The Student Newspaper of Mississippi State University

The Reflector

The Student Newspaper of Mississippi State University

The Reflector

The Student Newspaper of Mississippi State University

The Reflector

Manziel ready for repeat

It is that time of the year again where people ask the question, “Who will win the Heisman?” Will it be Florida State QB Jameis Winston, Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel or Oregon QB Marcus Mariota? The answer is tough, but it is obviously Manziel. 
Even though it appears to be a two-man race between Manziel and Winston for the Heisman, many football analysts have already given Manziel the nod as their favorite to win the award. He made football history last year when he became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy following a fantastic season. For the second year in a row, he has once again proven to us why he deserves to be this year’s winner of the prestigious award. 
Manziel has improved as a player, and his numbers are a reflection of that. In last week’s game against Mississippi State University, he broke Texas A&M’s school record for passing touchdowns in a single season. With 3,313 yards this year, he is also on pace to throw for more passing yards than he threw for last year. Manziel has more passing touchdowns (31) and a higher completion percentage (73 percent) right now than he had in all of last season when he won the Heisman Trophy. 
Manziel’s talents as a football player cannot be denied. Despite being considered an undersized quarterback, he has shown the ability to do what no one else can do. Each time he steps on the field, he puts on a memorable show for fans and spectators who watch him perform. Manziel expertly eludes defenders and gets away from would-be tacklers, which allows him to extend plays using either his arm or legs. He creates plays that only “Johnny Football” can make, and he brings energy to the game that no other player seems to have. That energy ignites his team and gets the best out of his teammates. 
It is fair to say that no other player in the country has meant more to their team than Manziel.  Out of a total 123 teams in the NCAA FBS, Texas A&M’s defense is ranked No. 103, one of the worst in all of college football. That means most of the team’s success is predicated on the third-ranked offense led by Manziel. 
Week after week he carries the team to victory by putting up huge numbers against some of the nation’s top-ranked football teams. That is no easy challenge for him seeing as he plays in the SEC, a conference considered by most to be the toughest in college football. As a result of playing in the SEC, Manziel takes a beating from opposing SEC defenses that have caused him to become injured in a few games this year. 
Nevertheless, he continues to play through those injuries and still performs at a high level. The only knock against Manziel is the fact that he has already lost two games this season. One of those losses was against No. 1 Alabama. The other was against the No. 7 Auburn Tigers, a game in which Manziel was injured. 
Despite picking up losses, he played some of his best games throwing for more than 450 yards and four or more touchdowns in both games.

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The Student Newspaper of Mississippi State University
Manziel ready for repeat