Manziel has a huge half-day in Texas A&M rout
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Johnny Football can throw and run with ease. But apparently the Texas A&M star’s exceptional skills don’t extend to kicking.
Johnny Manziel threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 100 yards and two more scores and the ninthranked Aggies (9-2) rolled past Sam Houston State 4728 Saturday.
The redshirt freshman threw an 89-yard touchdown pass to Uzoma Nwachukwu on A& M’s first offensive play of the second half.
He then attempted the extra point, but it sailed wide right, ending the Heisman hopeful’s day with A&M holding a 40-0 lead.
Coach Kevin Sumlin got a good chuckle when asked if he might lose Heisman votes for the missed kick.
“I don’t know,” he said, laughing. “I don’t know that it will cost him anything.”
It gave his teammates cause to tease him.
“Come on Johnny, you’re better than that,” Nwachukwu said he told Manziel.
Sumlin said Manziel had been practicing kicks for a couple of weeks, and decided to let him try one to “keep it fun.”
Manziel broke the NCAA freshman quarterback rushing record of 1,029 yards set by Missouri’s Brad Smith in 2002, and the freshman total offense mark of 3,827 set in 2000 by Kentucky’s Jared Lorenzen on A&M’s first drive.
Manziel also became the fifth player and first freshman in FBS history to crack 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 rushing in a season.
His 4,161 yards are an A&M season total offense mark.
Sumlin said he didn’t know if Manziel was the country’s best player, but raved about his star.
“Certainly his numbers speak for himself, not just for this year but throughout football history,” Sumlin said.
A week after their stunning upset of top-ranked Alabama, the Aggies used a 27-point second quarter to snap a seven-game win streak by the Bearkats, last year’s Championship Subdivision runner-up.
OTHER GAMES
(4) Alabama 49, Western Carolina 0 at Tuscaloosa: AJ McCarron, Eddie Lacy and Alabama settled this one in the opening minutes instead of waiting for a tense finale.
Lacy rushed for three first-half touchdowns and McCarron set the Crimson Tide’s single-season record for passing TDs as ’Bama (10-1) bounced back from a loss to Texas A&M.
STANDINGS
The Tide rolled up a 42- 0 lead on its way to a third shutout.
The Catamounts (1-10) have just two wins in the past two seasons.
(5) Georgia 45, Georgia Southern 14 at Athens, Ga.: Aaron Murray threw four touchdown passes, Todd Gurley became the second true freshman in Georgia history to rush for 1,000 yards, and Bulldogs (10-1) shook off a sluggish start to rout the FCS Eagles (8-3)
It clinched the eighth 10win season in coach Mark Richt’s 12 seasons.
The Eagles had a shot at the halftime lead, only to get scuttled by a penalty, and Murray took control from there.
(7) Florida 23, Jacksonville State 0 at Gainesville, Fla: The Gators (10-1) used a strong defensive effort to overcome a sluggish offense in the win over the Gamecocks (6-5) of the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Gators’ lone offensive touchdown came on Mike Gillislee’s 7-yard run on their first possession. Jonathan Bostic returned a third-quarter interception for a touchdown and Caleb Sturgis kicked three field goals.
(12) South Carolina 24, Wofford 7 at Columbia, S.C.: Kenny Miles rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, but the Gamecocks (9-2) didn’t put away the Terriers (8-3) until a 17-point fourth quarter.
The victory tied Steve Spurrier atop the Gamecock coaching list with 64 wins.
Syracuse 31, Missouri 27 at Columbia, Mo.: Ryan Nassib threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to a wideopen Alec Lemon with 20 seconds to go, as a 21-point final quarter by the Orange (6-5) spoiled the home finale for the Tigers (5- 6).
Lemon had 12 receptions for 244 yards and two scores, including a 13-yard catch that tied it at 17 earlier in the fourth.
Syracuse, a week after handing Big East foe Louisville its first loss, became bowl eligible for the second time in three years.
Andrew Baggett’s 46yard field goal with 1:52 to play had put Missouri, minus injured quarterback James Franklin, up by three.
Kendial Lawrence had 119 yards on 27 carries with a TD for the Tigers (5- 6), who must win at Texas A&M next week to be bowl eligible.
Auburn 51, Alabama A&M 7 at Auburn, Ala.: Tre Mason threw for two touchdowns and Onterio McCalebb ran for two as the Tigers (3-8) easily handled the FCS Hornets (4-7),.
Kentucky 34, Samford 3 at Lexington, Ky.: Raymond Sanders ran for 123 yards and a score as the Wildcats (2-9) snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Bulldogs (7-4).