were instructed by hospital staff to call 911, but they chose not to. The Sigma Nu members responsible for Anton’s safety remained at the Sigma Nu house without calling 911 as instructed for a prolonged period of time. Eventually, 911 was called but it was too late for them to provide any help and Anton had already died.” Brad Beacham, executive director of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. declined to comment.
PREVIEW ON PG. 2
Journey from couches to catches Senior wide receiver Damion Ratley’s unorthodox path to playing in Kyle By Ryan MacDonald @Ryan_MacDonald2
I
n 2013, Damion Ratley, a retired high school football player at the time, watched the Alabama-Texas A&M game from his couch. Last Saturday, Ratley, now a senior wide receiver, played against Alabama, making a huge 32-yard catch on fourth-and-9 to keep the Aggies alive in the game. A few months prior to watching the game on TV, Ratley was a dynamic receiver at Yoakum High School whose combination of height and speed posed grave dangers to opposing defenses. However, Ratley’s ability to be recruited by colleges was limited by the size of Yoakum and its remote location, 100 miles east of San Antonio. “I went to a small high school,” Ratley said. “I didn’t go to any camps or anything and I never really got out there and got exposure or anything like that.” Despite a strong career at Yoakum, Ratley ended his senior year with zero scholarship offers and elected to attend Blinn College’s Bry-
Senior wide receiver Damion Ratley is second on the team in receiving yards with 228.
an campus as a student. Living with his cousin in College Station, Ratley spent his weekends watching college football games. A big fan of the Aggies, Ratley wasn’t able to get a ticket to the 2013 A&M-Alabama game and settled with watching the game on TV from his couch. After watching the game, Ratley realized how much he missed football. He called then Blinn College head football coach Keith Thomas and asked for a spot on the team. Ratley had tried out for the team the summer before and made it, however, decided not to play because he said he just didn’t want to play anymore. The coach remembered Ratley from his tryout in the summer and gave him a spot on the team as a walk-on, even though he had not played football for over a year. “I called them after the game and luckily they remembered me and gave me a fighting chance,” Ratley said. Blinn didn’t run the ball all too often, since they had wide receiver Dede Westbrook, who was a fourth round pick of last year’s draft and Jake Hubenak, who is now a senior quarterback at Texas A&M. Ratley finished the 2014 season with 1,197 yards and led the team in scoring with 20
C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION
RATLEY ON PG. 4
Two former students develop grassroots branding company By Tenoch Aztecatl @_aztec_
A UNIQUE APPROACH TO MARKETING
Hanna Hausman— THE BATTALION
Drifting Creatives, (left to right) Spencer Cogburn, Martin Hooper, Class of 2009 and Gavin Braman, Class of 2009, spent five months on the road, working their way across the country and are now based in B-CS.
Since 2010, ‘Drifting Creatives,’ an Aggie owned and operated marketing and branding agency, has grown from a shared idea to a full-fledged business, offering an eye-catching approach to web content and branding design. Two days after graduating from Texas A&M in 2009, two Aggies, Gavin Braman and Martin Hooper set off on a road trip aimed at networking and gaining enough experience to eventually start their own business. “The idea was that we would design our way across the country,” Braman said. “And we would pay for the whole trip with design work that we could pick up by doing work for small businesses.” Throughout the five month road trip, the two often slept in Hooper’s Honda Element and in some cases, were even invited to stay at the
home of a generous stranger. Their days were spent working to establish a base of clientele and hearing the word ‘no’ quite frequently. “[Drift] really evolved in terms of what we were actually doing,” Braman said. “Because it’s weird to just get work from random businesses and just walking in and saying, ‘Hey, can we redesign your menu?’” After returning from the design road trip, Braman and Hooper realized that they had gained enough of a network and understanding of the business to actually launch their own agency, so they did. “For a while I was living in my parent’s house, working out of there,” Braman said. “And then we got a two-bedroom apartment and one of the bedroom’s was the Drift office. Then we eventually got a retail space that we were in for about three years.” Now that ‘Drift’ has made its name in the B-CS area, the company’s founders are focused on producing content that will benefit their customers and maximize the quality of work. DRIFT ON PG. 2
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The Battalion | 10.13.17
PREVIEW CONTINUED season moves along. The front seven will be put to the test against Florida, as the Gators possess a running back duo, Malik Davis and Lamical Perine. Davis has topped the 90-yard mark in each of his last three games and the Gators have scored all 12 times they have entered the red zone so far in 2017. “You don’t get to be one of the top red zone teams without having some sort of explosive power running and a guy that can throw it too,” Sumlin said of Florida’s offensive attack. “They’ve got a variety of guys that they can do some things with.” The Aggies will once again rely on Kellen Mond to direct an offense that struggled to move the ball for much of the Alabama game, which is to be expected against the Tide’s suffocating defense. “You’ve got a player who continues to get better, but you’ve also got players around him who continue to get better and help him,” Sumlin said. “I think every snap is a learning experience for him. Florida is going to throw a lot of different things at him.” Keith Ford and Trayveon Williams will look to get back on track against a Florida defense that has surrendered over 150 rushing yards per game. Ratley has emerged as one of Mond’s favorite targets. He hasn’t amassed a high volume of targets or receptions, but he is making them count to the tune of 22.8 yards per catch. He has made several big catches in key situations in recent weeks. “Damion has always had the ability — he’s one of the fastest guys on this team,” Sumlin said. “He’s an example of what real confidence and maturity can do for you. He’s made a couple plays and the last four games he’s made at least one big play … We need him to continue to make big plays for us.” Saturday will mark the first time since the Aggies joined the SEC that they will travel to Florida to play in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, nicknamed “The Swamp” and revered as one of the toughest places to play. The venue is not lost on the A&M players. “I grew up watching Tim Tebow play at The Swamp,” Dodson said. “I’m excited to get in there.” Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2.
Josh McCormack, Editor in Chief Gracie Mock, Managing Editor Alexis Will, Creative Director Katy Baldock, Social Media Editor Angel Franco, Co-Sports Editor Heath Clary, Co-Sports Editor Luke Henkhaus, News Editor Brad Morse, SciTech Editor
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THE BATTALION is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the fall and spring semesters and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods) at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Offices are in Suite L400 of the Memorial Student Center. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in Student Media, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. Newsroom phone: 979-845-3315; E-mail: editor@thebatt.com; website: http://www.thebatt.com. Advertising: Publication of advertising does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Battalion. For campus, local, and national display advertising call 979-845-2687. For classified advertising, call 979-845-0569. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email: battads@thebatt.com. Subscriptions: A part of the University Advancement Fee entitles each Texas A&M student to pick up a single copy of The Battalion. First copy free, additional copies $1.
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Freshman quarterback Kellen Mond has rushed for 266 yards this season.
C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION
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DRIFT CONTINUED “What makes us different is our commitment to strategy and making sure that everything we do has purpose,” Hooper said. “We understand that aesthetics are important, but if there’s not a good base of strategy, then you’re not going to see the same return on investment.” Since it’s opening, Drift has redesigned web and branding content for companies such as the Dixie Chicken, Bison Coolers, College Station’s The Cove and even produced a number of videos for Texas A&M. Braman said that the agency has done projects within the university, including their current project of redesigning the website for the George Bush Presidential Library. “I think for us that’s a really, really cool project,” Braman said. “In some ways it feels like it’s more local but we
kind of have to remind ourselves like, ‘This is a presidential website,’ that’s pretty awesome.” The agency’s partner Spencer Cogburn said the company hopes to expand its customer base across the country in the coming years. “I’d love for us to have more staff, hopefully have more national clients than we do now and possibly international clients,” Cogburn said. “If everything goes according to how we’ve grown in the last three years, we might be able to expand to having offices in other cities as well.” Braman says that Drift aims to promote an agency that customers and visitors to their website are able to connect with and get excited about. In previous semesters, Drift has offered a graphic design internship for any student interested in expanding their experience. The position will be open for spring 2018. Hanna Housmanl — THE BATTALION
Drifting Creatives has designed content for companies such as Dixie Chicken and Bison Coolers. They are also currently redesigning the website for the George H.W. Bush library.
CHECKOUT OUR DISCOVER STORY FRIDAY AT 8 A .M.
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WEEK 7: STAFF PICKS
AROUND THE SEC
Texas A&M vs. Florida
A LOOK AT THE CONFERENCE FOR WEEK 7
Saturday, Oct. 14 @ 6:00 p.m. on ESPN 2
By Kevin Roark @Kevin_Roark
NO. 10 AUBURN AT LSU JOSH
Auburn is for real, like for real for real. Halfway through the regular season they’re outscoring their opponents 215 – 78, and that’s including giving up just 14 points to defending National Champions Clemson. They’re coming off a 44 - 23 win over Ole Miss in which they conceded the most points to any opponent this season. Their average allowance of 13.6 points per game puts them No. 6 overall in the entire nation. On the offensive side, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson continues to dominate the run game. He added 204 yards and three scores on 28 attempts last weekend, solidifying himself as the 28th rusher in the nation. LSU’s defense will keep them in the game, but it’s only a matter of time before the War Eagle offense hits a few big plays and takes it home. Prediction: Auburn 27, LSU 16
BRAD SANNA EMMY ANGEL
ARKANSAS AT NO. 1 ALABAMA
ALEXIS
In all honesty, I really want to like Arkansas. If this was in Fayetteville and the Razorbacks still had a solid run game, I’d think things to be much closer. Unfortunately, that isn’t the circumstance we find the Hogs in. The Tide has taken the last 10 games straight and is ranked No. 1 in the nation for a reason. There’s not much to say in that respect except Alabama’s pass rush hasn’t been what we’re used to expecting. On the other hand, Arkansas’ offensive line has seen better days, and so has their quarterback Austin Allen. He’s coming into this one with a banged up shoulder. If he gets the start, he’ll look to repeat last year’s performance of over 400 yards and three touchdowns in the 49 - 30 loss. If anything, Texas A&M proved that the Tide can be scored on. I’m personally hoping for another shootout whether it be through the air for Arkansas or on the ground for Alabama. Prediction: Alabama 38, Arkansas 19
Josh McCormack
Brad Morse
Editor-in-Chief @_joshmccormack
Nothing good comes from Florida. I would know, I was born there.
Sci-Tech Editor @bradsmorse53
Everyone knows the crocodile is the superior reptile, just ask Steve Irwin.
Sanna Bhai
Emmy Bost
Asst. Sci-Tech Editor @BhaiSanna
The only thing I know about college football is .... Go Aggies!
NO. 4 GEORGIA AT MISSOURI Also not a lot to say here. If you’re not yet ready to accept that Georgia is for real, they’re facing a rough Mizzou squad that won’t help you prove your point. Does Missouri even have a chance? Well, sure. Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock proved he knows how to move the ball down the field time and time again. He threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns last week against Kentucky. Georgia’s secondary isn’t going to let much happen, but if the Tigers keep their troublesome turnovers to a minimum, they’ll stay competitive. I don’t see much hope for Missouri slowing down the dominant Georgia offense, so the Tigers will need to prove they can win a turnover margin in order to give themselves a chance. I expect the Bulldogs to crank out the ground game and watch Mizzou play catchup for three hours. Prediction: Georgia 41, Missouri 13
Asst. News Editor @EmmyBost
The Ags are going to outrun those tiny Gator legs Saturday.
Angel Franco
Alexis Will
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The Gators already lost when they revealed their uniforms. A&M wins big.
Creative Director @alexismwill
Our mascot is a literal Queen. Theirs is a water lizard.
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RATLEY CONTINUED touchdowns. The enormous numbers earned Ratley an All-America honorable mention and a call from a Texas A&M coach who offered him a football scholarship. “It was big time,” Ratley said. “I came up here [to the Texas A&M campus] the same day, it was exciting. I never thought I would get a phone call.” Despite offers from West Virginia, Purdue and Texas Tech, Ratley said he never considered going to another school after he was offered to play at A&M. Ratley was so ecstatic about his new school he said he would come to campus just to hang out even though he was not yet a student. “It was right down the road, I used to come up here sometimes, just for the fun of it. It was cool, I loved it,” Ratley said. Ratley enrolled early at Texas A&M, leaving Blinn after the 2014 fall semester and had a solid sophomore season with the Aggies, with 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns in six starts. During his junior year, Ratley struggled to get consistent playing time, competing for snaps against a loaded receiving corps including Ricky SealsJones, Josh Reynolds and Christian Kirk. Ratley finished his junior season with just two catches. With Seals-Jones and Reynolds entering the NFL Draft, Ratley was primed for a big senior campaign. In the offseason, Ratley focused in on his blocking, which used to be a major weakness for him. The extra work has paid off for Ratley, garner-
ing the attention of A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin. “He has become a completely unselfish player blocking on the perimeter,” Sumlin said. “All these long runs, he has been a dynamic blocker and being able to make plays downfield, things he did not do the last couple of years.” Ratley said the increased attention and improvement on his blocking was just doing his job to help out the team. “In order for the running backs to make plays we’ve got to be ready to block for them downfield,” Ratley said. “I’m blocking for Trayveon [Williams] just as he would for me if I were to get the ball and cut back. I’m going to do for my brothers as how I would hope they would do for me.” Ratley’s talents pose a real threat to opposing defenses as it doesn’t allow them to bracket junior receiver Christian Kirk as they have to worry about Ratley as well. Ratley has already surpassed his career high in receiving yards this season with 228 yards. Ratley has become a major component of the Texas A&M offensive success and Sumlin said he needs to continue to do so for the duration of the season. “We need him to continue to be that guy and to continue to make big plays for us which he has done,” Sumlin said. As for Ratley’s future after football, he said he doesn’t think about on that, he’s just focused on playing the game as long as he can. “Obviously I went back and played, I wasn’t going to play out of high school and I went back because I loved the game too much to leave it,” Ratley said. “I’m going to play to the best of my ability until I can’t anymore.”
C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION
Senior wide receiver Damion Ratley is averaging 22.8 yards per catch this season, which leads the football team. He also had one reception for 32 yards in the game against Alabama Saturday.
AGGIELAND YEARBOOK
It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2017 Aggieland Yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2016-2017 school year. The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s
Official Yearbook will be available before the holidays. Go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.
$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)
Don’t forget to preorder your copy of the 2018 Aggieland yearbook. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Ordering can be done online at aggieland.tamu.edu, or by calling 979-845-2613. Distribution will be the Fall 2018.
2016 Aggielands and previous yearbooks are now on sale. Stop by room L400 in the MSC or call 979-845-2613. $40.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)