By Suzanne Halliburton
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Courtesy of the Austin American Statesman
Updated: 8:58 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
Published: 8:57 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
COLLEGE STATION — In the continuing
dissection of what's gone so dreadfully wrong with Texas A&M's
once-promising season, a possible solution is being tossed about:
Should head coach Mike Sherman hire an offensive coordinator?
Sherman, in his fourth year as head coach, has called his own plays since he arrived in College Station. But despite A&M's statistical success on offense, his overall record at A&M is 19-19, including a 14-17 mark in Big 12 Conference games.
Many established head coaches hire coordinators and allow them to create a game plan and call the plays each Saturday. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, a former Cowboys quarterback, finally relinquished play-calling a year ago in an effort to be a chief executive/manager for his team.
Sherman does have coordinators on his nine-person staff of assistants. Tom Rossley, a longtime friend, coaches quarterbacks and is listed as coordinator of the passing game. Offensive line coach Jim Turner is in charge of the running game.
But Sherman makes all game-time decisions, although he leaves the position coaches to decide on substitutions.
A&M is the only Big 12 school that doesn't have an offensive coordinator by title.
Sherman said this week that he'll consider whether to turn over the planning and play-calling to a coordinator once the season ends. If the Aggies don't win at least one of their two remaining home games — against Kansas on Saturday or Texas on Thanksgiving — their season will come to an abrupt end. With a 5-5 record, the Aggies aren't bowl eligible.
Sherman, however, seemed hesitant to turn over any duties. His Aggies, he pointed out Monday, have the country's sixth-ranked offense.
"We are one of the teams that can run the ball and throw the ball effectively," Sherman said Monday. "I look at everything we do at the end of the season. I feel confident in what we are doing and how we are doing it — I just wish we were doing it better."
Without mentioning specific names or schools, Sherman said that he has even been contacted by coaches around the country who are interested in traveling to College Station this offseason to pick Sherman's brain about his offense.
Kansas coach Turner Gill, who worked with Sherman as an offensive assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 2005, is an acknowledged fan of the A&M offense.
Sherman and his staff are "very bright as offensive minds," Gill said. "They want to be balanced as far as being able to run and also play-
action off of the run. They'll take their shots down the field as far as deep balls. That's kind of his strategy.
"The offense averages over 500 yards a game, so we're facing another good offensive football team. They have been very productive so far this season."
There is no question that the offense has been productive. The Aggies average 38.9 points a game and 516.1 yards, including 295 through the air. All three categories are on pace to break single-season school records.
Still, the Aggies haven't been efficient in the second half of games this year. Consider that A&M has owned double-digit halftime leads in four of their five losses. Against Oklahoma, the Aggies were down by only three points at intermission.
But in the third quarters of the five losses, the Aggies have been outscored, 59-7.
As a sign of how wrong it's all going for the team this season, the Aggies scored 50 points against Kansas State on Saturday, the most ever in a loss in school history.
Overall, A&M is only 2 of 8 in converting fourth downs — and that's when the conservative Sherman decides to go for it.
And his players have had concentration issues that are morphing into turnovers and dropped passes. Sherman said his receivers dropped seven passes against Kansas State. Drops also were a problem the week before against Oklahoma, though Sherman didn't offer a number.
Sherman has continued to tweak the offense in an effort to generate more fire. He used backup quarterback Jameill Showers for the first time Oon Saturday in what is conventionally called a wildcat formation. Sherman refers to it as a "mule package."
Sherman was asked whether veteran players might be benched this Saturday. He dropped a hint of the pressure everyone is feeling.
"Well, I don't think any of us feel a great amount of job security," Sherman said. "I think the players understand that, and I think that goes along with the profession of being football players and coaches."
shalliburton@statesman.com; 445-3954
Updated: 8:58 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
Published: 8:57 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011
Should head coach Mike Sherman hire an offensive coordinator?
Sherman, in his fourth year as head coach, has called his own plays since he arrived in College Station. But despite A&M's statistical success on offense, his overall record at A&M is 19-19, including a 14-17 mark in Big 12 Conference games.
Many established head coaches hire coordinators and allow them to create a game plan and call the plays each Saturday. Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, a former Cowboys quarterback, finally relinquished play-calling a year ago in an effort to be a chief executive/manager for his team.
Sherman does have coordinators on his nine-person staff of assistants. Tom Rossley, a longtime friend, coaches quarterbacks and is listed as coordinator of the passing game. Offensive line coach Jim Turner is in charge of the running game.
But Sherman makes all game-time decisions, although he leaves the position coaches to decide on substitutions.
A&M is the only Big 12 school that doesn't have an offensive coordinator by title.
Sherman said this week that he'll consider whether to turn over the planning and play-calling to a coordinator once the season ends. If the Aggies don't win at least one of their two remaining home games — against Kansas on Saturday or Texas on Thanksgiving — their season will come to an abrupt end. With a 5-5 record, the Aggies aren't bowl eligible.
Sherman, however, seemed hesitant to turn over any duties. His Aggies, he pointed out Monday, have the country's sixth-ranked offense.
"We are one of the teams that can run the ball and throw the ball effectively," Sherman said Monday. "I look at everything we do at the end of the season. I feel confident in what we are doing and how we are doing it — I just wish we were doing it better."
Without mentioning specific names or schools, Sherman said that he has even been contacted by coaches around the country who are interested in traveling to College Station this offseason to pick Sherman's brain about his offense.
Kansas coach Turner Gill, who worked with Sherman as an offensive assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 2005, is an acknowledged fan of the A&M offense.
Sherman and his staff are "very bright as offensive minds," Gill said. "They want to be balanced as far as being able to run and also play-
action off of the run. They'll take their shots down the field as far as deep balls. That's kind of his strategy.
"The offense averages over 500 yards a game, so we're facing another good offensive football team. They have been very productive so far this season."
There is no question that the offense has been productive. The Aggies average 38.9 points a game and 516.1 yards, including 295 through the air. All three categories are on pace to break single-season school records.
Still, the Aggies haven't been efficient in the second half of games this year. Consider that A&M has owned double-digit halftime leads in four of their five losses. Against Oklahoma, the Aggies were down by only three points at intermission.
But in the third quarters of the five losses, the Aggies have been outscored, 59-7.
As a sign of how wrong it's all going for the team this season, the Aggies scored 50 points against Kansas State on Saturday, the most ever in a loss in school history.
Overall, A&M is only 2 of 8 in converting fourth downs — and that's when the conservative Sherman decides to go for it.
And his players have had concentration issues that are morphing into turnovers and dropped passes. Sherman said his receivers dropped seven passes against Kansas State. Drops also were a problem the week before against Oklahoma, though Sherman didn't offer a number.
Sherman has continued to tweak the offense in an effort to generate more fire. He used backup quarterback Jameill Showers for the first time Oon Saturday in what is conventionally called a wildcat formation. Sherman refers to it as a "mule package."
Sherman was asked whether veteran players might be benched this Saturday. He dropped a hint of the pressure everyone is feeling.
"Well, I don't think any of us feel a great amount of job security," Sherman said. "I think the players understand that, and I think that goes along with the profession of being football players and coaches."
shalliburton@statesman.com; 445-3954
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