Countdown to Kickoff: The Heisman Trophy Winner Comes to Town
When Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel led his No. 12 Aggie team out of the visitor’s tunnel and on to the damp Bermuda grass in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2013, there’s no doubt he and his teammates were met with a bemusing sight.
After all, everyone has heard stories about LSU’s Tiger Stadium being bone-dry before a kickoff, so why were there droplets of moisture falling from the sky?
Was it actually raining in Death Valley?
Unfortunately for Manziel and company, they would soon discover that LSU public address announcer Dan Borne’s meteorological report before that 2013 game would amount to the same significance as Manziel’s professional football career: irrelevant.
Nevertheless, Tiger placekicker James Hairston, Jr. teed the ball up, kicked a touchback, and the game was underway on a gray Louisiana afternoon.
The Aggies were faced with a few third and long situations during their first possession, so the opportunity to strike first was punted to LSU, and Tiger coach Les Miles decided to roll the dice early.
On fourth down and inches, Miles opted to sub out starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger for backup Anthony Jennings and positioned him under center. The LSU coaching staff then placed seven offensive linemen on the line of scrimmage and another two offensive linemen in a…unique four-point stance.
My writing ability is not sharp enough to effectively convey the humor of such an absurd pre-snap setup, so I have included a screenshot of the moment pictured above this article.
If pictures are really worth a thousand words, the Miles era at LSU is the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Needless to say, the Tigers failed to convert on fourth down, and Texas A&M received the ball in LSU territory.
Fortunately for LSU, the Aggies also failed to convert a fourth down opportunity of their own after Manziel attempted to scramble for the needed yardage but was beaten to the sticks by Tiger defensive end Danielle Hunter, Jr.
This offensive back-and-forth continued for some time until LSU running back Terrence Magee took a run up the middle for 65 yards down to the Aggie one-yard line where he later finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers took that 7-0 lead into the 2nd quarter, and there was certainly a question as to how much more scoring lay ahead for either team.
However, when it comes to LSU football in the 2010’s, it’s a safe bet to expect the unexpected.
The Tigers capped off their first drive of the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown strike through the air to wide receiver Jarvis Landry, and Texas A&M responded by marching downfield and turning the ball over on downs in a fourth and goal situation.
A 42-yard field goal two possessions later netted the Aggies their first points of the game, but in one of the more impressive offensive drives in the Miles era, Mettenberger passed his way down the field and eventually found Landry for a 40-yard touchdown pass.
Unfazed by the 18-point deficit they were facing, the Aggies ran a decent two-minute drill that culminated in a 51-yard touchdown pass from Manziel to receiver Derel Walker to cut the LSU lead to 21-10 before halftime.
Texas A&M undoubtedly entered the locker room feeling the improvement in its situation. The Aggies had knocked the wind out of LSU’s sails with their last touchdown, and the rain had slacked off enough for Manziel and the offense to overtake the lead in the second half.
These hopes never materialized, and Texas A&M never found the scoreboard in the second half.
Mettenberger and Landry continued to carve through the Aggie defense, and running backs Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard joined in on the fun alongside wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.
LSU took home the unceremonious 34-10 victory and handed Texas A&M its third loss of the season.
Once again, Manziel was hyped by the media on his way to Baton Rouge, and he was once again stifled by an LSU defense led by coordinator John Chavis.
On the opposite side of the ball, Tiger fans began to believe in first year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron whose offense had shown promise all year despite some struggles.
Oh, how blissfully naïve we were.
Still, there was a lot for LSU fans to be optimistic about after their teams eighth win of the season with one more game left to play against Arkansas.
