So much for Texas A&M's storied football traditions, the Wrecking Crew defense, the anatomically correct "humping" method of yelling by A&M fans and the "Gig 'em, Aggie" rallying cry used by frog hunters and adapted by the Aggie faithful.

After getting trounced 41-21 by 20th-ranked Utah on Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium, A&M's stories revert back to the remember-when variety of seasons gone by, the Crew getting wrecked, and the Aggies getting gagged instead of doing the gigging.

"We didn't force any bad plays, and we didn't get any turnovers," said A&M coach Dennis Franchione, whose team starts 0-1 after a 4-8 season last year. "To beat a good team on the road you've got to do that and cash in on the opportunities."

Added the second-year Aggie coach, "Too many drops, too many miscues, and that didn't really let us get in control or get anything going."

For all intents and purposes, the game was gone by halftime for the Aggies, which a year ago led the Utes 21-0 at intermission in College Station, Texas, before holding on for a 28-26 victory. Thursday night, however, they found themselves on the short end of a 27-7 halftime margin.

After two quarters, the A&M offense had mustered only 133 yards — 83 on the ground and 50 more in the air on Reggie McNeal's 4-of-17 passing. Take away McNeal's 59-yard scoring gallop late in the second quarter and a 34-yard hook-up with wideout Terrence Murphy, and the Aggies managed a mere 40 yards on 33 plays.

Meanwhile, the defense was giving up 318 total-offense yards to Utah in the half — and 582 for the game, unable to contain the Utes' rushes to the outside, unable to contain a number of blasts up the middle and unable to keep up with the fleet U. receivers.

Franchione almost bit when asked if he was concerned about poor tackling by his Aggie defenders. "Probably," he said, "but before I get going, I want to watch the (game) tape."

In fact, the 20-point halftime deficit could have been worse. Several additional potential first-half scoring passes for Utah were either overthrown by Ute QB Alex Smith or mishandled by his receivers.

While Texas A&M returned 22 players with starting experience, Franchione also played about 20 redshirt freshmen Thursday. But the coach with 21 seasons tenure failed to blame the loss on youth and inexperience.

McNeal finished 14-of-35 passing for 210 yards and rushed for 84 yards and A&M's first two touchdowns — the 59-yarder in the second period and an 8-yarder early in the fourth. But his line failed to protect him regularly, and the junior QB spent much of the night scrambling away from Ute defenders.

Backup tailback Jason Carter added the Aggies' final touchdown — from 5 yards out — in the game's closing seconds.

Murphy caught eight passes for 116 yards, becoming the Aggies' all-time career receptions leader early in the game. The speedy senior has 124 to date. But after averaging 20 yards a touch as a receiver/returner last season, Murphy didn't field a kick or punt against Utah.

And sophomore back Courtney Lewis, who rushed for 100 yards against Utah last year and for 1,024 in 2003 as a whole, gained only 44 yards on 10 carries.

Texas A&M stays within the Mountain West Conference for the second week of the 2004, as the Aggies host Wyoming on Sept. 11 in College Station.

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E-mail: taylor@desnews.com