FAYETTEVILLE - Even if Texas A&M had brought its renowned Marching Aggie Band to Fayetteville, it wouldn’t provide the appropriate music to accompany A&M’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel at tonight’s game against Arkansas.
A calliope would be more fitting at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“It’s kind of a circus, to be honest with you,” Arkansas Razorbacks defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. “I really haven’t seen anything like him.”
Ash was not referring to Manziel’s nationally publicized off-the field misadventures leading to his suspension for the first half of the Aggies’ first game.
As the tempest in a teapot penalty suggests, that was just a summer sideshow to the circus Manziel creates in the fall.
It’s truly a three-ring circus, with Manziel’s scrambling, running and passing from any and all angles affecting all three phases of the game.
Of course, the opposing defense is directly affected as well. But the opposing offense, desperate to play keep-away from Manziel, finds itself playing against A&M’s quarterback as much as it plays against A&M’s defense.
The opposing kicking game walks on eggshells as well. Manziel doesn’t need any extra help.
Compounding Manziel’s effectiveness is that he faces more second-string defenders than most quarterbacks because his scrambling out of a no-huddle offense wears out defenders.
“He can buy himself 10 or 12 seconds per passing play,” Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said. “That gasses D-linemen, so we have to be smart with our rotation. It takes all hands on deck.”
All those hands have to show discipline, too.
“You can’t be selfish and think one guy is going to have a big hit and knock him out, because it is not going to happen,” Partridge said. “It hasn’t happened in the 15 or 16 games or whatever he has played the last year and a half. That’s not going to be any different Saturday night.
“Our strength is going to be our numbers, our fundamentals, and how we cage him inside.”
THE GREATEST HONOR
Coach Chris Bucknam and his Razorbacks men’s cross country/track and field program officially will receive the ultimate honor from the ultimate honoree at halftime tonight.
The U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association honors retired Arkansas coach John McDonnell - the greatest coach in NCAA history with 40 national championships and 84 conference championships - with the John McDonnell Program of Year Award. It is given to the nation’s best all round men’s cross country and track program each academic year.
Tonight, Arkansas’ 2012-13 team will receive the award from the man himself after finishing 10th in NCAA cross country meet, first in NCAA Indoor meet and third in NCAA Outdoor meet. It also won its second consecutive SEC triple crown.
“To receive recognition from Coach Mac here at home where everyone can recognize him, that’s the greatest,” Bucknam said.
Sports, Pages 20 on 09/28/2013