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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Running back Jorvorskie Lane ripped a well-worn page from football's motivational playbook – and Mike Gundy's, too – on Tuesday and guaranteed a Texas A&M victory over Texas Tech this weekend.

When told that A&M hadn't won in Lubbock since 1993, Lane said, "We're going to win in 2007. That's a guarantee. I promise you."

And what would coach Dennis Franchione think about that?

"I'm a man. I can say what I want to say," said Lane, who is 20. Gundy, the coach at Oklahoma State, is 40, as he noted in his infamous Sept. 22 postgame rant.

Lane's confidence is admirable, but A&M's pass defense doesn't need any extra pressure. The Aggies already have their hands full trying to stop the Red Raiders offense. Tech is averaging 52.5 points per game. A&M's pass defense is ranked 75th nationally.

"I never actually flew F-16s in a dogfight in a war, but I'd imagine that's about what it feels like," defensive coordinator Gary Darnell said. "These guys, they're coming fast."

Tech's spread offense is all about creating mismatches. Receivers crisscross the field with abandon, and quarterback Graham Harrell finds dead spots in the zone coverage.

A&M is a zone team through and through. Linebacker Mark Dodge said defenders must keep receivers in front of them and prevent big plays.

AP

Jorvorskie Lane scored all three of Texas A&M's touchdowns last week in a 24-23 win against Oklahoma State.

"We really have to contain that deep stuff and let them catch the 2-yard hitch," Dodge said. "We have to make sure we break down and not miss any tackles."

Elder loves Tech atmosphere: Offensive lineman Kirk Elder said he loves the negative energy Tech fans create. He also likes "the tortillas, the batteries and the 100 DPS troopers."

All Elder would guarantee was that the Aggies would have "a great week of practice and preparation."

Nothing to say: For the third consecutive week, tight end Martellus Bennett opted to skip the weekly news conference. Unfortunately for the Aggies, Bennett has been quiet on the field recently, too.

Bennett caught only three passes in the last two games. He caught 17 passes in the first four.