Sep 12, 2007, 14:56 GMT
College Station, TX - The 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies wrap up their season-opening three-game homestand this Saturday, as they welcome the UL-Monroe Warhawks to College Station for a non-league affair.
The Aggies enter the game fresh off an emotional win, as they earned a 47-45 triple-overtime victory over Fresno State last weekend. It was the first triple overtime game in A&M history, but despite the victory, the team fell two spots in the top-25 rankings. Still, it was a thrilling win for the Aggies, who opened their 2007 campaign with a much more convincing 38-7 triumph over Montana State. Following this game, A&M will hit the road for the first time, as it travels to Florida for a date with the Miami Hurricanes on September 20th.
As for ULM, it faced its first nationally ranked opponent of the season last weekend, dropping a 49-26 decision at Clemson. It was the second loss in row by the Warhawks, who opened the season with a 35-17 setback to Tulsa. ULM will conclude its three-game road trip at Troy on September 29th.
Saturday's game marks just the second all-time meeting between ULM and A&M, with the Aggies posting a 31-17 victory in the first encounter in 1985.
Despite the loss to Clemson last weekend, the Warhawks were able to rack up 419 yards of total offense, including 271 on the ground. It was the second straight game the team has rushed for over 200 yards, although ULM has nothing to show for it in the win column. Calvin Dawson headed the charge last weekend with 121 rushing yards and a score on 28 carries, while Frank Goodin added 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 totes. Dawson, who rushed for 150 yards in the team's opener, has now posted seven straight 100-yard rushing games. Quarterback Kinsmon Lancaster, however, hasn't enjoyed the same amount of success as Dawson thus far. After throwing for just 66 yards and a touchdown in the team's opener, Lancaster completed just 11-of-26 tosses for 139 yards and a score last weekend. The versatile Lancaster showed a lot of promise last season, but he has yet to live up to expectations.
The Warhawks have had all sorts of problems trying to slow down their opponents this season and they have allowed over 500 yards of offense in both games. Last weekend, ULM surrendered 503 total yards to Clemson, including 319 yards via the pass. The defense gave up five passing touchdowns last weekend and failed to record a single turnover. Stopping the run has also been a problem for the Warhawks, who have allowed 400 yards on the ground in just two games. Greg James leads the team in tackles with 17 and he also has an interception to his credit.
Jorvorski Lane rushed for two of his four touchdowns in the second and third overtimes, lifting the Aggies to a two-point win over Fresno State this past weekend. The 268-pound lane finished the game with 123 rushing yards on 23 carries, helping A&M gain 318 yards on the ground. Quarterback Stephen McGee also played a part in the team's success on the ground, as he rushed for 124 yards on 16 totes. McGee, who led the squad with 121 rushing yards and two scores in a season-opening win over Montana State, also completed 13-of-24 pass attempts for 79 yards and touchdown last weekend. Mike Goodson is another dangerous threat in the backfield for the Aggies, although he was held to 69 yards on 23 carries last weekend. In the team's opener, Goodson posted 65 yards and a score on 10 carries, as the Aggies racked up 261 rushing yards in the win over Montana State.
After holding Fresno State without a point in the entire first half, the Aggies surrendered 29 points in the second half and another 16 in overtime. A bad pass by Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater on a game-tying two-point conversion attempt in the third-overtime was the only thing that saved this defense. The Aggies still gave up 399 total yards to Fresno State and this came one week after allowing Montana State to rack up 403 yards of offense. Needless to say, the A&M defense has looked shaky in the early going, although the unit has forced five turnovers thus far. Mark Dodge, however, has excelled through two games, as he has made a team-best 30 tackles.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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