August 17, 2002
Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Dustin Long completed 16-of-20 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown to lead the Aggies during a controlled scrimmage Saturday evening at Kyle Field.
Long, who is from Port Neches, Texas, split quarterback duties with sophomore Jason Carter of Caldwell, Texas, after A&M starting quarterback Mark Farris was held out due to a sore shoulder. True freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal was also sidelined with a sore shoulder.
“I thought Dustin Long had a good night,” A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. “I’m disappointed that Mark (Farris) and Reggie (McNeal) were out with sore arms. It was a burden on Dustin and Jason (Carter) to play nearly the whole time.”
The controlled scrimmage, in front of an estimated 2,500 fans, featured the number one offense against the second defense and vice-versa for the majority of the evening. The number one offense and defense faced one another for a limited number of plays mid-way through the scrimmage. Slocum also featured many of the underclassmen against each other during several series.
Several key players were held out of the drills.
“Thomas Carriger was held out after rolling a knee in practice,” Slocum said. “(Derek) Farmer is still sore and Bethel Johnson and Jamaar Taylor were also out.”
Long’s touchdown came when he found sophomore receiver Terrence Murphy of Tyler, Texas, on the left side. Murphy broke a few tackles and went 20 yards before diving into the endzone at the left pylon. Murphy ended the day with three receptions for 35 yards.
“I saw some good things,” Slocum said. “The most disappointing thing tonight was the injury to Billy Yates. He’s one of our most experienced offensive linemen. Overall, I thought the effort was good and this week we’ve seen some good improvement at quarterback.”
Yates, a senior from Corsicana, Texas, broke his left arm and Slocum said Yates will be out indefinitely.
Highlighting the scrimmage was a 70-yard touchdown run by junior running back Oschlor Fleming of Denton, Texas. Fleming took a handoff around the left side and sprinted down the sideline for the score. Fleming racked up 94 yards on six carries.
The leading receiver for the Aggies during the scrimmage was non-scholarship junior Tim Van Zant of Victoria, Texas. Van Zant grabbed four receptions for a game-high 43 yards.
“Van Zant is a good player,” Slocum said. “He will play for us this year. He’s in our receiver rotation and I think he’s a very capable player. He has great hands and pretty good speed.”
Sophomore receiver Terrence Thomas of Houston tallied three catches for 39 yards.
In addition to Fleming’s game high 94 rushing yards, senior Joe Weber scored a pair of touchdowns as he rushed for 35 yards on seven carries. Freshman Courtney Lewis tallied five carries for 34 yards.
Meanwhile, the Wrecking Crew defense put forth a stellar effort. Preseason All-America cornerback Sammy Davis recorded an interception of Carter, while defensive lineman Ty Warren made several stops in the backfield. Warren is on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.
The Aggies will practice once on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. All practices are open to the public and will be held at the grass practice facility. Fans should check for the specific practice schedule daily on AggieAthletics.com.
The No. 23-ranked Aggies kickoff the 2002 season on Saturday, August 31 against Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 p.m. at Kyle Field.
