SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 14, 2012
No. 21 Texas A&M 59, No. 24 Louisiana Tech 57: Johnny Manziel set school and Southeastern Conference records with 577 total yards as the visiting Aggies outlasted the Bulldogs in a wild non-conference showdown.
Manziel, a freshman who entered this weekend sixth in the nation in total offense, threw for 396 yards and ran for a career-best 181 as Texas A&M (5-1) ended Louisiana Tech’s 12-game regular-season winning streak – the longest in the nation.
Bulldogs' quarterback Colby Cameron threw five touchdown passes and wide receiver Quinton Patton tied a school record with 21 catches for a career-high 233 yards.
The Aggies raced to a 27-0 lead midway through the second quarter behind a touchdown pass and a TD run from Manziel and, after the Bulldogs (5-1) answered with their first touchdown, Manziel hit Mike Evans with a 75-yard scoring strike to help Texas A&M establish a 39-16 halftime advantage.
Louisiana Tech staged a furious rally and scored touchdowns on three of its next four possessions, moving to within 46-44 when Shakeil Lucas intercepted a pass from Manziel and returned it for another touchdown. However, Manziel recovered on the next drive with his final touchdown pass and added a 72-yard scoring run down the right sideline with 2:04 remaining.
The Bulldogs refused to back down as Cameron hit Patton for a 62-yard touchdown. Louisiana Tech recovered the subsequent onside kick, leading to a 13-yard touchdown catch by Ray Holley before Cameron’s two-point conversion pass attempt sailed out of bounds.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cameron has 18 touchdowns with no interceptions this season. … Aggies wide receiver Ryan Swope finished with only one catch for five yards, but joined Jeff Fuller as the only players in school history with 200 career catches. … Patton’s 21 catches - a career high - matched Troy Edwards’ mark, set against Nebraska in 1998. ... The teams combined for 1,306 yards.