Texas A&M Aggies

Here are a few storylines to watch this spring in the Western Division. Edward took a look at the Eastern Division on Monday.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

Start date: March 16

Spring game: April 20

What to watch:

1. Battling complacency: Alabama is gearing up for yet another title defense. Will complacency finally rear its ugly head? Not if Nick Saban has anything to do with it. The head coach will no doubt remind players of the targets on their backs and what little they've accomplished as presently constituted.
2. Opening up the passing game: The return of AJ McCarron, coupled with a talented, deep crop of receivers, could mean a more wide-open passing game in Tuscaloosa. If true freshman tight end O.J. Howard develops as some expect, the offense could become even more dynamic.

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- When Texas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd stepped in front of a Bo Wallace pass last Saturday and slid safely to the turf to secure one of the Aggies' most thrilling wins in recent memory, teammate Steven Terrell wasn't surprised.

The senior safety has seen Hurd do his due diligence when it comes to film study. It's paying dividends, with Hurd's game-clinching interception being the latest piece of evidence as the Aggies pulled out a 30-27 come-from-behind victory at Ole Miss last week.

"He's been really studying the game," Terrell said. "He really watches a lot of film ... so it's almost like he's out there cheating. He knows exactly when teams are going to stuff and things like that. He's done a great job of triggering and letting go and throwing his body around and things like that. He's been making plays for us since the spring, so it doesn't surprise me that he came up with that game-winning interception."

Hurd, a junior from Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, said he looks at each game like an exam. Taking that approach when looking at video helps him prepare.

"Honestly, I feel like it's like studying for a test," Hurd said. "If they're going to give you the answers, you might as well study them and figure them out while you can. It gets you ahead and it gives you an edge going into the game."

Going back to his Marshall days, Hurd has been a student of the game. He attributes his improvement in that department to former Aggies cornerback Terrence Frederick, another Houston-area product, who was Hurd's teammate for the last two years.

"Honestly, T-Fred taught me how to watch film," Hurd said. "I kind of look at it from a receiver's point of view. What are they thinking? When they see me in front of them, inside or outside leverage, what are they thinking? Then from there, I make my game plan of what I want to do and how I'm going to try to trick them, because all they're trying to do is line up and trick us. So I try to figure out, according to the formation and where the back is aligned and where they're at on the field, what I can do to get an edge."

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Despite turning the ball over six times, Texas A&M escaped Oxford, Miss., with a thrilling 30-27 win over Mississippi on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Let's break it down:

It was over when: Texas A&M junior defensive back Toney Hurd stepped in front of a Bo Wallace pass and intercepted it with 1:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. On a night when the Aggies turned it over so many times, it was Hurd who snagged an Ole Miss turnover to seal the deal and allow the Aggies to secure the victory.

Game ball goes to: The Aggies' front seven. Despite being put in some tough positions, the Aggies defense made some big plays and key stops. One was a 37-yard interception return by linebacker Steven Jenkins, as Sean Porter forced Bo Wallace to rush the throw, that tied the ballgame 17-17 in the second quarter. Porter came up with a huge stop in the fourth quarter to keep Jeff Scott from getting a first down on third-and-2 and Jonathan Stewart came up with perhaps the biggest stop of the night, halting Scott on fourth-and-inches at the Ole Miss 39 with 3:02 remaining. That gave Texas A&M possession for its game-winning scoring drive. Damontre Moore was once again in the backfield, registering his seventh sack of the year and defensive tackle Spencer Nealy was a constant force.

Game ball, Part 2: The Aggies' offensive line. They paved the way for Ben Malena to post a season-high 142 rushing yards and they gave redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel all kinds of time in the pocket. The unit has been solid in pass protection all season long and Saturday was no exception. It was probably their best effort in the running game.

Rising star: Hurd. He's been coming on as of late and he came up with the huge play at a critical time, intercepting Wallace on the Rebels' final drive. Without the turnover, the Rebels were at least in game-tying field goal range. Hurd had six tackles in addition to the pick.

What it means: The fact that the Aggies could have so many things go wrong -- six turnovers, Manziel looking like a freshman, missed tackles on defense -- and still come up with a road win in the Southeastern Conference says a lot. Texas A&M is now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference and it's becoming more and more clear by the week that they're going to be a factor in the SEC West.

The legend of Johnny Manziel continues to grow.

No, Texas A&M's freshman quarterback was nowhere near as impressive as his 453 yards and three touchdowns in last week's drubbing of Arkansas. In fact, he contributed to three of the Aggies six turnovers in Texas A&M's 30-27 win against Ole Miss on Saturday night.

Manziel's performance against the Rebels might have been more impressive, though -- if not as statistically sound. Trailing 27-17 in the fourth quarter of the first SEC road game of his career, Manziel led Texas A&M on scoring drives of 88 and 39 yards in less than nine minutes to steal a 30-27 win from Ole Miss.

It looked for all the world that the Rebels had sealed their first SEC victory in more than two years when they recovered a muffed punt on Texas A&M's 5-yard line in the last minute of the third quarter. Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace found wide receiver Donte Moncrief for a 4-yard touchdown two plays later, and the Rebels held what looked like an insurmountable 10-point lead.

Manziel didn't do much to dispel that notion when he threw his second interception of the night on his first drive of the fourth quarter. Five minutes later the freshman came inches away from a safety when he was sacked near his own goal line. But the magic kicked in on 3rd-and-19 from the Aggies' 3-yard line, when Manziel found Mike Evans for an improbable 32-yard gain.

Two plays later, Manziel darted around four Ole Miss defenders and raced 29 yards to a touchdown to cut the score to 27-23. Faced with giving the ball back to Manziel, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 from his own 39 -- a run the Aggies promptly stuffed.

From there, Manziel needed just four plays to find receiver Ryan Swope for a 20-yard touchdown and the lead with just 1:46 to play. Wallace, who threw for a career-high 305 yards on the night, could not hold serve on Ole Miss' last-gasp drive, as he tossed his second pick of the night to the Aggies defense.

All told, Manziel threw for 191 yards and a score, and he provided 129 of the Aggies' whopping 290 rushing yards. Since dropping the season opener to Florida, the freshman has led Texas A&M to a 4-1 record and a 2-1 mark in its new conference. Not too shabby.

Texas A&M has had its struggles, turning the ball over three times in the first half, but they enter the locker room knotted up with Mississippi at 17-17 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.

Stat of the half: The Aggies have turned the ball over three times tonight, a season high. Coming into the season, Texas A&M had tied for the fewest turnovers in the country with West Virginia (one), but it's been a sloppy first half in that department. Johnny Manziel committed his first turnover with an interception and running back Christine Michael and receiver Ryan Swope each have lost a fumble.

Player of the half: Texas A&M running back Ben Malena. He recorded the Aggies' first touchdown (a 59-yard run in the game's first minute) and has 85 rushing yards on 11 carries, an average of 7.7 yards a tote. He has also had some nice blitz pickups in the passing game. And most importantly, he has taken care of the ball when he's had it in his hands.

What’s working for the Aggies: Defensive pressure. The Aggies have been able to hassle Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace, sacking him once, forcing a turnover when Sean Porter nearly sacked him before Steven Jenkins got a 37-yard interception return, and they have three quarterback hurries. The defense as a whole has been solid overall, even though it has had its not-so-bright spots (the opening drive and the two-play, 82-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter).

What’s not working for the Aggies: Ball security. That's the biggest issue so far. Also, Manziel has been given plenty of time in the pocket to pass by his offensive line, but will have to do a better job of finding receivers downfield. Several times he had plenty of time only to tuck and run it. He hasn't been bad, but he could be better.

What Texas A&M needs to do to win: Take better care of the ball. If the Aggies don't turn it over again, they have enough firepower and the defense is playing well enough for the Aggies to come away with a tough road win.

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin has heard an awful lot about his offense in the past few weeks. But he's turned some of his focus to the offense he'll face this weekend in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss might be coming off of a 19-point loss to No. 1 Alabama, but Sumlin isn't overlooking the ability the Rebels have in their offensive arsenal, saying the defensive preparation for this week has been "pretty tedious" with all the formations, shifts and movements he expects to see from the Rebels.

Currently, Ole Miss has the SEC's No. 4 offense (434 yards per game).

While the Rebels are dealing with yet another quarterback battle on their hands, Sumlin said there's potential for a lot of firepower out of Ole Miss' running game. The Rebels own the SEC's No. 4 rushing offense (224.2) and it is ranked 21st nationally.

Bo Wallace and Barry Brunetti might be fighting for the starting spot at quarterback, but both can be very dangerous with their legs. Wallace has rushed for 165 yard this season, and Brunetti has rushed for 154.

Sumlin has also paid a lot of attention to running backs Jeff Scott and Randall Mackey, who have run for 317 and 204 yards, respectively.

"Randall Mackey and Jeff Scott back there can really fly," Sumlin said.

One thing that will help the Aggies is that Ole Miss' up-tempo, no-huddle offense is very similar to the one the Aggies run. Having to face that sort of offense every day in practice should prepare A&M for most of what they'll see from Ole Miss on Saturday.

"Fortunately, we're a no-huddle team, too," Sumlin said. "So the ability to adjust on the fly shouldn't be as difficult for us as it is for some."

Sumlin also expects his defense to continue its current run of keeping teams away from the end zone. In the past three games (all wins), the Aggies have allowed just 27 points. The Rebels might have some flash to their offense, but Sumlin is hoping his defense will help take some shine off the Rebels this weekend.

"Our defense has been pretty sound this year, and I don't expect that to change very much this week," he said.

Here's a quick primer for Week 2 in the SEC:

SATURDAY

Auburn (0-1) at Mississippi State (1-0), Noon ET, ESPN: Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is looking for his first win against a West opponent not named Ole Miss. Auburn is looking to rebound after its rush defense was shredded against Clemson. It won't get easier for that defense Saturday. This game set the tone for both teams last year and probably will again.

East Carolina (1-0) at No. 9 South Carolina (1-0), 12:21 p.m. ET, SEC Network: Quarterback Connor Shaw's shoulder will be monitored all week, and the receivers have got to step up this week. The good news is that Marcus Lattimore shook off the rust early in his return against Vanderbilt and is back to his bullish ways. The Gamecocks know all too well that they can't sleep on the Pirates, so the focus should be good this week.

No. 23 Florida (1-0) at Texas A&M (0-0), 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Gators have named Jeff Driskel the starting quarterback and that's a step in the right direction. This offense struggled mightily in the opener, but now those players know who their quarterback is. That can only help with chemistry and timing. The Aggies are opening the season with Florida after their original opener was postponed. Florida's defense could provide first-time starting quarterback Johnny Manziel with a bunch of problems, but this team will be itching to get on the field. Expect an electric environment in College Station.

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Heading into the spring, the SEC had a few fun quarterback races to watch in both divisions. Some of those battles have come to an end, while a few still remain.

Let's take a look at each one from the spring and see where they currently stand:

AUBURN

The matchup: Sophomore Kiehl Frazier left the spring with the edge because he took most of the reps, as a sore shoulder sidelined junior Clint Moseley. This fall, freshman Jonathan Wallace entered the race and has continued to impress Auburn's staff.

The winner is: Frazier has the most athleticism and has felt much more comfortable throwing the ball with help from first-year offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. While coach Gene Chizik continues to say the race is even between Frazier and Moseley, who is still dealing with shoulder soreness, we'll go with Frazier because of overall talent. He can make more plays with his feet and if his arm really does improve, he could be a solid dual-threat QB in this league.

FLORIDA

The matchup: This two-horse race between Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel has been intense since the spring. Brissett has had a little bit of the edge because of his game experience last year, but Driskel has made tremendous strides under the direction of new offensive coordinator Brent Pease.

The winner is: Will Muschamp continues to say the race is dead even. Driskel's bruised shoulder didn't even complicate the race. It doesn't sound like anyone really knows who has outperformed the other, but the concensus is the team and the coaches can win with either. With that said, Brissett has more experience and we assume is completely healthy, so we'll go with him, but both should play in the opener.

KENTUCKY

The matchup: Sophomore Maxwell Smith took all of the first-team reps this spring, while senior Morgan Newton recovered from shoulder surgery. However, Newton returned to get back into the race this fall. Joining them this fall were freshmen Patrick Towles and Jalen Whitlow.

The winner is: Smith. Joker Phillips named Smith the starter on Monday, so this race has come to an end. The offense can now focus on running around Smith, who has been the most consistent of Kentucky's quarterbacks since the spring. This isn't a surprise.

OLE MISS

The matchup: Neither of Hugh Freeze's quarterbacks have proven much at all and have struggled with consistency since spring. Barry Brunetti was given the starting job at the beginning of last season, but lost it almost immediately, and Bo Wallace is fresh off a season in the junior college ranks. Wallace, however, did spend a year with Freeze at Arkansas State.

The winner is: Wallace seemed to have the edge for part of the spring, and then lost it as Brunetti got more comfortable with Freeze's offense. Both quarterbacks and Freeze felt things were very even heading into champ, but Wallace has had a much stronger champ. Both could end up playing in the opener, but we'll go with Wallace.

TEXAS A&M

The matchup: Sophomore Jameill Showers, who has the only game experience at quarter, and redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel were nearly neck-and-neck for most of the spring, but Showers seemed to pull away little toward the end. Sophomore Matt Joeckel and true freshman Matt Davis also competed this spring.

The winner is: Manziel. It seemed as though Showers had the edge in this one, but Manziel outplayed him during fall camp. After a solid outing during one of the Aggies' scrimmages, coach Kevin Sumlin decided to end the battle and give the starting job to Manziel.

VANDERBILT

The matchup: Jordan Rodgers replaced Larry Smith last season, but still showed inconsistency on the field at times. So, this spring, he had a battle on his hands with Wyoming transfer Austyn Carta-Samuels, who was the Mountain West's Freshman of the Year in 2009.

The winner: Rodgers. This was probably always his job to lose, and he didn't. He had a very good spring and fall camp. Rodgers said this summer that he felt way more comfortable with the people around him this spring and is poised to have a much better year this fall.

Transfers can often times be the great equalizer, both junior college transfers and major college transfers.

It’s safe to say that Cam Newton made a difference on Auburn’s 2010 national championship team. And for that matter, so did Nick Fairley. Both were junior college transfers.

A year ago, cornerback DeQuan Menzie was a stabilizing force in Alabama’s defensive secondary and one of the Crimson Tide’s most dependable players on their 2011 national championship team. Menzie was also a junior college transfer.

Terrence Cody, yet another junior college transfer, was a major part of Alabama’s 2009 national championship defense.

Who will be those impact transfers in 2012 that make a difference? Here are 10 to watch in the SEC. They’re listed alphabetically:

Denico Autry, DE, Mississippi State: One of the most heralded junior college prospects in the country, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Autry made quite an impression this spring. He’s an explosive pass-rusher the Bulldogs hope will give them the edge pressure they lacked last season.

Deion Belue, CB, Alabama: It didn’t take Belue long to make his presence felt this spring. He took an interception back 97 yards for a touchdown in the Crimson Tide’s first scrimmage. Belue’s a quick learner and one of the favorites to start at the other cornerback opposite Dee Milliner.

Pierce Burton, OT, Ole Miss: He started his career at San Jose State and then transferred to City College of San Francisco. It looked like Burton would continue his career at Florida, but Hugh Freeze was able to sway him to Ole Miss. Burton was good enough this spring that he’ll go into the season as the Rebels’ starting right tackle.

Austin Flynn, DE, Arkansas: The Hogs already needed some pass-rushing help at end with Jake Bequette departing. That need was only magnified after Tenarius Wright moved to linebacker this spring. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Flynn was a big get out of junior college and showed the kind of strength and power this spring that could make him an immediate starter.

Damien Jacobs, DT, Florida: Originally committed to Tennessee out of East Mississippi Community College, Jacobs changed his mind and signed with the Gators. Florida coach Will Muschamp liked what he saw this spring and thinks the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Jacobs will be a big part of the rotation at tackle this fall.

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee: The expectations get loftier by the day for Patterson, who joins an already talented Tennessee receiving corps. The 6-foot-4 Patterson recently weighed in at 225 pounds and has track speed. He wasn’t on campus in time to go through spring practice, but scored 24 touchdowns last season at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College.

Jay Prosch, FB, Auburn: The Tigers were looking for that enforcer in their running game, and they think they’ve found him in the 253-pound Prosch. A transfer from Illinois, Prosch was granted a waiver by the NCAA and will be eligible to play this season. He’s a battering ram as a blocker and also an excellent special teams player.

Darrington Sentimore, DE, Tennessee: Had Sentimore not landed in the doghouse at Alabama toward the end of the 2010 season, he’d probably be starting for the Crimson Tide this fall. Instead, he’s expected to bolster the Vols’ defensive line as they move to a 3-4 scheme. Sentimore reunites with Sal Sunseri after spending last season at Gulf Coast (Miss.) Community College.

Bo Wallace, QB, Ole Miss: Wallace was the national junior college player of the year last season and set all sorts of junior college records, including 53 touchdown passes at East Mississippi Community College. He will continue his battle with Barry Brunetti for the Rebels’ starting quarterback job this preseason.

Brandon Williams, RB, Texas A&M: The Aggies were already excited about getting Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma. But then he went out and put on a show this spring, further whetting everyone’s appetite in College Station. The only question is whether the 6-foot, 192-pound Williams will be eligible this fall. The Aggies expect an answer from the NCAA in August.