By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

2009: 6-7 overall, 3-5 in South Division, 5th.
Bowl game: Lost to Georgia, 44-20, in Independence Bowl.
Coach: Mike Sherman, 10-15, third season.
Returning starters: 7 offense, 9 defense.

Key players returning
Senior QB Jerrod Johnson, junior WR/QB Ryan Tannehill, junior RB Cyrus Gray, sophomore RB Christine Michael, junior WR Jeff Fuller, sophomore WR Uzoma Nwachukwu, senior DE Von Miller, junior S Trent Hunter, sophomore CB Dustin Harris, and junior CB Terrence Frederick, sophomore S Steven Terrell.

Impact newcomers
Freshman LB Domonique Patterson, freshman OT Luke Joeckel, freshman OT Jake Matthews, junior DL Ben Bass, junior DT Jonathan Mathis, freshman OL Shep Klinke, frehman OL Cedric Ogbuehi.

Offensive outlook
How good the offense is will depend on the development of the offensive line. The Aggies figure to have two freshmen - note, not redshirt freshmen but freshmen - starting at the tackle spots. Sherman specializes in coaching offensive linemen and he has his work cut out getting the rookies ready. If the line can block effectively, senior quarterback Jerrod Johnson could have a monstrous season. He can run and throw plus he has plenty of game-breaking weapons at his disposal.

Defensive outlook
Sherman hired Tim DeRuyter from Air Force to take over as the defensive coordinator. A&M was last in the Big 12 and 106th in the nation in total defense so the only way to go is up. DeRuyter's defense at Air Force finished 10th in the nation. The Aggies will shift to a 3-4 alignment which they hope will match up better with Big 12 offenses. Senior linebacker/defensive end Von Miller led the nation in sacks and he should again spend plenty of time in the other team's backfield. The secondary needs to make strides in pass coverage.

Player on the spot
Von Miller. After leading the nation in sacks as a junior, Miller passed on a chance to enter the NFL Draft and returned to College Station for his senior year. With the change to a 3-4 scheme plus the need for the defense to improve, Miller will be a focal point.

Player on the rise
Steven Terrell. The sophomore had an impressive spring and has continued to perform at that level in the preseason. He's like to replace Jordan Pugh at free safety. Pugh was a hard hitter. The 5-10, 188-pound Terrell has speed and hopefully that will translate into improved pass coverage in the secondary.

Number of note
A&M was 2-8 against Texas in the 2000s. That's the third-least successful decade for the Aggies in the history of the series. A&M was 0-9-1 against UT in the 1940s and 1-9 in the 1960s.

Quote to note
New defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter: People here really appreciate defense. The biggest challenge so far has been changing the mind-set. When a defense has been down a couple of years like we have, players can have low expectations or a 'woe is me' attitude. We're not allowing that. We expect to be a championship caliber defense here at Texas A&M. We're going to coach like it, we're going to demand it, and our kids will get there."

This and that
Last year the Aggies set a school record when 18 first-year freshman played. This season, Sherman thinks he has a "great" freshman class but he hopes that he can redshirt at least half of the 18-member class. … A&M was 0-7 in televised games last season. … Junior Ryan Tannehill, the team's backup quarterback, has led the team in receptions each of the last two seasons. In 2009, Tannehille had 46 catches for 609 yards and four touchdowns. … The Aggies have been using a "spread" punt formation that features three blockers lined up halfway between the punter and the line of scrimmage. … In addition to new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, the Aggies have two new assistant coaches who were collegiate award winners. Linebackers coach Dat Nguyen won the Lombardi award playing at A&M and wide receivers coach Troy Walters won the Biletnikoff Award when he played at Stanford.

Date book
The Aggies face a number of crucial games and stretches. This is a true risk/reward schedule. For instance, going into a home game with Big 12 South Division favorite Oklahoma, Texas A&M could be 7-1 … or 4-4 … or worse. There are that many pivotal games on the schedule. The first comes on Sept. 30, a Thursday night game at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys should have the kinks ironed out of their new offense and it could pose problems for the Aggies' defense. A&M follows that up with a nonconference game with Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium before Missouri visits. A&M closes with four difficult games - at home against Oklahoma on Nov. 6, at Baylor, at home against Nebraska and then at Texas on Nov. 25. If the Aggies improve on last year's 6-7 record, they will earn it.

2010 Schedule

Sept. 4	Stephen F. Austin
Sept. 11	Louisiana Tech
Sept. 18	Florida International
Sept. 30	at Oklahoma State
Oct. 9	Arkansas (Arlington, Texas)
Oct. 16	Missouri
Oct. 23	at Kansas
Oct. 30	Texas Tech
Nov. 6	Oklahoma
Nov. 13	at Baylor
Nov. 20	Nebraska
Nov. 25	at Texas

* - Big 12 Conference game.