Franchione says McGee's run lifted Aggies
Oklahoma football

By Scott Wright

Published: November 2, 2006

Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione often speaks of the spirit his team has played with this season. And he can pinpoint the exact moment when that spirit was born in his players.

A virtually harmless 10-yard run by redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen McGee — on a drive that didn't even produce points — is one of the primary reasons, Franchione says, that A&M is 8-1 and ranked No. 21 in the nation.

The play happened Nov. 12, 2005. Franchione's Aggies were in Norman playing Oklahoma. They were coming off two blowout losses and were on the verge of another one, trailing the Sooners 30-17. Starting senior quarterback Reggie McNeal had just left the game with an injury.

McGee had only been in the game for five snaps and his offense faced third-and-7 at its own 36-yard line.

"He scrambled out of the pocket, sprinted toward our sideline and he got leveled. Leveled," Franchione said.

"He went about 10 feet toward the brick wall. He jumps up and has a few choice comments, kind of gets in the face of the guy that hit him."

The man on the other side of the hit was OU cornerback D.J. Wolfe.

"(Wolfe) kind of thought he got the best of me and I thought I got the best of him," McGee said. "We got up and had some words about it."

The drive ended five plays later with a missed 43-yard field goal, but McGee's run shaped Texas A&M's future.

"Right there, things changed," Franchione said.

"That was just the beginning of the spirit that this team's played with. Our whole sideline erupted when he did that."

The Aggies lost 36-30 that day and fell to Texas, 40-29, a week later.

"I can look back to that play," Franchione said. "Something there took us into the offseason, something took us into the spring. That little spirit has taken us through October."

McGee, a sophomore from Burnet, Texas, has completed 64 percent of his passes this season for 1,753 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception. He has 454 rushing yards.

McGee, too, can trace his success back to that same play.

"It was a big first down for us and I can remember getting some confidence, kind of getting going," McGee said. "I think the guys gained some respect for me."