Texas A&M unofficially opened the 2013 football season Tuesday morning, allowing the media to visit with three members of the coaching staff and four upperclassmen athletes during the fall’s first mid-week press conference.
The Aggies match up against former Southwest Conference rival Rice in their season-opening contest at noon on Saturday at Kyle Field, hoping to build on last year’s gridiron success which resulted in an 11-2 (6-2 SEC) finish and a Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma.
Head coach Kevin Sumlin said the game will provide an opportunity for both the coaching staff and the team as a whole to discover its identity against a veteran Rice squad that has many pieces already on the board.
“We’ve got 31 newcomers on this roster, which means more than a third of our football team is brand new,” Sumlin said. “[Rice is] really just the opposite of our team. They have all the pieces in place. We’re still trying to find out who we are with some of these young guys in positions.”
On paper, Texas A&M boasts one of the more talented squads in the country, particularly with the spring and fall additions of junior college transfers and the 2013 recruiting class.
“We have a very talented group of young guys and we’re going to have more answers about our team after the game on Saturday night,” Sumlin said.
Despite the newcomers, senior running back Ben Malena said the chemistry among his teammates is at an all-time high, particularly within the ranks of the offensive unit.
“We had a huge head start from where we were last year,” Malena said. “The team chemistry on the offensive side of the ball is great. I think with what we have on offense this season, we’ll be very fun to watch.”
On the defensive side of the ball, leadership has been divided among multiple players within each unit, ranging from defensive line to linebacker to the secondary.
According to sophomore defensive end Julien Obioha – a veteran starter from last season – the defense has adapted well without one distinctive leader, breaking through offensive schemes as a unit rather than from a single perspective.
Over the past few weeks, Texas A&M and, in particular, starting quarterback Johnny Manziel, have received strong criticism and scrutiny in the wake of the alleged autograph scandal surround the defending Heisman Trophy winner.
Senior defensive back and vocal team-leader Toney Hurd Jr. said the never-ending attention has been not only accepted, but also welcomed by the team as a whole, who view it as positive awareness for the rising program.
“I feel like the team has embraced all the media,” Hurd said. “The positive issues bring more attention to our program. As for the major stuff, the coaches and all the right people are handling it in the right way. We love the attention and we love being No. 6 in preseason polls but we are fighting to be No. 1 in the country.”