Practices No. 17 & 18: A&M worked out Tuesday in full pads for 2 hours, 20 minutes in the morning on the Coolidge grass practice fields and came back in the afternoon for 85 minutes inside in helmets and shorts.
The team bounced back from a so-so practice with a solid effort in its final two-a-day practice of fall camp.
"Two of the things that I didn't think we did well yesterday [was] we didn't tackle well and we didn't have a very good tempo," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said. "I thought we addressed both of those things this morning with a lot better focus and concentration."
Several key offensive players remain out with injuries that hamper the unit's cohesiveness.
"It's hard to get all that stuff you're looking for, timing and the rhythm without the guys you are counting on being out there," Sherman said. "Hopefully, we'll get them back soon."
Junior running back Christine Michael, who missed the last six games of the season last year after breaking his leg, said missing key personnel makes it tough for the quarterbacks to get the unit into a flow.
Senior wide receiver Jeff Fuller (hamstring) hasn't seen significant repetitions since the first scrimmage of camp. Junior wide receiver Ryan Swope, freshman linebackers Brandon Alexander and Tyrell Taylor, junior wide receiver Kenric McNeal, sophomore defensive back Tony Hurd Jr., junior defensive lineman Spencer Nealy and senior cornerback Lionel Smith were others who didn't have contact Tuesday.
Swope, who has been having a solid camp, was hit in the back during Saturday's scrimmage and could have practiced, but Sherman gave him another day off.
"I know what he can do," Sherman said. "I thought the rest would benefit him and us."
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No decision at punter yet. Freshman punter Drew Kaser has missed most of camp with a hamstring injury, and Sherman wants to see Kaser at 100 percent before evaluating the position.
"I thought in the scrimmage the other day, we did some good things with the wind helping in some situations," Sherman said. "But the consistency is something we are still lacking."
No one has been able to string together several solid practices. Junior Ryan Epperson, senior Ken Wood and senior Jared Jaroszewski have taken most of the reps. Kaser did kick a couple of times Tuesday.
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More walk-ons will be added next week. A&M will expand its 105-man roster to approximately 125 when school starts next week. The NCAA doesn't limit a team's roster, but too many players make it hard for practices to be effective, said Tim Cassidy, associate athletic director for football.
A school's walk-on totals in all sports must adhere to Title IX guidelines just as they do for student-athletes on scholarship.
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No set number of true freshmen who will play: Sherman said before camp that 6-8 freshmen could play, even though the team has 18 returning starters along with several experienced players as backups.
Playing 6-8 true freshmen would be a slight decline from previous seasons when Sherman used a combined 38, including a school-record 18 in 2009. Sherman said Tuesday it's too early to put a number on it.
Alexander, linebacker Donnie Baggs, offensive lineman Ben Compton, wide receiver Mike Evans, defensive back Deshazor Everett, defensive back/running back Howard Matthews, cornerback Floyd Raven, linebacker Tyrell Taylor and linebacker Shaun Ward are freshmen who have been mentioned by Sherman or one of his assistants for playing well at some point in fall camp.
The Aggies' open date after the season opener against SMU should help the development of the freshman.
Sherman already has scheduled a pair of scrimmages the off week of Sept. 5-10 with the freshmen in mind. He added that the Aggies will be pay the price for getting that extra week of teaching by playing 11 straight weeks.
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He's back, bigger and faster. Michael, who missed the last six games last season after breaking his leg, has gained 12 pounds to 221, adding most of extra weight in his lower body. He said he's also increased his speed.
Michael (126 carries-631 yards) and senior Cyrus Gray (200-1,133 yards) give A&M one of the best 1-2 combinations in the country. Michael said 15-20 touches per game would be ideal to keep the two happy. Including kick returns, Gray averaged 19.3 touches last year and Michael averaged 17.5.
Michael said he's not set any personal goals after saying he wanted 1,000 yards last season, only to be sidelined.
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Et cetera: Former A&M head coach R.C. Slocum and 1957 Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow watched the afternoon practice. ... Senior place-kicker Randy Bullock (muscle pull) returned after missing Saturday's scrimmage with a solid day. ... Everett intercepted a tipped pass by freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel. ... Adams had a nice touchdown catch from redshirt freshman Jameill Showers and 206-pound Matthews bounced off a would-be tackler en route to a touchdown.
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Next up: The Aggies will have a closed scrimmage Wednesday afternoon open to only those who purchased tickets to the "Countdown to Kickoff" in the Zone Club. A&M will conclude fall camp with a pair of 8:25 a.m. practices Thursday and Friday.
Courtesy of Aggiesports.com
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