Manziel, Aggies rout struggling Tigers

Courtesy of CBS Sports.com

Johnny Manziel has five TDs (three on the ground and two in the air) as A&M
 scores the most points on Auburn since 1917. (US Presswire)

AUBURN, Ala. -- Ryan Swope thinks Johnny Manziel is improving every week. The leader of Texas A&M's high-powered offense was so effective against Auburn he got to rest for much of the night.
Manziel ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more -- all in a little more than a half -- and the No. 22 Aggies beat the struggling Tigers 63-21 on Saturday.
"He's just one of those guys who can go out and perform at a high level," said Swope, who caught touchdown passes of 16 and 19 yards from Manziel in the first quarter as Texas A&M built a big early lead.


On eight possessions led by Manziel, Texas A&M (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) scored seven touchdowns. The only non-scoring drive run by the phenom nicknamed "Johnny Football" ended with a missed 48-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet on the final play of the first half."He's getting better and better," Swope said of the freshman. "His leadership really stood out tonight."
Manziel was in the game for only one series in the third quarter and watched the rest of the rout from the sideline. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns and had nine carries for 90 yards and three scores.
"We got some guys off the field because we have a really serious stretch of games coming up," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said.
The Aggies' stretch of three straight SEC road games continues with visits to No. 13 Mississippi State and No. 1 Alabama the next two weeks.
The lopsided win over Auburn was the perfect warmup game for Texas A&M, especially coming off a 24-19 loss to LSU last week.
The Aggies gained 671 total yards, the most ever allowed by Auburn, in their first game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Texas A&M, in its first season in the SEC, led 42-7 at halftime and 49-7 after Manziel's final possession.
Auburn (1-7, 0-6), which has lost five straight, is off to its worst start since going 1-7 in 1952.
The ugly loss came two days after Auburn President Jay Gogue addressed the football program in a message to fans. He said concerns expressed by fans "are sincere and heartfelt, and I share many of them."
Gogue didn't mention coach Gene Chizik but said the program "will be evaluated in an objective, thorough and professional process."
Asked after the loss about his status, Chizik said: "I'm not going there."
"I've got one concern and that concern is those guys in the locker room and trying to get them a win," he said. "It's not about me."
Manziel made an impressive recovery after throwing three interceptions in the loss to LSU. He had scoring runs of 6, 2 and 20 yards and finished with 350 total yards.
"I don't get surprised," Aggies defensive end Damontre Moore said when asked about Manziel.
"You kind of say `What is he going to do this week?' He always does something amazing."
Moore had one of the Aggies' five sacks.
Led by Manziel, Texas A&M ran for 352 yards and passed for 319.
Chizik said his defense wasn't able to do anything.
"I didn't think we could tackle, I didn't think we could cover and I didn't think we could rush the quarterback," Chizik said. "I don't think you can pin that on one group."
Chizik, looking for a spark for an offense that ranked among the bottom three in the nation in total yards and points per game, tried three quarterbacks.
Jonathan Wallace, a freshman, provided much-needed hope for the Tigers by completing 6 of 9 passes for 122 yards. He connected with Emory Blake and C.J. Uzomah for 27-yard TDs.
Wallace played behind starter Clint Moseley, who was pulled after only one series, and Kiehl Frazier, who was 6 for 11 for 89 yards.
Asked if Wallace might start against New Mexico State next week, Chizik said: "Well, we're certainly going to look."
Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel played behind Manziel. Showers led a scoring drive, capped by Trey Williams' 1-yard touchdown run, on his first possession.
Auburn's defense finally made a stop with Joeckel at quarterback, forcing Texas A&M's first punt. It drew sarcastic cheers from the fans with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Williams had 19 carries for 109 yards. Christine Michael had nine carries for 75 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Ben Malena had seven carries for 63 yards, including a 7-yard TD.
Tre Mason ran for 80 yards with a touchdown for Auburn.
The announced attendance was 85,119, but less than half of that crowd was still around midway through the third quarter.
"I really wasn't focused on that, but if they emptied out at halftime, it's obvious why and I can't blame them from what they saw," Chizik said. "It was just a very poor performance."

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

 

LSU holds off Manziel, Texas A&M

Courtesy of Fox Sports

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS (AP)

Say hello to the LSU defense, Johnny Manziel.

Jeremy Hill rushed for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown, and the sixth-ranked Tigers controlled Texas A&M's dual-threat quarterback to rally from an early deficit and beat the 20th-ranked Aggies 24-19 at Kyle Field on Saturday.

Michael Ford had a touchdown run and Zach Mettenberger threw a TD pass to Kadron Boone for the Tigers (7-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference), who scored 21 points off Texas A&M turnovers.

A&M (5-2, 2-2) outplayed the Tigers for much of the first half and led 12-0, LSU's largest deficit since the national championship game against Alabama in January. LSU converted two A&M miscues into touchdowns just before halftime, and Boone's diving catch in the end zone with 11 seconds left put the Tigers up 14-12 at the break.

Manziel, the SEC's leader in total offense, completed 29 of 56 passes for 276 yards and also threw three interceptions. He was also the league's leading rusher coming into the game and was held to 27 yards on 17 carries.

''Defense just had to get their feet set and understand what was going on,'' LSU coach Les Miles said, ''get the comfort of the scheme and the habit of throw and how to chase that quarterback. He's a gutsy, tough guy.''

The Tigers' offense ranks eighth in the SEC and struggled to produce points in two of three previous conference games. The defense forced three turnovers and notched a safety in a 12-10 win over Auburn last month, and stepped up again with the offense sputtering on Saturday.

''They've made life difficult on everybody they've played,'' Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said.

A&M started strong, taking a 6-0 lead on Christine Michael's short touchdown run. LSU hadn't given up a first-quarter score in four games.

LSU went three-and-out on its initial series, and the defense looked a step slow again when A&M got the ball back. Manziel got plenty of protection from the Aggies' offensive line and threaded a 21-yard pass to Mike Evans for a first down at the LSU 34. Taylor Bertolet kicked a 32-yard field goal to put A&M up 9-0.

LSU's defense generated better pressure on Manziel as the half wore on. The Tigers, meanwhile, sputtered for most of the half against the same Aggies' defense that gave up 615 yards in last week's 59-57 win at Louisiana Tech.

LSU got the kick-start it needed when freshman cornerback Jalen Collins intercepted Manziel at the LSU 39. Ford gained 13 yards on a fourth-and-1, then raced 20 yards down the sideline for the Tigers' first touchdown with 1:49 left before halftime.

''The defense always sets us up,'' Hill said. ''Every game they find a way to keep us in the game.''

Ben Malena fumbled at the A&M 41 with just over a minute left in the half. The Aggies looked as if they might escape, but Boone's spectacular, over-the-shoulder catch took away their momentum.

''There's really no reason to panic when you get down,'' Mettenberger said. ''You just have to keep grinding away, keep focusing and keep believing. We did that and right before the half we got two quick possessions and two quick touchdowns.''

Mettenberger went 5-for-16 and the Tigers mustered only 147 yards in the first half. The Aggies amassed 256 yards in the first half - 45 more yards than LSU allowed in a 23-21 win over South Carolina last week.

LSU started a drive early in the fourth quarter with eight straight running plays, gaining at least five yards on seven of them. Hill ran 18 yards up the middle to the A&M 9 before Jarvis Landry lost yardage on a pass by Mettenberger toward the sideline, and Drew Alleman's 28-yard field goal put LSU up 17-12 with 8:35 remaining.

Trey Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the LSU 16. Linebacker Kevin Minter nearly sacked Manziel on second down and Manziel's throw to Uzoma Nwachukwu fell incomplete on third down. Bertolet shanked a 33-yard attempt and LSU regained possession with 7:28 left.

''We needed to get out of there with something,'' Sumlin said.

LSU junior cornerback Tharold Simon put it away when he intercepted Manziel's pass and returned it to the A&M 46.

''Early, we were reacting to balls thrown, and later we were reacting to intent of the quarterback,'' Miles said. ''We were just making better plays and there were some adjustments made by our defensive staff in terms of calls and change of personnel.''

Hill then burst up the middle and sprinted to the end zone, going over 100 yards for the second straight week. He rushed for a career-high 124 yards against South Carolina last week. LSU is 31-2 under Miles when it has a 100-yard rusher.

Malena finished a quick A&M drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:17 left. But Odell Beckham, Jr. cleanly fielded the onside kick, and the Tigers held on.

The announced attendance was 87,429, the fifth largest crowd in Kyle Field history. The Tigers and Aggies were meeting for the 51st time - they played from 1960-75 and from 1986-95 before the series was discontinued. LSU beat Texas A&M 41-24 in the Cotton Bowl after the 2010 season.

Legend of Johnny Football growing amid Manziel's record-setting start

Courtesy of SI.com

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

In the center of the Texas A&M locker room, during the wretched, sun-roasted throes of training camp, white medical tape on the carpet created a grid that might as well have been a gladiatorial pit. Four men entered, one man left. For some, the action was a time-killer between meetings. For Johnny Football, it was a time to become Johnny Four Square.

As legend has it, the ball hit Johnny's square and bounced away. Johnny did the natural thing: He dove for it. His body twisted, sort of opposite the ball's trajectory, to avoid a collision with someone else. He stretched out a hand to return the shot. Johnny Manziel, known in these parts as Johnny Football, played on.

"It was another one of those moments that you're like, 'Wow, really dude?'" Texas A&M receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu said. "It's Four Square, man. You don't have to be diving and jumping and all that type of stuff."

Of course Manziel had to be diving and jumping and all that stuff. The free-wheel chromosome is embedded in him, creating a kinetic, record-setting redshirt freshman starting quarterback for the nation's sixth-ranked offense. That attack offers the only hope of prying apart an LSU defense that will arrive at Texas A&M Saturday like a thunderclap.

Into the maw runs Johnny Football, second in the nation with nearly 400 total yards of offense per outing, one week removed from a school- and SEC-record 576-yard day, orchestrating precision dissections or fire-drill anarchy from snap to hair-raising snap. A yell leader, indeed.

"Anybody would be lying to say you'd think a guy would be throwing up 500 yards in a game this early in his career," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "Was he capable of that? Yeah. Did we expect it to be where it is right now? I don't know. You see things in a game that surprise some people, but we see it in practice a lot. Because of that, it's a surprise, but not as big a surprise as some people think."

Sumlin's lung-bursting offense has churned out 543.7 yards and 47 points per game in Year 1. But at the outset of spring practice, it was "mass chaos," said Nwachukwu, with gassed linemen and clueless receivers and a three-man quarterback race.

Linemen improved conditioning for 50-play practice periods by pushing sleds for 40 yards, resting, then doing it again. Receivers honed routes with daily walkthroughs. All that remained was to drop a brick on the gas pedal. "Johnny, of course, has been playing lights-out," tackle Luke Joeckel said. "He's been doing everything he can for us."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound, all-of-the-above-talented Manziel has been doing everything for some time. He is, perhaps by his own account, a rec basketball marvel capable of 360-degree dunks. At Tivy (Kerrville, Texas) High School, he was a five-tool shortstop who, in his senior season, moonlighted with the golf team and helped boost Tivy to regionals.

Also, he played football. Eventually he became a Parade All-American; instantly he was a centrifugal shockwave. As a sophomore, Manziel took a quarterback draw 90 yards for a touchdown. A holding penalty negated it. The next snap, Manziel took another quarterback draw another 90-plus yards for another score.

"I think he was mad because they called it back the first time," said Mark Smith, who was then Tivy's coach, "so he wanted to say, well, here, I'll do it again."

But the legend of Johnny Football began sometime later, on a Sunday in the Tivy High locker room. Smith and his staff were dissecting film when Manziel walked in after a visit to Texas A&M. It was not standard for any player to show up on a Sunday. Manziel stood silent, just to Smith's right.

"Johnny, do we need to talk?" Smith asked, finally.

"Can we?" Manziel replied.

They repaired to Smith's office where Manziel, then an Oregon commitment, discussed how he fell for the Aggies. His family could see him play without traveling thousands of miles. The next morning, Smith dialed up Ducks coach Chip Kelly and handed the receiver to Manziel, who delivered the news. By January, Manziel was in College Station.

By the end of the year, he was Johnny Football.

As a scout team quarterback, Manziel's primary task was throwing the ball where the defensive coordinator wanted the ball thrown. But at the snap Manziel was off, running the length of the field twice, heaving off his back foot, nothing near a simple look to the post route. Word of these exploits trickled out. Johnny Football was born.

"Just out there trying to carve them up every single day, any way he can," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said.

Kingsbury didn't coach Manziel in 2011. But he invoked Johnny Football repeatedly during spring ball, when Manziel recklessly tried to win the job with every pass, to score on every scramble. The nearest offensive coach would see another Manziel mad dash while one-hand palming the ball and shout: Put. The ball. Away.

Sumlin's version was more direct: Don't do that anymore, or you will not play.

In camp, Manziel didn't do that, whatever that was, and he won the job. "After the spring, we talked about, hey, you don't have to make the home run every play," Kingsbury said. "Make the routine play and when the spectacular plays are there, let them come to you. In camp, he was much better at that. Luckily it's carrying over to games."

At this point his poorest decision in memory is a June arrest after an altercation that resulted in misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, failure to identify and possessing false identification. Smith, his former coach, called Manziel the next day.

"I screwed up," Manziel told him.

"I talked to him that day," said Sumlin, who added that some of Manziel's discipline remains ongoing. "There was no pointing the finger or anything like that. He pointed it right at himself."

That is where defenses and teammates now point, if they can find him. Joeckel will lock up with a pass-rusher who sprints left, then hustles right moments later. At which point the Aggies tackle thinks: Man, what is Johnny doing back there?

No one can predict Manziel. Nwachukwu calls this "the secret of it." Some routes in the offense are designed to clear out defenders. But Johnny Football doesn't do design. Hence the running joke in the tight ends meeting room: You better run like you're getting it, because with this guy, you just might.

"It's funny," tight ends coach Brian Polian said. "You watch a play in practice or a game and the kid is running around making something happen, and they're going, 'Johnny Football. Keep your eyes up. Keep running. You never know.'"

Per Sumlin's policies, Manziel hasn't spoken publicly yet -- that comes "sooner than later," the Aggies coach said -- but his time is now. Manziel recognizes it. After agonizing over missed throws in a near-upset of Florida on Sept. 8, he devoted more time to film study. Not one defense, Sumlin claimed, has done to Texas A&M what Texas A&M saw on film. Still Manziel has thrown for 1,680 yards and run for another 676, accounting for 24 touchdowns.

That production has stoked Heisman Trophy murmurs. And then there's the play Johnny Football made that no one can forget.

The Aggies were at Louisiana Tech's goal line, attempting to score last Saturday when the ball came loose. Not everyone heard officials blow the play dead. A Louisiana Tech player scooped up the fumble and began to return it, so Manziel worked off a blocker, tracked the defender down and stripped the ball. When it bounced to another Louisiana Tech player, Manziel tackled him, too.

Texas A&M's offensive line had heard the whistle and didn't move. After a mind-numbing 59-57 win, they razzed Manziel: What were you doing?

Replied Johnny Football: I was just trying to make a play.

"He's one of those talents that has the ability to do those type of things and 'wow' you," Nwachukwu said. "You can't close your eyes any time when you're watching him."

Brian Hamilton is a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. You can follow him at @ChiTribHamilton.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/brian_hamilton/10/19/johnny-manziel-texas-am/index.html#ixzz29nSNUodY

Football Schedule for 2013 Released

Courtesy of Gigem247

2013 Texas A&M Football Schedule

Saturday Aug. 31 Rice
Saturday Sept. 7 Sam Houston
Saturday Sept. 14 Alabama*
Saturday Sept. 21 SMU
Saturday Sept. 28 at Arkansas*
Open Date
Saturday Oct. 12 at Ole Miss*
Saturday Oct. 19 Auburn*
Saturday Oct. 26 Vanderbilt*
Open Date
Saturday Nov. 9 Mississippi State*
Saturday Nov. 16 New Mexico
Saturday Nov. 23 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La.
Saturday Nov. 30 at Missouri* Columbia, Mo.

The schedule gives the Aggies a total of four conference home games including games aginst Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State in the SEC, and road games of Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU and Missouri.

A&M will face Missouri and Vanderbilt from the SEC East, and will travel to Ole Miss for a second season in a row.

Texas A&M's Campbell leaves team after concussion

Texas A&M's Steven Campbell has left the team

 because of lingering concussion problems.

Courtesy of SI.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Texas A&M defensive back Steven Campbell has left the team because of lingering problems from a concussion earlier this season.

Campbell sustained a concussion several weeks ago and hasn't played since. Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said Tuesday he met with Campbell, who "doesn't feel like himself" and has decided to leave the team. The senior will remain in school.

Campbell had nine tackles in two games this season and had 82 tackles, a sack and an interception in his career.

No. 20 Texas A&M hosts sixth-ranked LSU on Saturday.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/10/16/texas-am-steven-campbell.ap/index.html#ixzz29VwoYdfK

Johnny Football does it again as Texas A&M ends Louisiana Tech's BCS hopes

By Bryan Fischer | Blogger

Courtesy of CBS Sports

Johnny "Football" Manziel was terrific once again for Texas A&M as they held off Louisiana Tech. (US Presswire)

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Johnny Football would not be a budding legend among the Aggie faithful if it didn't make things interesting. And trying. And nervewracking.

And, no doubt, fun.

Racing out to a 27 point lead midway through the 2nd quarter against Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M did Texas A&M things and blew a big lead. The difference from this year's team and last however -- besides those SEC patches -- lies behind the No. 2 of Johnny Manziel. The redshirt freshman quarterback dazzled, danced and delivered a 59-57 win while breaking his own SEC record for total yardage in a crazy shootout at Independence Stadium.

Tech inched back into the game with back-to-back touchdowns to cut the lead to 46-38 in the 4th quarter. Penalties, a common theme on the night, backed the A&M offense deep into their own territory where Manziel felt pressure and tossed a pick-six to Shakeil Lucas while trying to avoid a safety and suddenly the lead was down to two.

Instead of folding, like they may have before, the Aggies stayed resilient and marched 10 plays in an 82-yard scoring drive that saw Manziel stay in the pocket and fire a strike just as receiver Thomas Johnson came out of his break. The defense forced the Bulldogs to punt and Ryan Allen booted a 71-yarder to back A&M up to their 1-yard line while clinging to the lead.

No problem for Johnny Football.

Manziel dropped back to within feet of the back line and threw a strike to Mike Evans to get the Aggies out of their own end zone. Six plays later the quarterback took off for the end zone, picking up 72 yards of his eventual 576 yards.

Louisiana Tech came into Saturday night's make up game against Texas A&M primed to be a BCS buster. They left busted, bruised and beaten by an SEC squad but not broken as they made it close late, pulling to within two after Colby Cameron hit Ray Holley over the middle for touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game. It wasn't enough as the two-point conversion sailed out of bounds on a fade but it gave both teams reason to smile after a hectic final few minutes.

"We're doing what it takes to win games and not lose games," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "We did a lot of things that really can't be explained at the end of the game."

It was the Bulldogs first regular season defeat in over a calendar year and in the process, made a suddenly surgingAggies team, winners of five straight, look like upset-minded threats in their first year in a new league by beating an explosive ranked team away from home. A&M scored on all seven of their 1st half drives and averaged 7.9 yards per play on a night full of fun for both sides.

"As many positives as there were in that situation, there were just as many negatives," Sumlin added. "You can't have a game with that many yards and that many points without a lot of big plays in all phases."

Last week, when turnovers nearly cost Texas A&M a road win at Ole Miss, Manziel and company still rolled up 481 yards. It's not a stretch to label the young playmaking quarterback one of the top offensive threats in the SEC this season and, while the defenses he's faced so far are not close to the caliber of LSU (whom they'll play next week) orAlabama, there's enough talent on the Aggies to give teams fits no matter who it is with a strong offensive line, speedsters on the outside and a running game with options like Christine Michael, Ben Malena and freshman Trey Williams.

At SEC Media Days before the season, the common refrain was that A&M would struggle to adapt to new coach Kevin Sumlin's offense and break in a new quarterback. As the Aggies reach the halfway point of the season, that script has been flipped thanks in large part to Manziel's play, who became the first player in league history to record two games of over 500 yards of total offense. That takes pressure off a defense which has looked shaky so far in 2012 and were a good reason why there were 116 combined points.

For Louisiana Tech, their BCS hopes likely died just as soon as Hurricane Isaac's winds started lashing the Gulf Coast in early September. That forced the season opener between the two teams to be moved back several weeks. Coming off a conference title and one of the best seasons in school history, hopes were high of pulling off an upset of A&M as they got their legs underneath them with a new coaching staff on the road. Five games under their belt however, there wasn't much coach Sonny Dykes could do but watch as A&M raced out to a big lead and never looked back.

The Bulldogs made it more competitive after halftime but it was all too little, too late. Quarterback Colby Cameronfinished 44 of 58 for 450 yards and five touchdowns despite blustery conditions at Independence Stadium. Between him, freshman tailback Kenneth Dixon (111 yards, two scores) and receiver Quinton Patton (21 catches, four touchdowns, 233 yards), Tech will likely remain the favorite in the WAC and the 2nd half film will do nothing to stop Dykes' name from being floated for bigger jobs in the offseason.

Now the BCS buster hopes fall upon the shoulders of an undefeated Ohio or, more likely, Boise State. The Bobcatssurvived a 14 point rally in the 4th quarter against Akron to move to 7-0 and only the craziness of the MAC preventing an undefeated season. Even if they were to remain unblemished when the calendar turns to December, a tricky conference championship game awaits at Ford Field. A win at Penn State in the season opener is looking better by the week but it will likely be the only notable line on Ohio's resume at the end of the season, possibly dooming them to wind up like Tulane in 1998 -- undefeated and playing before New Year's.

The Broncos, no stranger to taking up the cause of the little guy, remain the best the hope at the non-AQ conferences getting a bigger share of the BCS money this season. They would need to win the Mountain West in their final year in the league and finish in the top 12 or be in the top 16 and ranked ahead of an AQ champion -- possible given the weakness of the Big Ten or ACC champion. Boise State's schedule is manageable the rest of the way as their opponents are a combined 14-25 on the season and only a road trip to always pesky Nevada at the end of the year looming.

With the Bulldogs busted, it may now be up to the Broncos.

Texas A&M doesn't have to worry about such things as they enjoy life with SEC patches on their uniforms. Their concerns will turn to the huge number of penalties committed (19 for 165 yards) and a lack of urgency in the 2nd half. Little mistakes may not cost them in an out of conference game but things can change quickly from week-to-week in the SEC.

But they have Johnny Football and for some games, that may be just enough.

"Just knowing he can always bust a game open at any time, it's always awesome," A&M offensive lineman Patrick Lewis said.

For Aggies' Toney Hurd, film doesn't lie

By Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- When Texas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd stepped in front of a Bo Wallace pass last Saturday and slid safely to the turf to secure one of the Aggies' most thrilling wins in recent memory, teammate Steven Terrell wasn't surprised.

The senior safety has seen Hurd do his due diligence when it comes to film study. It's paying dividends, with Hurd's game-clinching interception being the latest piece of evidence as the Aggies pulled out a 30-27 come-from-behind victory at Ole Miss last week.

[

Ray Carlin/Icon SMITexas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. is third on the team in tackles with 31.

"He's been really studying the game," Terrell said. "He really watches a lot of film ... so it's almost like he's out there cheating. He knows exactly when teams are going to stuff and things like that. He's done a great job of triggering and letting go and throwing his body around and things like that. He's been making plays for us since the spring, so it doesn't surprise me that he came up with that game-winning interception."

Hurd, a junior from Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, said he looks at each game like an exam. Taking that approach when looking at video helps him prepare.

"Honestly, I feel like it's like studying for a test," Hurd said. "If they're going to give you the answers, you might as well study them and figure them out while you can. It gets you ahead and it gives you an edge going into the game."

Going back to his Marshall days, Hurd has been a student of the game. He attributes his improvement in that department to former Aggies cornerback Terrence Frederick, another Houston-area product, who was Hurd's teammate for the last two years.

"Honestly, T-Fred taught me how to watch film," Hurd said. "I kind of look at it from a receiver's point of view. What are they thinking? When they see me in front of them, inside or outside leverage, what are they thinking? Then from there, I make my game plan of what I want to do and how I'm going to try to trick them, because all they're trying to do is line up and trick us. So I try to figure out, according to the formation and where the back is aligned and where they're at on the field, what I can do to get an edge."

His size (5-foot-9) is a reason Hurd looks for that extra edge. That's another approach that goes back to his high school days.

"Personally, I felt like I had to watch film because I'm not the biggest guy in the world," he said. "So that kind of gave me a mental edge and it helped me basically become a better athlete."

His great understanding of the game as a result of his intense studying has helped him become a versatile option on the field for the Aggies this season. He has been among the most versatile players on the roster, playing nickel cornerback, safety, and on special teams. That flexibility has come in handy for defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who has been able to move pieces around based on matchups or injuries.

"He's a football head, he loves football, he loves to compete," Snyder said. "He's a good football player. Football makes sense to him."

He has played in all five games but with only two starts. Even so, Hurd has seen the field plenty and is third on the team in tackles (31) and tied for third in tackles for loss (three). And his versatility has even helped the Aggies deceive opponents.

"I think our defense has done a nice job with interchangeable parts, moving guys around," coach Kevin Sumlin said. "Deshazor [Everett] has been moving around [and] the ability to have Toney play some nickel, play some safety [has helped]. ... Because of that, I think it's been very hard for people to get a bead on where we are and who's playing and what kind of coverages we're in. But Toney is smart and he's a good tackler. He makes plays on special teams, he makes plays in space and he's another high effort, high energy guy that I'm glad he's here."

Hurd is also a good student off the field: the general studies major was a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection last season. He said after Saturday's win that he felt he didn't play a good game and Snyder acknowledged on Tuesday that Hurd struggled a bit throughout the night. But with 1:09 left, he bounced back -- in a big way -- with a play that he, nor his fellow Aggies, will soon forget.

"Oh my God, after the game it still felt like a dream," Hurd said. "It took me awhile to sit down and realize that it was real. When I dove on the ground and my teammates bum-rushed me, J-Stew [linebacker Jonathan Stewart] hit me like Ray Lewis and knocked the air out of me, but it felt great for the team."

No. 22 Texas A&M learning to finish games

Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) - Texas A&M may have finally figured out how to close a game.
The Aggies went 7-6 last season, blowing many a lead along the way. The led Florida in this year's season opener and lost 20-17, raising fears that their problem had returned. Last weekend, the 22nd-ranked Aggies finally finished a close game, rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter for a 30-27 win over Ole Miss.
It's a victory that's given this team confidence heading into Saturday's game against undefeated Louisiana Tech.
Coach Kevin Sumlin believes his team's last victory was even more impressive considering the Aggies overcame a season-high six turnovers to get it. It was the first time since 1995 the Aggies had won a game where they had six turnovers.
"There are all kinds of situations that presented themselves in that game that told you we should lose, whether it was six turnovers, not being able to get off the field on third down, driving 99 yards or being down by 10 with eight minutes left to go,'' he said. "Our guys had to deal with that and then win the football game. It really creates confidence in each other. Until you are in that situation, the growth of your team doesn't happen.''
When freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel connected with Ryan Swope on the game-winning touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining last week, it helped the Aggies move past the memories of a 2011 season where five of their six losses were by a touchdown or less.
"It's an overwhelming experience,'' junior defensive end Damontre Moore said of the win. "It means a lot to help us build confidence in ourselves and realize that we're not the same team that we were last year. It was such a trending habit for us last year, it's good to see us break it.''
Along with the overall growth of the team, the Aggies saw Manziel continue his development last week. Manziel didn't have a turnover entering the game, but fumbled and threw a pair of interceptions against the Rebels before regrouping to lead A&M to the win.
"He's got a short memory and you have to have that,'' offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. "As you can see, he went back and played great when he had to. He was just being young ... he's hard on himself but he gets over it quickly. He knew he would make mistakes and he wanted to go out there and win it for his teammates. He never blinked.''
After Manziel put the Aggies on top last Saturday, the defense secured the win with an interception by Toney Hurd, Jr. The play was another example of a change in Texas A&M's play this season. A year ago, the Aggies had just seven interceptions all season. Texas A&M already has six in its first five games this season.
"We were in the position a lot last year and we just couldn't finish it,'' defensive back Steven Terrell, who has two of A&M's interceptions. "Every defense has to work on getting interceptions in practice. It's just been coming to us this year. We've been working really hard on it and focusing on it ... it's the little things like that in the game of football. You change the little things and it can make a big impact.''
Closing out the game at Ole Miss was probably more important because the Aggies upcoming schedule where they play four of their next five on the road, including trips to Auburn and top-ranked Alabama.
"It gives the team confidence that they do have enough talent and that they have the players on the team so they can win any time, no matter the situation,'' Sumlin said.

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Johnny Manziel leads Texas A&M to dramatic comeback win over Ole Miss

Swope: 'I walked off with tears in my eyes'

 Rogelio V. Solis/AP

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) tries to fend off Mississippi defensive end Cameron Whigham (55) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) 

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Associated Press

Published: 05 October 2012 01:22 AM

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Johnny Manziel's final pass of Texas A&M's stunning comeback was perfect, an expertly lofted ball on a fade route that fell right into Ryan Swope's hands in the corner of the end zone.

At one point, it looked like the precocious freshman had run out of magic.

Turns out he was just getting warmed up.

Shaking off more than three quarters of mistake-riddled football, Manziel rushed for a 29-yard touchdown and then threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Swope in the fourth quarter as Texas A&M rallied for a 30-27 victory over Mississippi on Saturday night.

"That's the most emotional game I've ever played in," Swope said. "I walked off with tears in my eyes. But the guys were hungry and we never gave up."

Manziel accounted for 320 yards of total offense — 191 passing and 129 rushing. The Aggies (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) won despite a season-high six turnovers, including four fumbles and two interceptions.

"A year ago this team couldn't seem to close these games out," first-year Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "But for us to go on the road in the SEC and to win is something we'll take a lot of confidence from."

Ole Miss (3-3, 0-2) made a final drive but Texas A&M's Toney Hurd, Jr., intercepted a Bo Wallace pass and the Aggies were able to run out the clock.

It was a gut-wrenching loss for the Rebels, who lost their 16th straight conference game dating back to 2010.

Jeff Scott rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown. Wallace completed 20 of 34 passes for 305 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for a touchdown.

Ole Miss had a 27-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter and Texas A&M pinned on its own 1-yard line with less than eight minutes remaining.

But Manziel connected on a 32-yard, third-down pass to Mike Evans to give the Aggies some breathing room. Then in just two plays, Texas A&M drove the rest of the field for a quick touchdown. Ben Malena gashed the Rebels' defense for 36 yards before Manziel rushed for a 29-yard score — dancing past several would-be tacklers — to make it 27-23.

On the ensuing drive, first-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze made a questionable decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 in his own territory.

It turned out to be a disastrous call. Scott was stuffed at the Ole Miss 39.

"We haven't won an SEC game in however long it's been, but I was just going for it," Freeze said. "Everybody can sit back and second-guess, but I was giving our kids what I thought was the best chance to win the game. Obviously I wish I would have called something different now, but we would go for it again."

Texas A&M needed just four plays after the crucial stop for Manziel to find Swope for the game-winning score.

"Johnny just checked into the corner route," Swope said. "That ball was up there for a while. But it's a play I had to make, and it's great."

Manziel completed 17 of 26 passes. Evans caught eight passes for 105 yards.

Manziel — the 6-foot-1, 200-pound redshirt freshman with a penchant for highlight-reel plays — was coming off a breakout game against Arkansas that included 557 total yards and four touchdowns.

He looked much more mortal against the Rebels — at least for a while. There were a couple of huge plays, like his 38-yard scramble in the third quarter to push the Aggies deep into Ole Miss territory. But his risk-taking had a downside, too, like four plays later when he lost a fumble on the Ole Miss 21 to stop an almost certain scoring drive.

Manziel made another crucial mistake early in the fourth quarter, deftly avoiding the Ole Miss rush before making a bad pass over the middle that was intercepted by Cody Prewitt.

But if Manziel was frustrated, he didn't show it. And then he led the Aggies to their second victory in their new conference.

"You have to believe and you have to keep playing. Period," Sumlin said. "This game was proof of that."

Texas A&M struck first on the opening drive after Malena burst through a huge hole and ran untouched 59 yards for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.

But the Ole Miss defense tightened considerably after that hiccup, while the offense improved as the first half progressed.

The Rebels took a 17-10 lead on a 14-yard run by Wallace — one play after he hit Randall Mackey on a 68-yard pass.

Then the Aggies fumbled on their own 35 — their third turnover of the half — and the Rebels had a chance to create some separation on the scoreboard.

But Ole Miss couldn't take advantage. Wallace was hit as he threw and the ball fell right to Texas A&M linebacker Steven Jenkins, who ran for the easy 37-yard touchdown that tied the game at 17 going into halftime.

It was one of a handful of plays the Rebels would like to have back.

"I know they're hurting and we all won't sleep tonight," Freeze said. "I know it's disappointing. You pour your heart and soul into this. ... You'll stay up all night and think of everything that you could have done different to affect the outcome, but tomorrow we'll come back and we'll get past it and move on.
"

Texas A&M Football: 5 Keys to the Game vs. Ole Miss

By Michael Taglienti (Featured Columnist) on October 5, 2012 

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Texas A&M Football team will play the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday in Oxford, MS. With both teams running a spread passing offense, this should be a high scoring contest and there are specific steps the Aggies will have to take to win the game.
Both teams need this win in order to qualify for a bowl game. The Ags are 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference. The are coming off a 58-10 win over Arkansas.
Ole Miss is 3-2 overall and 0-1 in conference. The Rebels dropped a 33-14 contest to Alabama.
This is a look at five keys to the game for the Aggies to beat Ole Miss.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Limit Turnovers

It is cliche, but the key to winning the game against Ole Miss will be winning the turnover battle. The Aggies have only committed one turnover through four games and that was with the backups in the game.
That means that A&M has been good at protecting the football but also that they are due. Johnny Manziel takes chances with the ball sometimes and eventually his luck is going to run out. He needs to protect the ball against the Rebels.
Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace will put the ball up for grabs at times, especially if he is pressured. The Ags will need to put pressure on him and force him into mistakes.
 

Photo by zimbio.com

Solid, Fundamental Tackling

The key to stopping a spread passing game is to have good one-on-one tackling. If the Aggies can tackle in space on Saturday, then they will be able to get their defense off the field.
The A&M defense struggled to tackle against Arkansas. Too many arm tackles allowed the Razorbacks to extend drives and keep the Aggie offense off the field.The Ags must tackle well on defense and get the Rebels off schedule on offense.

 

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Get Up Early

Ole Miss is not like Arkansas in that the players are not looking for a reason to give up. However, the Rebels have not won a conference game since 2010 so there is doubt in the players' minds.
If the Aggies are able to get up by two scores early, then the Ole Miss players will start to believe that it is the same song, different verse. With their spread offense, Ole Miss is going to continue to throw the ball late in the game so they are going to continue to be a threat to score.
Even their head coach Hugh Freeze is not confident they will win games. The Aggies need to score early to take the fans out of the game, and remove the thoughts of winning from the players' minds.

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Control Donte Moncrief

Ole Miss' 6'3", 216-pound wide receiver Donte Moncrief is a future All-American. For the season the sophomore from Raliegh, MS has caught 21 passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns.
The Aggies must do a good job of covering Moncrief if they want to win this game. Expect to see Deshazor Everett to line up at corner opposite Moncrief.
Moncrief only had two receptions for 37 yards against Alabama. He only had one catch for 23 yards against Tulane.
Bo Wallace injured his shoulder in the Tulane game. The Rebels have only passed for 146 yards against Tulane and 138 yards against Alabama. If Wallace's shoulder is still tender, expect Ole Miss to try to control the clock and the game with their running game.

Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

Stuff the Run

With Wallace questionable, the Ags are going to need to stuff the run. Arkansas pushed the A&M defensive line around early. The Ags cannot afford to get behind in the first quarter and get the Ole Miss crowd in the game.
If the Aggies defensive line can hold up at the point of attack, the Ags have enough speed at linebacker to run down the Rebel playmakers. If A&M stuffs the run and forces Ole Miss to pass with an injured quarterback, they could shut the Ole Miss offense down.
The A&M offense should be able to score points on the Rebel defense, so if they can stop the Ole Miss running game, they should be able to get a win on the road.