Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Stephen McGee suffered a mild concussion against Texas Tech last Saturday, but Coach Dennis Franchione didn’t know about it until after the game.

McGee went 9-for-20 for 103 yards, his worst completion percentage of the season. He also threw his first interception of the season and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in five games.

“You know, I knew he was maybe a tad not sharp yet, but there was nothing that told me anything,” Franchione said. “He missed a signal, but I mean that happens now and then. Nobody really knew anything until he mentioned it after the game.”

The Aggies (4-1, 0-1 Big 12) play at Kansas University (3-2, 0-1) on Saturday.

McGee has been cleared to practice this week and said he feels fine. The only other concussion he recalls came in spring practice, when senior defensive tackle Red Bryant hit him from behind.

“I’ve been knocked around pretty good before,” McGee said. “It’s part of the game. Those types are going to happen. You’ve just got to get up and keep playing.”

McGee is A&M’s second-leading rusher, the product of the high number of option plays the Aggies have run. Franchione said he’s more concerned about McGee getting hit when he drops back to pass.

“I’ve seen him get hurt in practice, I’ve seen him get hurt in a lot of ways,” Franchione said. “You can’t sit and worry about those things.”

¢
Here’s the kicker: At least for now, senior Layne Neumann has secured the spot as the Aggies’ No. 1 place kicker.

Neumann booted two field goals, 30 and 32 yards, in Saturday’s 31-27 loss to Texas Tech. Franchione had been alternating duties between Neumann and freshman Matt Szymanski. Szymanski won the place-kicking job in the preseason, but missed three of four attempts in A&M’s first four games.

“Obviously, the first three or four games, field goals were an up-and-down experience a little bit,” Franchione said. “It was good that he went in and cashed them in and let that give him confidence down the road.”

¢
Home cooking: Franchione was born in Girard, Kansas, about 140 miles from Lawrence. He joked that he’s been getting “way too many” calls from old acquaintances, asking for tickets to Saturday’s game. He even heard from his high school coach, Ken Gentry.

“That’s kind of a special feeling when those kind of things happen,” Franchione said. “This is home for us now. But we have family and friends in the stadium and certainly want to play well and do well.”