2012 Texas A&M Aggies football team

Previous season

In 2011, Texas A&M began the season ranked 8th in the AP Poll and 9th in the Coaches Poll. They won their first two games, but fell to ranked opponents Oklahoma State and Arkansas. The Aggies won the next three, including a 55–28 victory over rival and #20 ranked Baylor. However, A&M could not sustain success and fell in its next three, with losses to #7 Oklahoma and #17 Kansas State in 4 overtimes. After beating Kansas, Texas A&M lost its final regular season rivalry game with Texas 25–27. Following this defeat, 4-year head coach Mike Sherman was fired, and replaced by Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies defeated Northwestern in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas with Tim DeRuyter as interim head coach. Texas A&M finished 7–6, unranked, and tied for 6th in the Big XII.

2012 NFL draft

Four Texas A&M players were drafted in the 2012 NFL draft.^[5]

After the draft, five Aggies were signed as undrafted free agents.^[5]

Spring practice

Spring practice began on March 31 and concluded with the annual Maroon & White Game on April 28.^[6] The schedule also included an open scrimmage on April 14 and the Friday Night Lights event on April 20. Senior running back Christine Michael was limited throughout spring practice while recovering from a torn ACL.^[7]

In the Maroon & White Game, the White (offense) defeated the Maroon (defense) 48–44. The offense ran 105 plays in the first half and generated nearly 600 yards of total offense. Wide receiver Ryan Swope recorded eight receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The game featured a quarterback battle between Jameill Showers and Johnny Manziel; Showers threw touchdown passes to Malcome Kennedy and Swope, while Manziel added a touchdown pass to Swope. Showers finished 20-of-31 for 203 yards and two touchdowns, while Manziel went 13-of-27 for 154 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Running back Christine Michael did not participate, but Ben Malena led the rushing attack with 117 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, while Will Randolph added 86 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns behind an offensive line anchored by tackle Luke Joeckel. On defense, Steven Jenkins led the team with nine tackles, while Donnie Baggs recorded eight. Domonique Patterson, Johntel Franklin, and Jonathan Stewart each added six tackles, and Sean Porter contributed two sacks.^[8][9]

Fall practice

Fall training camp began on August 3 and ended on August 18.^[10] By August, Texas A&M had 8 different players on preseason award watch lists: Sean Porter for the Chuck Bednarik Award; Uzoma Nwachukwu and Ryan Swope for the Biletnikoff Award; Damontre Moore and Sean Porter for the Butkus Award; Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews, and Sean Porter for the Lombardi Award; Christine Michael for the Maxwell Award; Sean Porter for the Bronco Nagurski Award; Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews for the Outland Trophy; Patrick Lewis for the Rimington Trophy; and Christine Michael for the Doak Walker Award.^[11]

Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...

2012 Texas A&M Aggies football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 1 Ben Malena Jr QB 2 Johnny Manziel  Fr QB 3 Jameill Showers  So WR 4 Brandal Jackson Sr WR 5 Kenric McNeal Sr QB 6 Matt Davis Fr WR 7 Uzoma Nwachukwu Sr WR 8 Thomas Johnson Fr WR 9 Nate Askew Jr WR 10 LeKendrick Williams  So WR 11 Derel Walker Jr WR 13 Mike Evans  Fr QB 14 Conner McQueen Fr WR 15 Travis Labhart Jr QB 16 Matt Joeckel  So QB 17 Joshua Stump Fr WR 18 Edward Pope Fr TE 19 Michael Lamothe Sr RB 20 Trey Williams Fr RB 21 Tra Carson (I) So RB 23 Sabian Holmes Fr WR 25 Ryan Swope (C) Sr RB 26 Sam Giamfortone  So RB 27 Brice Dolezal Fr RB 28 Brandon Williams (I) So RB 29 D'Cardio Cottonham Fr RB 33 Christine Michael Sr WR 35 Matt Wilkins So RB 37 Garrett Graham  So TE 47 Daniel Inglett  Fr OL 50 Justin Ortega  So OL 51 Jarvis Harrison  So OL 53 Caden Smith  Fr OL 56 Mike Matthews Fr OL 57 Dylan Guthrie  So OL 59 Allen Woodum Sr OL 60 Nathan Gutekunst  Fr OL 61 Patrick Lewis (C) Sr OL 65 John-Albert Arechiga Fr OL 68 Ben Compton So OL 70 Cedric Ogbuehi  So OL 71 Kimo Tipoti Fr OL 74 Germain Ifedi Fr OL 75 Jake Matthews Jr OL 76 Luke Joeckel Jr OL 77 Shep Klinke Jr OL 78 Garrett Gramling  So OL 79 Joseph Cheek  Fr TE 81 Nehemiah Hicks Jr WR 82 Boone Niederhofer Fr WR 83 Colton Beardmore  Fr WR 84 Malcome Kennedy  So WR 85 Kyle Aubuchon So TE 86 Caleb Little  So WR 88 Gaston Lamascus  Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 1 De'Vante Harris Fr DB 2 Steven Campbell Sr DB 4 Toney Hurd Jr. Jr DB 6 Desmond Gardiner  Jr DB 7 Tramain Jacobs Jr LB 10 Sean Porter (C) Sr LB 11 Jonathan Stewart Sr DB 14 Floyd Raven Sr. So DB 15 Kenneth Marshall Fr DB 19 Matt Fritsche  Fr DB 20 C.J. Jones Sr DB 21 Steven Terrell (C) Sr DB 22 Dustin Harris Sr LB 23 Domonique Patterson Jr DB 25 Clay Honeycutt  So DB 26 Devonta Burns  Fr LB 27 Michael Osadebey Sr DB 29 Deshazor Everett So DB 30 Johntel Franklin  Jr DB 31 Howard Matthews So DB 32 Rylan Riney  Fr LB 33 Michael Richardson Fr LB 34 Jordan Richmond Fr LB 35 Tyrell Taylor So LB 36 Donnie Baggs So DB 39 Marvin Taylor Fr LB 40 Shaun Ward So LB 43 Justin Bass So DB 44 Sam Moeller  Fr LB 45 Steven Jenkins Jr LB 46 Jake Russell Jr LB 49 Brandon Hoff Fr LB 50 Tyrone Taylor Fr DL 55 Alonzo Williams Fr LB 57 Alvin Munrose Fr LB 58 Cody Johnson  Fr DL 67 Tyler Godwin Fr DL 72 Gavin Stansbury  So DL 73 Rhontae Scales  Jr DL 89 Ivan Robinson  So DL 90 Polo Manukainiu Fr DL 92 Jonathan Mathis Sr DL 94 Damontre Moore Jr DL 95 Julien Obioha Fr DL 98 Shayvion Hatten  Fr DL 99 Spencer Nealy Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class PK 24 Taylor Bertolet  Fr PK 31 Seth Wicks Fr PK 36 Davis Plowman Fr P 38 Drew Kaser So PK 40 Seth Hiddink Fr P 48 Ryan Epperson Sr PK 49 Josh Lambo So DS 62 Nick Brown Fr DS 64 Jonathan Puffer So	Head coach Kevin Sumlin (1st season) Coordinators/assistant coaches Scott Aligo – Defensive Graduate Assistant B.J. Anderson – Offensive line David Beaty – Wide receivers/recruiting coordinator Kenny Bell – Director of Recruiting Bryan Cummings – Special Teams Quality Control Larry Jackson – Director of Football Sports Performance Kliff Kingsbury – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Clarence McKinney – Offensive coordinator/running backs Justin Moore – Associate athletic director for football Brian Polian – Special teams coordinator/tight ends Terry Price – Defensive line Nathan Reeves – Offensive quality control Gary Reynolds – Director of football operations Mark Snyder – Defensive coordinator Byron Thomas – Defensive Graduate Assistant Matt Wallerstedt – Linebackers Marcel Yates – Co-defensive Coordinator/secondary Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: May 24, 2013

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Recruiting class

In the 2012 recruiting class, Texas A&M recruited 19 players, 5 of which were included in the ESPN 150. The class was ranked 15th in the nation by ESPN and Rivals, and 21st nationally by Scout.^[12][13][14]

More information College recruiting information (2012), Name ...

College recruiting information (2012)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Matt Davis QB	Houston, TX	Klein Forest HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	4.40	Apr 16, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
De'Vante Harris CB	Mesquite, TX	Horn HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	4.40	Jan 16, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Sabian Holmes CB	Southlake, TX	Carroll HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	4.50	Jan 8, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (77)
Germain Ifedi OG	Houston, TX	Westside HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	304 lb (138 kg)	–	Oct 25, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Otis Jacobs CB	Covington, LA	Mississippi Gulf Coast CC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	–	Dec 21, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    ( –)
Thomas Johnson WR	Dallas, TX	Skyline HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.40	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (82)
Polo Manukainiu DE	Euless, TX	Trinity HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	256 lb (116 kg)	4.90	Jan 29, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Kenneth Marshall S	South Houston, TX	South Houston HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	191 lb (87 kg)	4.50	Jun 13, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (76)
Mike Matthews C	Missouri City, TX	Elkins HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	5.00	Feb 23, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Julien Obioha DE	New Orleans, LA	Brother Martin HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	4.84	Jul 28, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Edward Pope S	Carthage, TX	Carthage HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	4.54	Jan 27, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Edmund Ray DT	Saint Louis, MO	Ritenour HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	5.10	Feb 1, 2012
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (77)
Michael Richardson DE	DeSoto, TX	DeSoto HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	224 lb (102 kg)	4.95	Feb 18, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Jordan Richmond OLB	Denton, TX	Billy Ryan HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.63	Feb 20, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (80)
Tyrone Taylor DE	Galena Park, TX	Galena Park HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.80	Dec 18, 2010
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Kimo Tipoti OT	Hurst, TX	L. D. Bell HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	330 lb (150 kg)	5.67	Feb 20, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (79)
Derel Walker WR	Athens, TX	Trinity Valley CC	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.40	Dec 22, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    ( –)
Alonzo Williams DE	Long Beach, CA	Long Beach Polytechnic HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	–	Feb 23, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (78)
Trey Williams RB	Houston, TX	Andy Dekaney HS	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	4.37	Apr 16, 2011
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    (81)
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: 21    Rivals: 15    ESPN: 15
‡ Refers to 40-yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Texas A&M Football Commitment List 2012". Rivals. Retrieved May 24, 2013. "Texas A&M College Football Recruiting Commits 2012". Scout. Retrieved May 24, 2013. "Texas A&M Aggies Commits 2012". ESPN. Retrieved May 24, 2013. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved May 24, 2013. "2012 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 24, 2013.

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Returning starters

Depth chart

• Source:^[15]

No. 24 Florida

After Texas A&M's season opener against Louisiana Tech was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac, the Aggies began the season against SEC opponent #24 Florida. This was a historic start for redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, who won the job in Fall practice. Manziel was the first freshman QB to start a season-opener for the Aggies since 1944. Texas A&M played well in the first half and saw promising performances from both the offense and defense, but they could not sustain the success and were held scoreless in the second half, ultimately falling 20–17 to lose their first ever SEC conference game.

Texas A&M received the ball on the opening kickoff. Their first play from scrimmage in the SEC was a false start on center Patrick Lewis; however, the offense was not slowed by this misstep and had a 14-play, 66-yard opening drive, highlighted by a 16-yard run from Johnny Manziel. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Manziel completed a pass into the endzone to an open Mike Evans, but Manziel was past the line of scrimmage, causing an Illegal Forward Pass penalty and a 4th down. Fellow redshirt freshman Taylor Bertolet made the 27-yard field goal to put the Aggies on the board first. Texas A&M's defense struggled early, though, and with the help of a few long passes from Florida QB Jeff Driskel, the Gators had a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped of by a Mike Gillislee 4-yard TD run to take the lead 7–3. But the Aggies' offense showed no signs of slowing, as they drove all the way to the Florida 14 before the 1st Quarter ended.

Three plays into the 2nd Quarter and the Aggies had scored their first SEC touchdown—an 11-yard scramble by Johnny Manziel. Texas A&M took the lead back 10–7. Florida's next series began with Jeff Driskel being sacked by DE Damontre Moore. The Gators didn't move far before Driskel was sacked twice more, first by Steven Jenkens and then a second time by Moore, forcing a punt. On A&M's next drive, Manziel connected with freshman RB Trey Williams for 28 yards and then on a trick play, WR Kenric McNeal completed a pass to Mike Evans for 27. Near the goal line, the Aggies pounded the ball in with senior RB Christine Michael to extend the lead, 17–7. On the next possession, Driskel was again sacked by Moore, but made up the yardage with a long 30-yard pass to Jordan Reed. At the A&M 28, Driskel was sacked for the fifth time of the game by senior DT Spencer Nealy. On 4th and 12 at A&M's 33, the Gators' Caleb Sturgis attempted a long 51-yard field goal and missed; however, Texas A&M took a timeout prior to the snap, and on his second try Sturgis knocked it home to reduce the Aggies' lead to 17–-10. Back on offense, the Aggies could not get down the field before the half ended; the score still 17–10 Texas A&M.

Florida received the ball coming back from the half, and wasted no time moving the ball downfield on the ground, highlighted by Mike Gillislee rushing for 24 and Driskel scrambling for 12. Ultimately the drive stalled inside the 10 and Florida had to settle for another Sturgis field goal, chipping the lead down to 17–13. Texas A&M's offense never got going in the second half however, and their first possession gained only 8 yards, forcing the first put of the game for Ryan Epperson. The teams traded defensive blows for the next few possessions: Florida's 2nd of the half gained only 11 after Driskel was sacked 2 more times by Nealy and Porter. A&M totaled −1 on their ensuing drive, and after the Gators received the punt, they could not sustain the ground attack and gave the ball back to the Aggies for a possession stifled by a personal foul penalty to end the 3rd Quarter. The Aggies were clinging to a 4-point lead, 17–13.

The 4th Quarter began with Manziel being sacked by Lerentee McCray, and the Aggies promptly punting. Starting with good field position at their own 38, the Gators' passing game came through and Driskel completed a 39-yard bomb to Omarius Hines down to the A&M 18. After a short Solomon Patton rush, Mike Gillislee took a pitch to the right side and tip-toed in bounds to score a 12-yard TD and take the lead 20–17. The A&M offense could not find an answer to the tough Gator defense and had to punt on the next drive. The Aggie defense did prevent Florida from extending the lead (due in part to yet another Driskel sack, his 8th of the game, this time by safety Floyd Raven Sr.) and gave the offense another chance. After 2 no-gain plays, Manziel scrambled for just over 9 yards and was marked just short of the 1st down. Unable to convert, they gave it back to Florida, who was again held to only 3 yards to give the Aggies one last chance with 6:10 remaining in the game. The drive looked hopeful: a few short gains moved the sticks twice, but after a false start on Lewis, the Aggies could not convert. On their own 39, they were forced to punt with only 3:13 left on the clock. Once the Gators got the ball, the Aggie defense could not slow them, giving up a 15-yard facemask penalty, a 12-yard Patton run, and a 21-yard Driskel rush, which allowed Florida to kneel the ball and take the rest of the time off the clock, ending the game 20–17.

Johnny Manziel finished the game 23-of-30 for 173 yards (his lowest total of the season) with no touchdowns or interceptions. He led the team in rushing yards with 60 on 17 attempts, averaging 3.5 (his 2nd lowest of the season). Mike Evans led the team in receiving with 7 catches for 60 yards. Notably, Damontre Moore had a career-high 3.0 sacks and a then-career-high 10.0 tackles, pitching in to the Aggies' 8.0 total sacks for a loss of 48 yards. He received the SEC Co-defensive Lineman of the Week award for his performance.^[19] The loss dropped A&M's all-time record against Florida to 1–2.^[20] Although the Aggies began their SEC debut with a tough loss, hopes were still high for Kevin Sumlin's new team, and freshman QB Johnny Manziel looked promising.

At SMU

Following their loss to Florida, the Aggies took on non-conference opponent SMU. The offense got off to a slow start, but came to life in the 2nd Quarter. After the Aggies scored 27 unanswered points, SMU made a field goal to get their only points of the game. A&M scored 21 more afterwards to make it a 48–3 rout. Johnny Manziel set an A&M freshman passing record with 294 yards and helped improve the Aggies' record to 1–1.

Texas A&M received the ball to start the game; however, the offense struggled for the first few possessions of the game. After losing 6 yards on a pass to Thomas Johnson, Manziel rushed for 11 but could not convert the 3rd and 16, forcing the first drive of the game to end in a punt. The Aggie defense looked strong though, and with SMU on 3rd and 8, DE Damontre Moore shined again, sacking quarterback Garrett Gilbert for a loss of 9. A&M then moved the chains once, but after a Manziel sack by Taylor Reed and a false start, they once again could not convert a 3rd and long. Deep in their own territory, the Mustangs put together a stronger 33-yard drive, but a series of incompletions forced yet another punt from Chase Hover. The Aggies' next drive was the most disastrous of the game, with a 7-yard Manziel sack by Margus Hunt and a False Start penalty, giving the drive a net gain of −12 yards. On SMU's next drive, Gilbert was sacked by DE Julien Obioha and fumbled the ball into the hands of SMU OL Ben Gottschalk for a loss of 5. With the ball back, Manziel completed a 38-yard pass to Mike Evans who bounced off of tackles to go down to the SMU 42-yard line. After failing to be able to run the ball, A&M attempted to convert a 4th and 2, but Manziel's pass to Malcome Kennedy was incomplete. After the Mustangs' offense was again stopped, they ended the quarter with a punt to A&M's Dustin Harris, who made a return for 20 yards before Kevin Pope forced a fumble into the hands of the Aggies' RB Trey Williams, who made an additional 17 yards on the return. The defense-dominated 1st Quarter ended at 0–0.

In the beginning of the 2nd Quarter, it looked as if the A&M offense was finally threatening, with Manziel completing another long 30-yard pass down the right sideline to Mike Evans at the SMU 12. Unable to convert, however, the Aggies had to kick a short field goal from the 5, but freshman Taylor Bertolet missed the 23-yarder. After holding SMU to 9 yards and a punt, A&M seemed to struggle on offense again, until Manziel completed a 22-yard pass to Evans on 4th and 4. They finally started to click, and a few plays later Manziel completed a slant to senior WR Ryan Swope who split the safeties and gave A&M the first points of the game on a 29-yard TD. After a pair of SMU punts, Manziel started the drive with a 48-yard scramble TD, but Bertolet's PAT was blocked by Hunt. Only 3 plays later Aggie DB Tramain Jacobs intercepted Garrett Gilbert to let the Aggies go on a 7-play, 73-yard drive capped off by a 26-yard TD pass slung on the run by Manziel to senior WR Uzoma Nwachukwu. After driving 44 yards, the Mustangs attempted a field goal but Chase Hover missed the 48-yarder to end the half with Texas A&M leading 20–0.

The Aggies forced a punt on SMU's first possession of the half. Back on offense the Aggies drove 37 yards, when, on 3rd and 9, Manziel shook off a would-be sack and threw an off-balance pass to Kenric McNeal, who avoided defenders to take the pass into the end zone for a 42-yard TD. On the Mustangs' next possession they drove 67 yards and scored their only points of the game on a Hover 25-yard field goal. On the ensuing drive, the Aggie offense continued to roll when Manziel ran for 25 yards and a 15-yard TD. For SMU, Gilbert was sacked by Moore, and then Dustin Harris returned the following punt for 36 yards. Later, Manziel connected with Nwachukwu for a 12-yard TD to extend the lead. The Mustangs finished the half down 41–3.

In the 4th Quarter the Aggies subbed in the 2nd string offense. Quarterback Jameill Showers led the offense 80 yards down field (with impressive passes to Thomas Johnson for 15 and 22 yards) and Trey Williams scored on a 2-yard run. The Aggies forced a punt and took time off the clock. To finish out the half, A&M held SMU to a turnover on downs and took the rest of the time off the clock to finish the game 48–3.

Johnny Manziel finished 20-of-36 for 294 yards and 4 TDs. He also rushed for an impressive 124 yards on 13 carries and 2 TDs. Evans and Swope had 6 catches for 123 yards and 5 catches for 70 yards and 1 TD, respectively. Damontre Moore had 2.0 sacks for a loss of 14. The victory improved A&M's all-time record against SMU to 43–29–7.^[23] Sumlin's Aggies seemed to be heating up, and the offense was looking more and more explosive being led by Manziel.

South Carolina State

After a convincing win over SMU, the Aggies took on non-conference opponent and FCS team South Carolina State. The Bulldogs were 1–2 heading into the competition, and the Aggies 1–1.

The Aggies took the field on offense first and started strong, but stalled out after a −2-yard run by Ryan Swope and a sack on Manziel by Justin Hughes. SC State's first drive yielded 0 yards and resulted in a punt by Nick Belcher. After a 19-yard return from A&M senior DB Dustin Harris, the Aggies started their drive on the SC State 33-yard line. They ran the ball successfully, and scored the first touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run by Ben Malena. The teams traded a few punts before the ball was back in the hands of Manziel and the A&M offense. The Aggies worked downfield, and Johnny Manziel capped off the drive by flipping 9-yard TD pass on the run to Uzoma Nwachukwu. When SC State went back on offense, they finally moved the ball effectively and had an explosive 17-yard run by Jalen Simmons for their first touchdown.

Texas A&M began the 2nd Quarter with a punt after struggling on offense, but it would be their last punt for the next 5 series. Following an unsuccessful drive by SC State, the Aggies had an explosive possession, highlighted by a 39-yard TD scramble by Manziel. After another Bulldog punt, the A&M offense exploded again. This time including a 23-yard pass to Thomas Johnson and yet another Manziel scramble, in which he went 20 yards and dove inside the right pylon for the touchdown. Once again South Carolina State failed to get a 1st down, and the Aggies had another great drive capped off by Johnny Manziel zipping a pass to Kenric McNeal for a 30-yard TD. The Bulldogs had to punt again, and after a 35-yard return from Dustin Harris, the Aggies had the ball. On the first play of the drive Manziel tossed a screen pass to Nwachukwu, who hurdled a defender and went 37 yards for the TD. After forcing another punt (the Bulldogs' 5th in a row), A&M's offense had the ball with 2:08 left in the half. However, it was only about 30 seconds until Manziel handed the ball off to Ben Malena, who exploded up the middle, broke a tackle, and went for a 50-yard touchdown. The Aggies scored an incredible 35 points in the 2nd Quarter, and headed to halftime in the lead 49–7.

South Carolina State opened up the 2nd half on offense with a 16-yard drive which stalled out and ended with a punt. The Aggies came into the half playing much of the 2nd string offense, including QB Jameill Showers. Showers threw 2 incomplete passes, and then an interception to Dominique Mitchell. However, when SC State had the ball, they once again could not get a first down and were forced to punt. Nick Belcher made a rugby style punt to the A&M 4-yard line. The ball was picked up by Dustin Harris, who swung to the right side of the field, cut through defenders, and sprinted up the right sideline for a 96-yard touchdown return (The 2nd longest in school history). The Bulldogs punted on their next possession, and the 2nd string Aggie offense went to work. They worked methodically worked their way down to the SC State 5-yard line to end the 3rd Quarter in the lead 56–7.

A&M began the 4th quarter with a 4th and 1 from the SC State 5-yard line. Showers handed the ball off to Christine Michael, who ran up the middle and pounded through SC State linebacker Joe Thomas for a 5-yard TD. When the Bulldogs got the ball back, they finally found success in the passing game: a 27-yard completion to Marcus Lloyd and a 39-yard touchdown throw to Lennel Elmore, which gave SC State their first points since the 1st Quarter. The Aggies returned on offense giving experience to younger players, and ran 9 plays before turning the ball over on downs. On the first play of the ensuing drive for SC State, QB Richard Cue attempted to find TE Temarrick Hemingway, but sophomore Aggie DB Deshazor Everett jumped the route, picked off the ball, and ran it 22 yards for the touchdown. On the following SC State possession, the Aggies played many 2nd string defenders who made some impressive plays including back-to-back sacks by Tyrell Taylor and Ivan Robinson. After moving the ball 30 yards, they punted to the Aggies, who ran out the last minute on the clock to win the game by a whopping 70–14.

The Aggies were led in passing by Manziel who completed 15 of 20 for 174 yards and 3 TDs, and led in rushing by Malena who had 11 carries for 88 yards and 2 TDs. He was followed closely by Manziel himself who had 8 attempts for 78 yards and 2 TDs. A&M was led in receiving by Nwachukwu and Johnson who had 2 receptions for 46 yards and 2 TDs and 3 receptions for 42 yards respectively. In addition, Dustin Harris broke both the school and 64-year standing SEC record for punt return yards in a game with 246 on 8 returns (an average of 30.75) while making the 2nd longest return in school history.^[26] Finally, Damontre Moore had 3 tackles for a loss including 1 sack. This was the first game Texas A&M ever played against South Carolina State, so their all-time record vs the Bulldogs is 1–0.^[27]

Arkansas

The game featured the former Southwest Conference rivals in their first conference matchup since 1991 (Arkansas' last year in the SWC).

Though leading 10–7 after the first quarter, Arkansas would be shut out the remainder of the game in a blowout win for A&M. Johnny Manziel had a total of 453 yards passing and 104 yard rushing with a total of 3 touchdowns to lead the Aggies to a 58–10 win over Arkansas and led A&M to a 3–1 record.

At Ole Miss

The matchup marked Texas A&M’s first road game in its SEC history. Texas A&M led the all-time series 4–0, with the last meeting occurring in 1980.^[31] Ole Miss entered the matchup with a 3–2 record after a loss to No. 1 Alabama the previous week.

On the opening drive, Aggies running back Ben Malena scored on a 58-yard touchdown run. Ole Miss responded on its first drive with a 1-yard run by Jeff Scott. Christine Michael fumbled on A&M’s next possession, forced by Cody Prewitt and recovered by Cameron Whigham, leading to a 46-yard field goal by Bryson Rose. The Aggies were then stopped just outside the red zone when Malena was stopped on a fourth-and-one attempt. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Johnny Manziel was intercepted by Dehendret Collins on the following drive. Following another Rebels punt, the Aggies tied the game on a 19-yard field goal by Taylor Bertolet. Rose later missed a go-ahead 40-yard field goal off the right crossbar on the Rebels’ next possession. Later in the second quarter, quarterback Bo Wallace connected with Randall Mackey for a 68-yard gain to set up Ole Miss in the red zone, and Wallace finished the drive with a 14-yard rushing touchdown. Manziel later found Ryan Swope for a 32-yard completion, but A&M suffered its third first-half turnover when Prewitt forced a fumble recovered by Trae Elston. Three plays later, Wallace was hit while attempting a pass and threw an interception to Steven Jenkins, who returned it 37 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 17–17 at halftime. A&M held a 278–273 advantage in total yards at the break.

On the Rebels’ first drive of the second half, Wallace led a 17-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a 28-yard Rose field goal and consumed nearly half the quarter’s clock. The drive featured three third-down conversions and a fourth-and-two conversion. On A&M’s first drive, Manziel led the Aggies to the Ole Miss 3-yard line, including a 38-yard run. However, Manziel was sacked by Korvic Neat for a 13-yard loss, fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Joel Kight. On the ensuing Jim Broadway punt, Dustin Harris fumbled, with Ole Miss’ Prewitt recovering at the Texas A&M 5-yard line. On third-and-goal, Wallace connected with Donte Moncrief for a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Rebels a 27–17 lead with 14:56 remaining. Manziel was then intercepted by Prewitt on A&M’s next drive, marking the Aggies’ sixth turnover of the game. Damontre Moore later sacked Wallace out of field goal range, forcing another Ole Miss punt. On the Aggies’ next possession, they converted a third-and-19 from their own 3-yard line when Mike Evans caught a 32-yard pass from Manziel. Malena followed with a 38-yard run, and Manziel scored a 29-yard rushing touchdown on the next play, though the extra point was missed. On Ole Miss’ next drive, they faced a fourth-and-one, and head coach Hugh Freeze elected to go for it. Jonathan Stewart stopped Scott at the line of scrimmage, giving the ball back to A&M at the 39-yard line with just over three minutes remaining. On third-and-three, Manziel connected with Swope for a 20-yard touchdown, giving the Aggies a 30–27 lead.^[32] Wallace later completed a 32-yard pass to Moncrief to the Texas A&M 32-yard line, but he was intercepted by Toney Hurd Jr. on the next play. With no timeouts remaining, Texas A&M was able to kneel out the clock.

The loss dropped Ole Miss to 3–3 and marked its eighth straight SEC home-opening defeat. Ole Miss defensive back Cody Prewitt recorded six tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Texas A&M improved to 4–1, as the Aggies overcame six turnovers. Manziel finished 17-of-26 for 191 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for a career-high 129 yards and one touchdown while losing one fumble.^[33]

At No. 23 Louisiana Tech

The game was originally scheduled for August 30, 2011. On August 28, 2012 the Louisiana Tech Athletic department announced that the game would be postponed to October 13, 2012 (previously a bye week for both teams) anticipating that Hurricane Isaac could make travel for the teams and fans difficult or that the game time weather could be hazardous.

No. 6 LSU

At Auburn

At No. 17 Mississippi State

In honor of the 2000 Independence Bowl (dubbed "The Snow Bowl" due to a freak snowstorm that hit the Shreveport area before game time, which was the last game between the two schools), Mississippi State received a waiver to wear all white uniforms despite being the home team. In response to the Mississippi State uniforms, Adidas (the uniform provider for both teams) approached A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin with the idea of an all-black uniform for the Aggies.^[42] The uniform configuration unveiled to the team as a surprise in the locker room before the game.

At No. 1 Alabama

The game featured the No. 15-ranked 7–2 Aggies against the No. 1-ranked 9–0 Alabama Crimson Tide. Texas A&M and Alabama have a long history of football coaches serving at both schools, including Bear Bryant, Gene Stallings, and Dennis Franchione. Although the programs had met four previous times, this was Texas A&M's first-ever trip to Tuscaloosa. It was also the Aggies' 12th game against the nation's No. 1-ranked team. Alabama entered the matchup leading the all-time series 3–1, with Texas A&M's lone victory coming in the 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic. The Crimson Tide were coming off a 21–17 victory over No. 5 LSU, winning on a go-ahead touchdown in the game's final minute. Quarterback A. J. McCarron entered the contest with a 21–1 career record as Alabama's starting quarterback and had thrown for 1,849 yards, 19 touchdowns, and no interceptions during the season.

Alabama won the toss and elected to receive, but opened the game with a three-and-out. Texas A&M quickly capitalized, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by Christine Michael after a drive highlighted by a 29-yard scramble from quarterback Johnny Manziel. It marked the 10th game that season in which the Aggies scored first. On Alabama's next possession, Howard Matthews delivered a hit on wide receiver Kenny Bell that deflected the ball into the hands of Sean Porter for an interception, ending McCarron's streak of 292 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.^[45] The Aggies immediately took advantage as Manziel connected with Kenric McNeal for 32 yards to set up first-and-goal. On third down, Manziel escaped pressure, momentarily lost the ball, recovered it, rolled to his left, and threw across his body to Ryan Swope for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Following another Alabama punt, Texas A&M marched 73 yards in 14 plays, capped by Michael's second 1-yard touchdown run of the quarter. Although the extra point was missed, the Aggies led 20–0 at the end of the first quarter. Through Alabama's first nine games, the Crimson Tide had allowed just six first-quarter points while outscoring opponents 104–6. Alabama answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included a successful fourth-and-four conversion and ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by T. J. Yeldon. Texas A&M's next possession ended on a failed fourth-and-six after Manziel's scramble came up one yard short of the first down marker. The Crimson Tide responded with a 10-play, 67-yard drive that ended with an Eddie Lacy 2-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the half, cutting the deficit to 20–14. At halftime, Manziel had completed 15 of 16 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown while adding 82 rushing yards.

Both teams opened the second half with three-and-outs. Texas A&M then punted from deep in its own territory, giving Alabama possession near midfield. The Aggies' defense limited the Crimson Tide to a 28-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal. Texas A&M responded with a methodical 16-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard Taylor Bertolet field goal, extending the lead to 23–17 with 14:16 remaining. After forcing another Alabama three-and-out, the Aggies missed an opportunity to add to their lead when Bertolet's 37-yard field goal attempt was no good. Alabama then drove into Texas A&M territory, highlighted by a 50-yard completion from McCarron to Amari Cooper, but Yeldon fumbled on the next play after being stripped by Steven Terrell, with Dustin Harris recovering for the Aggies. Texas A&M capitalized immediately, as Manziel found Swope for a 42-yard gain on a wheel route before connecting with Malcome Kennedy for a 24-yard touchdown on a corner route on the following play, covering 66 yards in just 33 seconds of game time. Manziel's two-point conversion attempt intended for Mike Evans was incomplete, leaving Texas A&M ahead 29–17 with 8:37 remaining. Alabama answered with a nine-play, 94-yard drive, capped by a 54-yard touchdown pass from McCarron to Cooper to cut the deficit to 29–24. Following an Aggies three-and-out, the Crimson Tide took over at their own 40-yard line with under five minutes remaining. McCarron connected with Bell for 54 yards on the opening play of the drive, giving Alabama first-and-goal. Facing fourth-and-goal from the Texas A&M 2-yard line, McCarron's pass intended for Bell was intercepted by Deshazor Everett. Texas A&M then attempted to run out the clock behind three consecutive carries by Ben Malena, setting up fourth-and-one with under a minute remaining. Alabama was penalized for a neutral zone infraction before the snap while the Aggies were in punt formation, giving Texas A&M a first down and allowing the Aggies to kneel out the remaining time.^[46]

The victory gave Texas A&M its second all-time win over a No. 1-ranked team and its first since defeating Oklahoma in 2002.^[47] Manziel finished 24-of-31 passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns while adding 92 rushing yards.^[48] The victory propelled Manziel into the national spotlight and firmly established him as a leading candidate for the 2012 Heisman Trophy, which he ultimately won.^[49] Swope recorded 11 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, becoming Texas A&M’s career receptions leader, surpassing Jeff Fuller’s previous record of 233 receptions set from 2008–11. Alabama finished the season 13–1 and won the 2013 BCS National Championship Game by defeating Notre Dame, with the loss to Texas A&M standing as its only defeat of the season.^[50]

No. 3 (FCS) Sam Houston State

The matchup featured the 8–2 Texas A&M Aggies against the No. 3 FCS Sam Houston State Bearkats. Texas A&M entered the game one week after its historic 29–24 road victory over No. 1 Alabama, the program's second win over a No. 1-ranked team. The Aggies also held a perfect 10–0 all-time record against Sam Houston State, having won the previous meeting 59–6 in 1997.^[53] The Bearkats entered the contest on a seven-game winning streak with an 8–2 record. Their only other game against an FBS opponent that season came in mid-September, when they lost 48–23 to Baylor, after leading 20–10 at halftime.^[54]

Texas A&M opened the game by converting a fourth-and-one inside the Bearkats' 10-yard line when running back Christine Michael picked up the first down. On the next play, quarterback Johnny Manziel connected with Mike Evans for a 7-yard touchdown, accounting for the only points of the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Manziel found Evans again on third-and-eight for a 10-yard touchdown, their second scoring connection of the game. Following the play, however, Michael was ejected after being assessed a disqualification penalty for throwing a punch. After forcing a Sam Houston State punt, Manziel was intercepted. The Bearkats were unable to capitalize, as quarterback Brian Bell was intercepted by linebacker Donnie Baggs a few plays later, giving Texas A&M favorable field position. Facing third-and-one from the 4-yard line, the Aggies called a designed option to the right. After faking a pitch, Manziel reversed field and eluded three defenders for a 4-yard touchdown run, though the ensuing extra-point attempt was unsuccessful. Following another Bearkats punt, Trey Williams extended the lead with a 6-yard touchdown run. On Sam Houston State's next possession, defensive captain and linebacker Sean Porter forced and recovered a fumble, giving the Aggies possession deep in Bearkats territory with under two minutes remaining in the half. Two plays later, after a 19-yard completion to Uzoma Nwachukwu, Manziel scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give Texas A&M a 34–0 halftime lead.^[55]

Following a Sam Houston State punt to open the second half, Manziel connected with Nwachukwu for an 89-yard touchdown on Texas A&M's first offensive play. Nwachukwu finished with a game-high 160 receiving yards. Manziel then attempted the extra point, which sailed wide right, marking the only extra-point attempt of his Texas A&M career. On the ensuing Sam Houston State punt, backup quarterback Jameill Showers replaced Manziel as the Aggies began substituting reserves. On the first play of the drive, Showers found LeKendrick Williams for an 80-yard touchdown. Sam Houston State answered with an 18-play, 75-yard drive capped by Tim Flanders' 2-yard touchdown run. The Bearkats then recovered a surprise onside kick and capitalized when Brian Bell threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to KJ Williams early in the fourth quarter. Later in the quarter, Sam Houston State scored its third consecutive touchdown after converting a fourth-and-eight, with Frank Ridgeway finishing the drive on a 1-yard touchdown run. On the Aggies' ensuing possession, Williams fumbled after crossing midfield, leading to another Bearkats score. Backup quarterback Chris Grett added a 5-yard touchdown run with under three minutes remaining, completing a stretch of 28 unanswered points. Sam Houston State recovered its second onside kick of the game but was unable to score before time expired.^[56]

The victory gave head coach Kevin Sumlin his ninth win of the season, setting a Texas A&M record for the most victories by a first-year head coach and surpassing the previous mark of eight wins established by Dana X. Bible in 1917 and R. C. Slocum in 1989. Manziel completed the game with 267 passing yards and three touchdowns while adding 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. His 367 yards of total offense increased his season total to 4,161, breaking Jerrod Johnson's school record of 4,085 total yards set in 2009.^[57] He also extended his streak to eight consecutive games with at least 300 yards of total offense. The loss snapped Sam Houston State's seven-game winning streak heading into the 2012 FCS playoffs, while Texas A&M improved to 11–0 all-time against the Bearkats.

Missouri

The matchup featured the 5–6 Missouri Tigers against the No. 9-ranked 9–2 Texas A&M Aggies in the regular-season finale, which also served as Senior Night for the Aggies. It was the 13th meeting between the schools, with Texas A&M leading the all-time series 7–5, although Missouri had won each of the previous three meetings.^[60] For the third consecutive season, the game was played in College Station. The Tigers were without starting quarterback James Franklin, who suffered a concussion in the previous week's loss to Syracuse, making redshirt freshman Corbin Berkstresser his fourth start of the season.^[61]

Missouri won the coin toss and deferred. Texas A&M scored on its opening possession as Johnny Manziel pitched to Christine Michael on a successful option play from the pistol formation for a 1-yard touchdown run. It marked the Aggies' ninth consecutive game with an opening-drive touchdown and their 12th straight game scoring first. After a Missouri punt, Texas A&M marched 87 yards in 15 plays, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Ben Malena. Following Missouri's three-and-out, Manziel injured his left knee on a 7-yard run and briefly left the game. Backup quarterback Jameill Showers entered, and on the next play Michael broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run. Manziel returned midway through the Aggies' next possession wearing a brace on his left knee. During the drive, he surpassed Cam Newton's Southeastern Conference single-season record for total offense, set in 2010, before completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Swope to finish an 11-play, 89-yard drive.^[62] Missouri's next drive ended when Berkstresser completed a 22-yard pass to Marcus Lucas, who fumbled after being stripped by Steven Terrell. Toney Hurd Jr. recovered for Texas A&M near midfield after the turnover was upheld following replay review. The Aggies capitalized with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Manziel to Mike Evans. Following another Missouri punt, Manziel found Uzoma Nwachukwu for an 8-yard touchdown pass, his third touchdown pass of the first half.^[63] Missouri finally reached the end zone in the final minute of the half on a 4-yard touchdown run by Kendial Lawrence, a drive highlighted by a successful fake punt in which the punter rushed 20 yards on fourth-and-three. Texas A&M took a 42–7 lead into halftime.

Missouri opened the second half with a nine-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a 43-yard field goal by Andrew Baggett. Texas A&M answered on its ensuing possession as Manziel capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run. Following a Missouri punt, Taylor Bertolet extended the Aggies' lead with a 50-yard field goal. Missouri responded on its next possession when Berkstresser connected with L'Damian Washington for a 74-yard touchdown, although the extra point attempt was missed. Manziel was intercepted on Texas A&M's ensuing drive, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Berkstresser. The Aggies answered immediately as Manziel completed a 32-yard pass to the Missouri 1-yard line before scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run, his fifth total touchdown of the game. Following another Missouri punt, Manziel was replaced by Showers after the first play of the Aggies' next drive, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. Missouri later capitalized after a punt return gave the Tigers possession in Texas A&M territory as Berkstresser threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dorial Green-Beckham, though the extra point attempt was blocked. In the closing minutes, Floyd Raven Sr. intercepted Berkstresser to seal Texas A&M's 59–29 victory.^[64]

The victory improved Texas A&M to 10–2, while Missouri fell to 5–7, missing bowl eligibility and ending its season.

Vs. No. 11 Oklahoma (Cotton Bowl Classic)