Spring Break
Mid-season report from Mike Sherman
The football team needs your support now more than ever.
By: Mike Sherman
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: Opinion
Special teams is an area which we need to shape up. We have had critical breakdowns in our punt game that resulted in touchdowns the last two games. We must improve there. We need more players to step up and contribute. On a positive note, freshman placekicker Randy Bullock stepped in last week and did some good things. He did miss an extra point, but he kicked well overall. Senior Justin Brantly continues to punt the heck out of the ball. He ranks among the nation's best in punting. He has a chance to do well in the NFL when he leaves Texas A&M.
We can also do better as coaches. For some reason, we have had too many players on the field on defense three times. Part of that is the coaching staff is making sure the players understand the situation and the defense we're using (nickel/base/et cetera). Offensively, we have burned too many time outs, which really bothers me. Most of that is due to communication errors or delays to our quarterback. We have improved that. One coaching move I made that really bothers me was my decision to go for it twice from the two-yard line last week. We should have scored and that was my fault. I should have changed the personnel group on fourth down since we didn't get it in on third down, and either run it in or thrown it. I think if I had put the ball in Jerrod Johnson's hands, he would have gotten us in the end zone. I should have given him that chance.
As far as this week is concerned, I reminded the football team that they did not come to Texas A&M to just play football games; they came to win championships. With five years (including this one) of mediocrity, it is time to do something special. Along these lines, I could use your help. I would ask that when you see one of our players walking across campus this week, or for that matter the remainder of the season and future seasons as well, I encourage you to wish them good luck on the upcoming game and that you expect the Aggies to win. I want them to always feel from you what you expect out of them. They need to hear that. They need to feel a responsibility to represent you with class, character and the competitive spirit that all Aggies possess.
We can also do better as coaches. For some reason, we have had too many players on the field on defense three times. Part of that is the coaching staff is making sure the players understand the situation and the defense we're using (nickel/base/et cetera). Offensively, we have burned too many time outs, which really bothers me. Most of that is due to communication errors or delays to our quarterback. We have improved that. One coaching move I made that really bothers me was my decision to go for it twice from the two-yard line last week. We should have scored and that was my fault. I should have changed the personnel group on fourth down since we didn't get it in on third down, and either run it in or thrown it. I think if I had put the ball in Jerrod Johnson's hands, he would have gotten us in the end zone. I should have given him that chance.
As far as this week is concerned, I reminded the football team that they did not come to Texas A&M to just play football games; they came to win championships. With five years (including this one) of mediocrity, it is time to do something special. Along these lines, I could use your help. I would ask that when you see one of our players walking across campus this week, or for that matter the remainder of the season and future seasons as well, I encourage you to wish them good luck on the upcoming game and that you expect the Aggies to win. I want them to always feel from you what you expect out of them. They need to hear that. They need to feel a responsibility to represent you with class, character and the competitive spirit that all Aggies possess.
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