Manziel builds on Heisman case in A&M’s rout of SHSU

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COLLEGE STATION — When Heisman Trophy voters scan the statistics in weighing Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel as a candidate, they'll come across one truly setting him apart from his competition.

PATs: 0-1. In plain English: Zero for one on extra-point attempts.

Following a stretch of three grueling Southeastern Conference road victories, coach Kevin Sumlin opted for a bit of levity in the second half of A&M's 47-28 slamming of Sam Houston State on Saturday at Kyle Field.

So he trotted out Manziel, who'd just hooked up with receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu for an 89-yard touchdown pass, to try the extra point. The record-setting quarterback booted the ball wide right on a kick better resembling a halftime contest than live action.

"Wish he would have made that one," A&M safety Steven Terrell said. "That might have made ESPN or something."

A grinning Nwachukwu said he thought on the sideline, "C'mon, Johnny, you're better than that!"

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) scrambles past Sam Houston State defensive back Mike Littleton (27) during the first half of a college football game at Kyle Field, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, in College Station. less Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) scrambles past Sam Houston State defensive back Mike Littleton (27) during the first half of a college football game at Kyle Field, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, in College ... more Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Manziel builds on Heisman case in A&M’s rout of SHSU 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

Rare milestone for QB

Manziel's performance in every other category was more fitting of his considerable skills.

He accounted for five touchdowns, rushing for two, throwing for two to fellow freshman Mike Evans and throwing the final one to Nwachukwu in a little more than two quarters of play against the FCS squad.

In throwing for 267 yards (14-of-20) and rushing for another 100 on 16 carries, he also became the first freshman in NCAA history, and fifth player overall, to reach 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season.

The Bearkats' defense helped light Manziel's fire with aggressive, physical play that also resulted in a couple of SHSU personal fouls.

"He's a fiery guy, and if you push his button, that's his 'on' button," Nwachukwu said.

Sumlin has not allowed Manziel to visit with the media this season, per his policy for freshmen. As for letting Manziel try the kick?

"It's a long season, and we've gone 11 straight weeks without a bye," Sumlin said. "You try different things to keep the energy level up and keep it fun. He made one on Thursday. I thought we'd give it a shot."

Manziel exited the blowout following the 9-2 Aggies' first drive of the third quarter, and backups Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel played the rest of the way. About that same time Sumlin began making wholesale substitutions, and the Aggies watched a 47-0 lead dwindle to the final score.

"We need our '2s' to play better and finish games," Terrell said.

A&M's low point of the game came when senior running back Christine Michael threw a punch and was ejected.

"I feel for the guy, he's definitely charged up when he steps on the field," said Nwachukwu, who added that the Aggies must be smarter when an opponent tries drawing them into a physical exchange.

Moving on

Despite the setback, SHSU (8-3), which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped, has its eyes on a different prize: the FCS playoffs. The Bearkats advanced to the national title game last season before falling to North Dakota State.

"I told our guys in the locker room we need to put this game behind us," SHSU coach Willie Fritz said.

Over in the other locker room, Manziel likely was trying to put his errant kick behind him as the Aggies move on to host Missouri on Saturday to finish the regular season.

brent.zwerneman@chron.com

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