COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Johnny Manziel accounted for 346 yards with three touchdowns in just more than a half to help No. 10 Texas A&M cruise to a 42-13 victory over SMU on Saturday night.
Texas A&M (3-1) led 32-6 at halftime, and Manziel led the Aggies to a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter before the Heisman Trophy-winner went to the bench.
It was a nice bounce-back game for Texas A&M after falling to top-ranked Alabama 49-42 last week.
Manziel had 244 yards passing with 1 touchdown and ran for 102 yards and 2 more scores.
Deshazor Everett returned a fumble 12 yards for a touchdown and Ben Malena ran for 71 yards and two scores. He started things for A&M with a 3-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert threw for 310 yards and 1 touchdown with 1 interception for SMU (1-2).
Despite the lopsided score, Texas A&M’s performance was far from flawless. The Aggies missed three consecutive extra points in the second quarter and were penalized 13 times for 114 yards.
The Mustangs didn’t play any cleaner and piled up 16 penalties for 111 yards.
The Aggies took a 14-0 lead when Manziel sidestepped a defender before high-stepping over another en route to the end zone on a 7-yard run later in the first.
Texas A&M recovered an onside kick and was driving again when a pass by Manziel was deflected and intercepted by Hayden Greenbauer. The Mustangs cut the lead to 14-3 when the ensuing drive resulted in a 42-yard field goal byChase Hover.
Manziel rolled out and found Malcome Kennedy on a 16-yard touchdown pass that extended the lead to 20-3 early in the second quarter. Taylor Bertolet’s kick failed.
Manziel’s second 7-yard touchdown run made it 32-3 just more than three minutes later, but Bertolet missed again.
Jeremiah Gaines fumbled after a reception on the first play of SMU’s next drive and Everett scooped it up and returned it for the score. Coach Kevin Sumlin had seen enough of Bertolet and brought in Josh Lambo to attempt the extra point, but holder Drew Kaser fumbled the snap and the kick was blocked.
A 47-yard field goal by Hover as time expired in the second quarter left A&M leading 32-6 at halftime.
Manziel had a nifty run on A&M’s first possession after halftime. He evaded three defenders that had hands on him to dash down the sideline on a 20-yard run. Malena’s 1-yard run two plays later - and a made extra point by Lambo - made it 39-6.
He was replaced by Matt Joeckel, who started A&M’s opener while Manziel served an NCAA suspension. Joeckel threw for 63 yards before Sumlin brought in freshman Kenny Hill.
Lambo’s 40-yard field goal extended the lead to 42-6 near the end of the third quarter.
A 31-yard touchdown reception by Keenan Holman made it 42-13 early in the fourth quarter. Holman finished with 10 receptions for 133 yards.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 31, COLORADO STATE 6
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - AJ McCarron passed for 258 yards and threw a 30-yard touchdown to DeAndrew White in the fourth quarter to lift No. 1 Alabama (3-0) to a victory over Colorado State (1-3).
Kenyan Drake set up one touchdown with a blocked punt returned 15 yards by Dillon Lee and scored on a 3-yard run for the Crimson Tide, who led 17-6 heading to the fourth. Alabama managed only one offensive touchdown and no third-down conversions in the first three quarters a week.
Coached by former Tide offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, the Rams nursed hopes for a monumental upset going into the fourth quarter before allowing two touchdowns. Trey DePriest stripped the ball from quarterback Garrett Grayson and recovered the fumble early in the quarter.
The next play, McCarron laced a perfect strike to White in the end zone. The Tide were without several key players, including receivers Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood, guard Anthony Steen and cornerback Deion Belue
McCarron completed 20 of 26 passes. T.J. Yeldon ran seven times for 49 yards, and Christion Jones caught nine passes for 90 yards.
SATURDAY’S GAMES Rutgers 28, Arkansas 24 Vanderbilt 24, Massachusetts 7 Georgia 45, North Texas 21 Florida 31, Tennessee 17 Texas A&M 42, SMU 13 Alabama 31, Colorado State 6 Misssissippi State 62, Troy 7 LSU 35, Auburn 21 Missouri 45, Indiana 28
Sports, Pages 34 on 09/22/2013