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Manziel TDs Give Texas A&M Halftime Lead at Cotton Bowl
Posted: Jan 4, 2013 9:00 PM by Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel ran for two touchdowns, and had to tiptoe down the sideline for 23 yards on Texas A&M's opening drive, and the 10th-ranked Aggies led No. 12 Oklahoma 14-13 at halftime of the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.
Playing his first game since becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman, Manziel had already created several more highlights by halftime in his first bowl game after an SEC-record 4,600 total yards in the regular season.
Already with a 24-yard gain on an earlier third down, the Aggies had third-and-9 on their opening drive when Manziel rolled to his left and took off. When he juked around a defender and got near the sideline, he tiptoed to stay in bounds and punctuated his score with a high-step over the pylon for a quick lead.
Officials reviewed the touchdown play, but it was clear by the replay shown on the huge video screen above the Cowboys Stadium field that Manziel, who had three carries for 52 yards on the 75-yard drive, stayed in bounds.
Manziel rushed for 113 yards on seven carries before halftime, and completed nine of 17 passes for 75 yards.
Oklahoma needed drives of 16 and 18 plays to get a pair of field goals by Michael Hunnicutt (23 and 24 yards). Landry Jones threw a 6-yard TD pass to Justin Brown just before halftime.
The teams traded interceptions in the second quarter.
Manziel was picked off in the end zone after his bootleg move and a throw that hit Malcome Kennedy in the hands and deflected into the air. Javon Harris grabbed the interception.
At that point, Manziel had 164 total yards (104 rushing and 60 passing) and had outgained Oklahoma on his own by 8 yards.
The Sooners then crossed midfield before Landry Jones, their senior quarterback making his 50th career start, threw a pass that was intercepted by Dustin Harris and returned to the Oklahoma 48.
That drive started with a little trickery, Manziel holding the ball down in his left hand while faking a throw with his right hand. He then pitched to Kenric McNeal, who threw a 20-yard pass to Mike Evans.
Ben Malena then had a 23-yard run before Manziel's bootleg run for a 5-yard TD.
The Aggies, with first-year coach Kevin Sumlin and their young star quarterback, are wrapping up their first SEC season after leaving the Big 12. The Cotton Bowl is the only postseason game matching teams from those two power conferences.
Oklahoma is in the Cotton Bowl for only the second time.
Jones' final career start came at the same place he made his Oklahoma debut in the 2009 season opener when he replaced injured Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 175 yards before halftime, a Cotton Bowl record for completions in a half.
Oklahoma went 69 yards in 16 plays on its opening drive of the game, settling for Hunnicutt's 23-yard field goal. That was after Blake Bell, the Sooners' short-yardage quarterback specialist, was stuffed twice in a row from the 1.
This is the first bowl matchup between the former Big 12 rivals, but the 17th consecutive season they have played each other.
The Sooners have won 11 of 13 since Bob Stoops became their coach.
Sumlin was the A&M offensive coordinator in 2002 when the Aggies upset the top-ranked Sooners. The next year, Sumlin was hired by Stoops as an assistant, and he stayed there five seasons before going to Houston as head coach and then the Aggies.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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