In 2012, the Texas A&M Aggies under Kevin Sumlin enjoyed a successful debut season in the SEC as they finished 11-2. But that season will always be remembered for the 29-24 win in rowdy Tuscaloosa over unbeaten Alabama. It was the game that endeared the Aggies and their redshirt freshman QB Jonny Manziel to the nation for the surprise win. It was followed by a comprehensive destruction of the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl.
With Manziel settling into life in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and the Aggies defence wounded after being battered last season, it was on Sumlin and his coaches to take A&M into 2014, starting with a tough trip to Columbia to face the ninth ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Once again they managed to surprise the world of college football with an utterly comprehensive 52-28 win, from the first drive the Aggies were in control on offence and Kenny Hill played like an experienced veteran of the Air Raid offence.
Texas A&M Aggies Continue to Surprise
The performance of Kenny Hill was almost the polar opposite of what we became used to with his predecessor. When Manziel was scrambling and making defenders miss, as well as conjuring big plays out of thin air with his arm, Hill very efficiently got the job done with very few mistakes. The very few times the Gamecocks defence got pressure on Hill he just drifted out of the pocket and made a comfortable throw to an open Aggies receiver. He looked completely unflustered by the loud environment at Williams-Brice Stadium or anything that defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward could create with the defence.
The Aggies defence meanwhile was vastly improved. They were effective in stopping the run which put the pressure on the inconsistent Dylan Thompson to beat them through the air. That’s not to say that they were problem free on the night. The secondary gave up four pass interference penalties with two coming on crucial third downs that extended drives for the home side. They also got beat deep on some long pass plays which was a big issue they suffered last season but it was certainly an improvement.
Naturally all the talk has been about Hill on his debut, but if I had a game ball then I’d be sharing it amongst the five guys on the offensive line. They protected Hill brilliantly all game long and opened up huge holes for the running backs as well, who combined for 164 yards with Hill adding 5 yards himself. It was reminiscent of the game at Ole Miss in 2012 when the Aggies had Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. The Aggies dominated in the trenches and gave Manziel an embarrassing amount of time to pick apart the Rebels defence. If the Aggies can continue to dominate the line of scrimmage, then who knows how far this offence can go this year?
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