By BRENT ZWERNEMAN, COLLEGE STATION BUREAU Courtesy of The Houston Chronicle
Updated 11:54 p.m., Monday, October 17, 2011
| JON EILTS: ASSOCIATED PRESS PITCH AND CATCH: Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, left, and wide receiver Ryan Swope, right, have proved a lethal combination for the Aggies, especially in Saturday's 55-28 beatdown of Baylor. Photo: Jon Eilts / FR170396 AP |
COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill
and Ryan Swope are too busy this fall to venture outside Aggieland in
pursuit of a common interest, but occasionally they'll wander on to a
couple of area golf courses - fishing poles in hand.
"Sometimes it gets a little too competitive out there," a grinning Swope said of his fishing fights with his quarterback on local stock tanks, including some on a couple golf courses around town.
Most of their time is spent in harmony on Kyle Field, however, and the duo has surfaced as two big fish in a big college football pond. Swope, a junior from Austin, hooked a school-record four touchdown catches Saturday in No. 17 A&M's 55-28 filleting of Baylor.
Tannehill, a senior from Big Spring, threw for 415 yards and six touchdowns. The former was third-best in school history (he already owns the top mark for a single game), the latter tied for second with current Texans coach Gary Kubiak.
"It's a special combination," A&M coach Mike Sherman said of Tannehill to Swope. "They both practice at game speed, and when you do that the game isn't too fast. It also allows them to be on the same page on game day."
Incredibly, Tannehill and Swope are two of five players in school history who have put together 200-yard receiving days. Swope's came on Saturday against the Bears (206 yards on 11 catches); Tannehill's occurred three years ago against Kansas State, when he collected 210 yards while playing receiver in Sherman's effort to get the versatile athlete on the field.
Study buddies
When Swope arrived two years ago, Tannehill was still playing primarily receiver, with then-upperclassman Jerrod Johnson having won a spirited quarterback battle in camp. Swope had played running back at Westlake, and Tannehill quickly started teaching his future fishing buddy the innards of playing receiver.
"I was taking baby steps," Swope said. "Ryan molded me into the receiver that I am today. He really helped me take strides at that position."
On Monday, an NFL.com draft analyst wrote that Tannehill is second only to Stanford's Andrew Luck among quarterback prospects and has the "athleticism, arm strength and intangibles to be a star."
In taking over for Johnson midway through last season, Tannehill (6-4, 222 pounds) has quickly become that at A&M. He's the only player in NCAA FBS history to tally both a 400-yard passing game and a 200-yard receiving game, according to A&M. He already holds the school record for season completion percentage (65) and midway through this season is on pace to snap that (67.1).
"He's a great player and can do it with his arm and with his legs," said coach Paul Rhoads, whose Iowa State squad (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) hosts A&M (4-2, 2-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. "He's really intelligent and understands defenses' weaknesses and strengths."
Along the way Swope (6-0, 206) has emerged as Tannehill's favorite target, especially with star senior Jeff Fuller fighting a tweaked hamstring over much of the first half of the season.
Trust in your teammate
"Through the years we've built up a good connection," Tannehill said. "We have trust in each other, and I think that's a big factor in how we perform.
"Once the ball is in Ryan's hands, he's dangerous. Because he played running back in high school, he knows what to do with it.""
And when football season is over, Swope said the duo plans to graduate to fishing lakes.
"I need to have him out to (the family) place on Lake McQueeney," Swope said. "We could do some damage on our bass boat."
brent.zwerneman@chron.com twitter.com/brentzwerneman
"Sometimes it gets a little too competitive out there," a grinning Swope said of his fishing fights with his quarterback on local stock tanks, including some on a couple golf courses around town.
Most of their time is spent in harmony on Kyle Field, however, and the duo has surfaced as two big fish in a big college football pond. Swope, a junior from Austin, hooked a school-record four touchdown catches Saturday in No. 17 A&M's 55-28 filleting of Baylor.
Tannehill, a senior from Big Spring, threw for 415 yards and six touchdowns. The former was third-best in school history (he already owns the top mark for a single game), the latter tied for second with current Texans coach Gary Kubiak.
"It's a special combination," A&M coach Mike Sherman said of Tannehill to Swope. "They both practice at game speed, and when you do that the game isn't too fast. It also allows them to be on the same page on game day."
Incredibly, Tannehill and Swope are two of five players in school history who have put together 200-yard receiving days. Swope's came on Saturday against the Bears (206 yards on 11 catches); Tannehill's occurred three years ago against Kansas State, when he collected 210 yards while playing receiver in Sherman's effort to get the versatile athlete on the field.
Study buddies
When Swope arrived two years ago, Tannehill was still playing primarily receiver, with then-upperclassman Jerrod Johnson having won a spirited quarterback battle in camp. Swope had played running back at Westlake, and Tannehill quickly started teaching his future fishing buddy the innards of playing receiver.
"I was taking baby steps," Swope said. "Ryan molded me into the receiver that I am today. He really helped me take strides at that position."
On Monday, an NFL.com draft analyst wrote that Tannehill is second only to Stanford's Andrew Luck among quarterback prospects and has the "athleticism, arm strength and intangibles to be a star."
In taking over for Johnson midway through last season, Tannehill (6-4, 222 pounds) has quickly become that at A&M. He's the only player in NCAA FBS history to tally both a 400-yard passing game and a 200-yard receiving game, according to A&M. He already holds the school record for season completion percentage (65) and midway through this season is on pace to snap that (67.1).
"He's a great player and can do it with his arm and with his legs," said coach Paul Rhoads, whose Iowa State squad (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) hosts A&M (4-2, 2-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. "He's really intelligent and understands defenses' weaknesses and strengths."
Along the way Swope (6-0, 206) has emerged as Tannehill's favorite target, especially with star senior Jeff Fuller fighting a tweaked hamstring over much of the first half of the season.
Trust in your teammate
"Through the years we've built up a good connection," Tannehill said. "We have trust in each other, and I think that's a big factor in how we perform.
"Once the ball is in Ryan's hands, he's dangerous. Because he played running back in high school, he knows what to do with it.""
And when football season is over, Swope said the duo plans to graduate to fishing lakes.
"I need to have him out to (the family) place on Lake McQueeney," Swope said. "We could do some damage on our bass boat."
brent.zwerneman@chron.com twitter.com/brentzwerneman
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