Aesculus gilmus
11-19-2005, 03:30 PM
(Former 3A phenom resurfaces in Aggieland)
I thought this year's game was at Kyle Field. Is that a mistake at the end of this article?
+++++++++++++
Aggies' next quarterback bides his time
By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
A year from now, as Texas A&M prepares to play Texas, a third-year sophomore quarterback will probably be at the epicenter of one of two divergent story lines.
Stephen McGee, A&M's eager starter-in-waiting, has watched for two seasons as unpredicted plot twists have shaped a challenging set of conditions for the 2006 season, when he takes over the controls.
With A&M (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) stuck in a late-season free fall for the third straight season under coach Dennis Franchione, the fortunes of the quarterback-to-be and the coach-under-fire are now inextricably linked.
Rather than inheriting a surging program from Reggie McNeal, McGee, a tall, strong-armed passer from Burnet, will attempt to resuscitate a struggling program. Either he helps Franchione accomplish a turnaround or his team further tests the patience of Aggies fans.
"In my heart, I think that Stephen is going to do well with that," said Rodney McGee, Stephen's father, a retired high school basketball coach who lauded his son's leadership qualities. "That's where he thrives. He loves that situation."
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound McGee spurned Texas, enduring considerable heat from within his hometown, just a 45-minute drive to the doorstep of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
There exists a slim chance that McGee will make his first career start against the No. 2 Longhorns at Kyle Field on Friday. McGee got the first consequential playing time of his career at Oklahoma last week after McNeal sprained his left ankle in the third quarter.
Franchione said he expects McNeal to start in what will be the senior's farewell unless the Aggies somehow derail Texas and sneak into a bowl.
McGee entered the Oklahoma game with 4:26 left in the third quarter and A&M trailing 30-17. He led three scoring drives, one for a touchdown to make it 30-24, and two that were stopped short, settling for field goals that pulled A&M to 36-30, the final score.
"He had to take a deep breath that first series and catch himself a little bit," Franchione said. "Then he made some nice scrambles, which I was really proud of him the way he managed that. He did a nice job of executing the offense. I think he has a bright future."
Showing surprising speed while running the option, McGee ran for 67 yards and had the team on the move despite misfiring on all six pass attempts. But, when the defense couldn't hold on a third-and-12, McGee and the offense never got another shot.
"We showed a lot of heart coming back, and that's what it's going to take for us to get where we need to go," McGee said. "We'd like to be a little bit further ahead of where we are right now, but with the attitude and character we showed [against OU] we can go a long way."
Which way Franchione steers the McGee-led offense next season will be intriguing. Franchione tweaked 2004's potent spread passing attack by adding more option culled from Florida coach Urban Meyer's scheme. But McNeal, who had a breakout junior season, clearly struggled with the new concepts, and three season-ending injuries to key receivers didn't help.
As a senior at Class 3A Burnet, McGee passed for 3,579 yards and 47 touchdowns and only three interceptions. It is McGee's arm, not his legs, that had premier programs, including USC, after him.
"People don't look at me as a running quarterback like Reggie. I'm a throwing quarterback," McGee said. "But my job is to do whatever is asked of me. I'm going to compete and give everything I have."
aggieathletics.com
IN THE KNOW
TEXAS A&M AT NO. 2 TEXAS
11 a.m. Friday, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin
Radio: KSKY/660 AM, KFXR/1190 AM
TV: WFAA/Ch. 8
Records: Texas A&M 5-5, 3-4 Big 12; Texas 10-0, 7-0
I thought this year's game was at Kyle Field. Is that a mistake at the end of this article?
+++++++++++++
Aggies' next quarterback bides his time
By JEFF CAPLAN
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
A year from now, as Texas A&M prepares to play Texas, a third-year sophomore quarterback will probably be at the epicenter of one of two divergent story lines.
Stephen McGee, A&M's eager starter-in-waiting, has watched for two seasons as unpredicted plot twists have shaped a challenging set of conditions for the 2006 season, when he takes over the controls.
With A&M (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) stuck in a late-season free fall for the third straight season under coach Dennis Franchione, the fortunes of the quarterback-to-be and the coach-under-fire are now inextricably linked.
Rather than inheriting a surging program from Reggie McNeal, McGee, a tall, strong-armed passer from Burnet, will attempt to resuscitate a struggling program. Either he helps Franchione accomplish a turnaround or his team further tests the patience of Aggies fans.
"In my heart, I think that Stephen is going to do well with that," said Rodney McGee, Stephen's father, a retired high school basketball coach who lauded his son's leadership qualities. "That's where he thrives. He loves that situation."
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound McGee spurned Texas, enduring considerable heat from within his hometown, just a 45-minute drive to the doorstep of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
There exists a slim chance that McGee will make his first career start against the No. 2 Longhorns at Kyle Field on Friday. McGee got the first consequential playing time of his career at Oklahoma last week after McNeal sprained his left ankle in the third quarter.
Franchione said he expects McNeal to start in what will be the senior's farewell unless the Aggies somehow derail Texas and sneak into a bowl.
McGee entered the Oklahoma game with 4:26 left in the third quarter and A&M trailing 30-17. He led three scoring drives, one for a touchdown to make it 30-24, and two that were stopped short, settling for field goals that pulled A&M to 36-30, the final score.
"He had to take a deep breath that first series and catch himself a little bit," Franchione said. "Then he made some nice scrambles, which I was really proud of him the way he managed that. He did a nice job of executing the offense. I think he has a bright future."
Showing surprising speed while running the option, McGee ran for 67 yards and had the team on the move despite misfiring on all six pass attempts. But, when the defense couldn't hold on a third-and-12, McGee and the offense never got another shot.
"We showed a lot of heart coming back, and that's what it's going to take for us to get where we need to go," McGee said. "We'd like to be a little bit further ahead of where we are right now, but with the attitude and character we showed [against OU] we can go a long way."
Which way Franchione steers the McGee-led offense next season will be intriguing. Franchione tweaked 2004's potent spread passing attack by adding more option culled from Florida coach Urban Meyer's scheme. But McNeal, who had a breakout junior season, clearly struggled with the new concepts, and three season-ending injuries to key receivers didn't help.
As a senior at Class 3A Burnet, McGee passed for 3,579 yards and 47 touchdowns and only three interceptions. It is McGee's arm, not his legs, that had premier programs, including USC, after him.
"People don't look at me as a running quarterback like Reggie. I'm a throwing quarterback," McGee said. "But my job is to do whatever is asked of me. I'm going to compete and give everything I have."
aggieathletics.com
IN THE KNOW
TEXAS A&M AT NO. 2 TEXAS
11 a.m. Friday, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin
Radio: KSKY/660 AM, KFXR/1190 AM
TV: WFAA/Ch. 8
Records: Texas A&M 5-5, 3-4 Big 12; Texas 10-0, 7-0