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Sports Extra
The Battalion
Fans from both
schools ready for
McNeal vs. Young
By Michael Crow
THE BATTALION
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It is late November in College Station, evi
denced by orange and yellow leaves scattered
across the lawns and streets of the Texas A&M
campus. This Friday, the most vibrant color will
be the burnt orange of the University of Texas
visiting Aggieland in what has become one of
the most anticipated rivalry games of the college
football season.While this year’s meeting might
appear to lack the significance of seasons past,
neither of the teams seems convinced.
watched this rivalry when I was a kid on
TV,” said A&M coach Dennis Franchione. “I
always remember the intenseness of the rivalry
... and the pride the two teams played with. This
is what you coach for and what you play for.”
Texas coach Mack Brown agreed Friday’s
game would be important, regardless of the two
teams’ records.
think the rivalry will be just as big because
it’s about history; it’s not just about this season,’
he said. “They will pull out all the stops and we
need to as well. 1 think it will be a great game.”
While the Aggies (4-7, 2-5 Big 12) will large
ly be playing for pride, a win for No. 6 Texas (9-
2,6-1) would most likely mean a spot in a major
bowl game, capping off a strong 2003 campaign.
Leading the way for the Longhorns is quar
terback Vincent Young.
Along with A&M’s quarterback, sophomore
Reggie McNeal, Young was one of the coun
try’s most sought-after recruits two years ago.
The two have drawn further comparisons on
mmk playing field, particularly in terms of their
athleticism.
“The two offenses are similar, and the plays
you see look a lot alike,” Brown said. “When
you look at these two guys, it’s been amazing to
see what they've done and the roles they play.
When Reggie and Vince are in the game, you see
things you can compare.”
Young has had more opportunities to run
the football and has taken full advantage. The
redshirt freshman is UT’s second-leading
rusher, with 858 yards and 10 touchdowns on
the ground.
Texas running back Cedrick Benson has
picked up 994 rushing yards and 16 scores, help
ing boost the ’Horns to a hearty 227.2 rushing
yards per game.
With one of the most balanced offenses in the
country, Texas gets things done in the air as
well. Senior wide receiver Roy Williams has
compiled 969 receiving yards and eight touch
downs and is, not surprisingly, a candidate for
the Biletnikoff award, given to the nation’s top
receiver.
Defensively, it is junior linebacker Derrick
Johnson who has garnered the most attention for
Texas. Johnson is a tough presence in the middle
of the field, boasting a team-leading 108 tackles,
including 16 for negative yardage.
Senior cornerback Nathan Vasher has been a
leader in the defensive backfield, with five inter-
_ceptions.
I Brown said he has described Friday’s meet
ing as an elimination game, a must-win to gain a
BCS bowl bid.
f “These guys have done a tremendous job
turning the season around since the loss to
Oklahoma,” he said. “They have put themselves
back in the mix, and now it’s time to win again.”
Friday’s kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at
■ a Kyle Field.
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Page 5 • Wednesday, November 26, 2003
(oM
Win would leave
Aggies with better
taste in their mouths
DALLAS SHIPP
Courtesy of KRT Campus
University of Texas quarterback Vincent Young tries to slip past a Nebraska defender during UT's 31 -7 win
in early November. Young and A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal will lead their teams into Friday's game.
BACKYARD BRAWL
43-17, Texas. The Longhorns have more
than enough weapons to exploit A&M’s
defense, and unfortunately, I’ll graduate
without seeing the Aggies beat the
Longhorns.
-True Brown, sports editor
54-20, Texas. My head says it ain’t gonna
be pretty, but the gold on my right hand
hopes the Ags have a shot.
- Dallas Shipp, sports editor
37-20, A&M. Just kidding, 34-17 Texas.
-Troy Miller, sportswriter
42-10, Texas. 0-4 for Class of 2004.
- Jeff Allen, sportswriter
48-16, Texas. Texas should finish season
strong and get the BCS bid they are wanting.
- Michael Crow, sportswriter
41-27, Texas. Vincent Young and Cedric
Benson won't have a problem running
around on a maligned Aggie defense.
- Pete Burks, sportswriter
45-17, Texas. Will defensive coordinator
Carl Torbush be the scapegoat for this sea
son’s defense?
- Kyle Davoust, sportswriter
45-21, Texas. Vincent Young will win the
battle of the youthful, athletic quarterbacks.
- Blake Kimzey, sportswriter
28-24, Texas. Aggies put up a good fight
but can’t overcome Texas.
- Elizabeth Webb, managing editor
48-10, Texas. I’ll be rooting for the Aggies,
but let’s face it: it’s just not in the stars.
- Sarah Szuminski, news editor
30-27, A&M. Kyle Field is always a wild
card for ranked teams. Just ask
Oklahoma.
- Robert M. Gates, A&M president
35-31, A&M. It’s been a long season, but
the Class of 2004 will see the 12th Man
magic one more time.
- Matt Josefy, student body president
I t goes without saying that Texas
A&M coach Dennis Franchione
and the Aggies would just as
soon forget about this season. After
all the pomp and circumstance that
surrounded his arrival in Aggieland
last year, some fans have begun to
doubt his ability to turn around the
program.
But by 6 p.m. Friday that could
change with a win over the
Longhorns.
With a win against arch-rival Texas, the Franchione
bandwagon may not be able to sell seats fast enough to
all of those who jumped off through the season.
It would put a stamp of legitimacy on the preseason
hype of Coach Fran.
It would give sophomore quarterback Reggie
McNeal one more chance this year to show he can lead
the team, and that his performance against Oklahoma
last year was not a fluke.
It would show the team that Franchione’s system
just might work.
It would silence many Sunday morning critics — at
least for a while.
“It always gives you a little momentum going into
the offseason and recruiting and those kinds of direc
tions,” Franchione said. “It lets you finish with a good
taste in your mouth. It would be beating a top-10 team
and another victory at Kyle Field.”
But it’s going to take more effort than the Aggies
have given so far this season.
In their previous three matchups against top-25
teams (Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma), the
Aggies have been outscored by a combined score of
163-22, including a 77-0 whipping, courtesy of the
Sooners.
If the Aggies are going to stand a chance against the
highly favored Longhorns, McNeal has to step up and
be a leader on offense.
After leaving the game against Missouri at half
time, junior Dustin Long ignited the offense, putting
doubts in the minds of many that McNeal truly is
“the real deal.”
Friday is his chance to either put it to rest or fire up
the Internet chat rooms, begging Long, who is rumored
to be transferring to Sam Houston State after the sea
son, to stay at A&M.
Other than the quarterback situation, the Aggies
have nothing to lose Friday. And that should scare
coach Mack Brown and the Longhorns.
After assuring their first losing season in two
decades against Missouri, the Aggies don’t have to
worry about becoming bowl eligible. They don’t have
to worry about finishing the season with a .500 record.
And for that, they should thank the Tigers.
Now it’s about one game.
There is no practice next week. There is no bowl
game to get ready for. This is it.
The Aggies have nothing to lose, while the
Longhorns are teetering on the edge of a BCS bowl
game birth.
And, lucky for the Aggies, they do have at least two
things going for them. Unfortunately, neither of them
are that tangible for the 11 guys on the field. But in a
season filled with disappointments, it’s okay to have a
little fun this week.
First, the Student Bonfire, which at the time is the
closest thing A&M has to the Aggie Bonfire, fell after
midnight, meaning the Ags are supposed to win.
Second, the Aggies have never lost a Maroon Out
game in the five-year history of the “tradition,” includ
ing the most improbable upset of all against No. 1
Oklahoma last year.
For the Aggies’ sake, they had better believe in
superstitions. It’s about all they have going for them.
Friends Young, Lewis to square off for first time
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
John C. Livas • THE BATTALION
[Texas A&M running back Courtney Lewis runs against the Missouri Tigers on Nov. 15.
Lwis will square off with high school friend Vincent Young during Friday's A&M-UT game.
When the University of Texas pays a
visit to Kyle Field to take on Texas
A&M on Friday, two players will line up
on opposite sidelines for the first time
after playing four years together in the
same backfield.
Texas redshirt freshman quarterback
Vincent Young and A&M redshirt fresh
man running back Courtney Lewis not
only shared the same backfield at
Houston Madison High School, they
became best friends.
“We always do things together,”
Lewis said. “We talk at least twice a
week every week. I see how things are
going on his end, and he sees how things
are going on my end.”
Now the two will go head-to-head in
not only a ballgame, but in the race for
Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Lewis,
with 940 rushing yards and 11 touch
downs, is on pace to become the first
1,000-yard back at A&M since Dante
Hall in 1998. Young has rushed for 858
yards and 10 touchdowns while passing
for 1,043 yards and five touchdowns
after replacing senior Chance Mock as
the Longhorn starting quarterback.
“(Big 12 Freshman of the Year)
means a lot to both of us,” Lewis said.
“Our coach in high school and our fami
lies are very proud of us. We both want
to be the best.”
Being the best is something Young
and Lewis are used to. In 2001, the
Madison duo was one of the best in
Texas, if not the nation, combining for
more than 5,800 yards of total offense.
Young was heralded as being one of the
top prospects in the country while Lewis
sailed under the radar in the shadow of
Young.
That was just fine by Young and
Lewis, who resemble the Texas football
•version of the odd couple.
“Vincent is more outgoing, while
Courtney is quiet,” said Madison football
coach Ray Seals. “You’d be around
(Lewis) and not know he was there.
Vincent would speak up more.”
During their 2001 senior campaign at
Madison, the duo led the Marlins all the
way to the Texas 5A Division II State
Semifinals, the furthest a Madison team
had advanced in school history.
Young was courted by national pow
ers such as Miami before settling in
Austin, while Lewis committed to the
Aggies because they were the only team
close to home that wanted him as a run
ning back.
The two friends had dreamed of play
ing college football together, but Texas
did not recruit Lewis as a running back,
and A&M already had another highly-
praised quarterback commit in Lufkin’s
Reggie McNeal.
“(Young) first wanted to go to Miami,
then Texas,” Lewis said. “A&M wanted
me to be a running back so I chose
A&M. I thought it was better for my sit
uation. We both wanted to stay close to
home to our families.”
With the two living 106 miles apart,
compared to five minutes at home in
Houston, they still keep tabs on each
other’s progress. During the Aggies
game with Utah, Young called Lewis’
mother, whq was in the stands at Kyle
Field, to get an update. The following
week, Lewis drove to Austin to see
See Friends on page 8