Texas A & M Heisman hopeful Johnny Manziel threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more as No. 9 Texas A&M beat Missouri 59-29 on Saturday night, ending Mizzou’s first season in the SEC with a 5-7 overall record and 2-6 in conference play.
The Tigers allowed touchdowns on A & M’s first six drives to build a 42-7 halftime lead. Manziel was shaken up on a tackle at the end of a run by E.J. Gaines in the first quarter, but after sitting out four plays (one of which was a 38 yard touchdown run), Manziel threw touchdown passes on three straight possessions to end the first half.
Corbin Berkstresser, filling in for James Franklin who missed the game because of a concussion, was 20 of 38 for 276 yards and two touchdowns. He also got picked off in the fourth quarter after he was hit while throwing a pass in the red zone.
Kendial Lawrence, the senior and native of Texas, rushed for 87 yards and passed 1,000 yards for the season.
The Tigers finish what many will consider a disappointing season, given the fact the team lost games to Vanderbilt and Syracuse late which would have been enough to get them the necessary wins to become bowl eligible. However, Gary Pinkel’s team started the season with an injured quarterback, a banged up offensive line that had just one starter healthy for most of the year, without their top running back from a season ago in Henry Josey, who gained over 1,200 yards, and a schedule that featured four teams in the top nine of the current BCS standings.
