Texas A&M Football: Every Johnny Manziel game, ranked
1. No. 15 Texas A&M defeats No. 1 Alabama, 29-24
Nov. 10, 2012
The new kids on the block officially arrived. The Aggies had suffered a few hiccups along the way, but when they rolled into Bryant-Denny Stadium on a fall night in 2012 they had worked out all the kinks.
Sitting at No. 15 in the polls, an upset against the Tide wouldn’t have been classified as improbable, not impossible, entering the game. How it happened was another story entirely.
Three straight first quarter touchdowns, including the most famous fumble-not-fumble in the history of college football, staked the underdog to an early 21-0 lead.
Alabama responded. Nick Saban’s undeterred machine clawed the deficit to three, trailing 17-20 entering the fourth quarter. Following a chip shot field goal by Taylor Bertolet, Manziel led what would become one of the most impressive two-play drives in Texas A&M history (2:31-2:49 below).
Then, after Manziel had carried the ball 18 times for 92 yards and completed 24-of-31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, it all came down to the defense. Trailing by five points, Alabama faced first-and-goal in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The Aggie defense held through the first three plays, setting up a winner-take-all conversion on fourth-and-two from the 2-yard line. One more stand and the Aggies’ would have slayed Goliath in his house.
Then, Deshazor Everret stepped in front of AJ McCarron’s pass and the rest is history. Dave South’s call of the moment couldn’t have been any better.
"The Aggies just caught lightning in a bottle. Oh, man. The Ags have beaten Alabama. A&M did it. They just did it Lightning in a bottle in Tuscaloosa."
Texas A&M has played in several big games. Outside of the 1939 National Championship, none might have been more meaningful than this one. The upset of the undefeated and invincible Alabama Crimson Tide capped off Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Moment and paved the way for a Top 5 finish.
Three teams in Texas A&M history have finished inside the Top 5. The 1939 Championship team (No. 1), Bear Bryant’s 9-0-1 1956 team (No. 5) and Kevin Sumlin (and Johnny Manziel’s) 2012 team (No. 5). The Aggies don’t reach that milestone with Johnny Football.
Next: Latest preseason Top 25 projections entering 2018
Johnny Manziel has already turned into a legendary figure in Texas A&M folk history. But he was a real, and he really did all of the incredible stories that Ags swap at the bar when they want to relive the good ‘ol days. Thanks for everything Johnny. Gig’em.