Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1993)
The 1993 Guide to x. Offensive Preview •Quarterbacks Pullig Sophomore Corey Pullig took over for Jeff Granger last year and finished A&M's undefeated regular season, averaging 38 points and 434 total yards in his five games compared to 22.7 and 350.7 in the previous seven games...For the season and Cotton Bowl, Pullig completed 63-of-126 for 953 yards with three touchdowns and interceptions...Rated nationally as fifth-best all-purpose quarterback by The Sporting News...Back up sophomores Tommy Preston, an A&M Consolidated product, and Matt Miller, from San Diego, will be vying for the number two slot behind Pullig... Junior Steve Emerson moves back to quarterback after spending last year as a linebacker. UL_ •Running Backs* Hill Junior running backs Greg Hill and Rodney Thomas combined for 2195 on the ground last season, ranking them one of the top tandems in the nation...Hill and Thomas will be joined at tailback by highly touted redshirt freshman Leeland McElroy...Junior Clif Groce and sophomore Detron Smith are battling for the starting fullback spot...Hill is the leading returning scorer in college football, lighting up the scoreboard for 102 points last season...Thomas completed 3-of-3 passes for 90 yards and one touchdown last season. •Wide Receivers Harrison Senior split end Tony Harrison grabbed 22 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns last season...Harrison's 20.6 yards per catch led the team...Junior flanker Brian Mitchell suffered a broken foot last season but still had 10 receptions for 220 yards and one touchdown...Redshirt freshman Kevin Bierne will back up Harrison while junior Ryan Mathews is behind Mitchell...Redshirt freshman Danny McCray earned indoor All-American honors as a sprinter on the A&M track team last season. Tight Ends 'Wt Schorp An excellent run blocker with soft hands, senior tight end Greg Schorp looks to pick up where he left off last year when he caught 24 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown...Schorp started last season off right by being named the Most Valuable Player in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic, a 10-7 A&M victory over Stanford...Sophomore Hayward Clay will see time in double tight end sets...Junior James McKeehan and Schorp form the third-best tight end tandem in the nation according to The Sporting News...Redshirt freshman Jim Brady moves over from linebacker to add depth. Offensive Line Dausin Senior Chris Dausin is ranked as the fourth-best center in the nation by The Sporting News...Senior guard Tyler Harrison scored a touchdown last season against Houston on a fumble-rooskie, a play which has since been outlawed by the NCAA...Senior tackle Dexter Wesley was second team All- Southwest Conference, as selected by the Associated Press...After moving from tight end, senior tackle Jason Mathews became a key component in A&M's drive to the Cotton Bowl...Redshirt freshman Calvin Collins replaces the departed John Ellisor at left guard. ANGEL KAN/I The Aggies'deep Free Safety 5 Junior White 36 Steve Kenney Left Inside Lini 37 Larry Jackson 35 Jason Andrus X Left Outside Linebacker 93 Antonio Shorter 38 Reggie Graham X Inside Linebi ATKINSON Colon Left Cornerback 31 AARON GLENN 30 Donovan Greer Defensive End 92 ERIC ENGLAND 64 Larry Wallace Ni ill IN 1! o Split End Left Tackle 75 DEXTER WESLEY 78 James Brooks 3 TONY HARRISON Left Guaid 55 TYLER HAM 72 Jeff Jones 0 o I Guard tt Collins UMathison Quarterback 4 COREY PUIOI 14 Tommy Prestoi 13 Matt Miller Tailback 27 GREG HILL 20 Rodney Thou 34 Leeland McE 1 ALL CAPS —DENOTES RETUI ER A&M offense will ride on three backs and an am Toledo's 'Toss Sweep' By Roy L. Clay The Battalion TB FB FL QB TE RT RG C LG LT ii ^ i SE The “Toss Sweep” is designed to take advantage of A&M’s strong running game by getting the speedy Aggie tailbacks to the outside. The NCAA’s decision to move the hash marks further toward the middle of the field should mean added dividends for fast backs, who will have more territory to accelerate and turn corners. The tailback receives the pitch from the quarterback, who rolls to the opposite (left) side to pull the defense’s coverage away from the play. The right guard pulls to the right and lead blocks with the fullback and the rest of the blockers scoop block to open up the right side. Defending Southwest Conference champion Texas A&M's offensive strategy will feature its traditional run ning game this season, but will also in corporate a passing game to strengthen an already dangerous ground attack. Offensive coordinator Bob Toledo said A&M football is noted for its physical running game and this season they will build on that strong foundation. "We're going to emphasize running the football." Toledo said. "That's our philosophy, to be a physically tough football team." According to Toledo Toledo, A&M has all the tools neces sary to run the football. One of the most noticeable of these tools is the tailback combination of Greg Hill and Rodney Thomas. But redshirt freshman Leeland McElroy has continued to impress coaches with his performance. Toledo said McElroy is a running back with incredible talents. "He had a great spring (practice)," Toledo said. "You can't help but want to get him in the football game." To be successful, the trio will need some help, which they have. They will be running behind the protection of an offensive line regarded in some publi cations as one of the nation's best. Four of the five linemen are return ing seniors: guard Tyler Harrison, cen ter Chris Dausin and tackles Dexter Wesley and Jason Mathews. The right guard spot, vacated by John Ellisor, will be filled by redshirt freshman Calvin Collins. The fullback position is another area on the Aggie offense that has lost talent from last year's squad. Doug Carter, a former A&M full back who is now with the Houston Oilers, will be replaced by junior Cliff Groce and sophomore Detron Smith. Toledo said both players have out standing combined skills as blockers, runners and receivers. "They're the total package," he said. Even with a strong running attack, the A&M offense was lacking a strate gy last season that proved to be detri mental at the end - the passing game. Toledo said the loss to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl illustrated that an ineffective passing attack will allow a capable opponent to cheat against the run. "They took away what we did best," Toledo said. "They took the run away." Quarterback CoreyPullig said A&M's lack of a passing attack did not come from insufficient planning. "The strategy has always been there," Pullig said. "It's just that the performance hasn't." Toledo notes Pullig has always had the tools to be a good quarterback but did not always know what to do with them. Last year Pullig was not able to learn all the details necessary to exe cute a successful passing game, said, but he has seen improvements Pullig since then. "He has an understanding of ^ Stron 40 MIC 6 Typ Right ( 94 Steve S 46 Reggie Defensive 95 SAM ADA 99 Kefa Chath Right 67 JASO 76 Chris Fullback 33 Clif Groce M Detron Smith efe By Matthew ] The Battalk ircus Buckley iiv monikers t A&M fans tb fense and an understanding of the 1 ear s ^ exa ® ^ fense," Toledo said. "He has anf the f a ™} iar better understanding of what trying to do," he said. This year, coaches have sakh expect Pullig to read and adjust!® 1 ans defensive sets and make the adf 1 r ' * C 1 ae ments at the line of scrimmage f v |j c k ens is essential for a successful passing tack. "He has a much better unders ing of what people are trying against us." Toledo said. The successful execution of passing game relies on the recei' end, as well. Tight end Greg Schorp wasl^ ~~ leading receiver last year - a di!|jd w j t h out tion usually reserved for wid f ceivers. Toledo said he wants to utili zi running backs in the passings well. He said both Groce and5 : We've gc are considered to have above-a'^Jthere." catching abilities. McElroy has ! been getting practice as a receiver Toledo said he views theN 3 Dame loss as significant proof c: importance of the passing gam®' successful game plan defensive dor Bob aid he be- ' ing the three j vas crucial, : ,|he team has group of to choose 'e got a feus of playe i we didn't lc Ver, defens taking a mor losses of th( om a year ago going to do Ye're going to 'It just goes to prove that f 1 do the bes dams said. ;et down just 1 got to have the ability to thro 1 ' football," Toledo said "I believe that if you don't ha' 1 ®u have to bee ability to throw the football, the 1 '! ! s up pie gang up on you and if you't 6 one dimensional it's pretty ha 11 win. pegged eithe te to replace 'as pegged as