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Hugh Freeze says Johnny Manziel is the best player he has ever coached against
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Hugh Freeze has been coaching in the SEC in some capacity for 9 years. He has been coaching in college football for 17 years.
He has never seen a player like Johnny Manziel.
The Auburn head coach joined The Next Round this week following a round of golf at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am to talk all things Auburn. During that interview, he was asked to name the greatest player he has ever coached against. Hugh Freeze mentioned former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers later, but Manziel was the immediate name that came to mind.
“He just stole a game from us in Oxford that I just will never forget. I mean, never,” Freeze said. “We had them beat, dead to right. They’re inside the 5-yard-line, gotta go (99) yards. It’s (third)-and-19. The things he did on that drive, you just kind of marvel at.”
Freeze is referencing the 2012 meeting between Texas A&M and Ole Miss. The Aggies outscored the Rebels 13-7 in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback and win 30-27. The Rebels led by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter. A 29-yard touchdown run from Manziel brought the Aggies within 4. Then, a 20-yard pass from Manziel to Ryan Swope with 1:46 to play pushed A&M into the lead.
Manziel ended that day with 191 passing yards, 129 rushing yards, and 2 total touchdowns. In the final 10 minutes of the game, Manziel led an 88-yard scoring drive that began with an 11-yard sack and a near-safety. The Aggies faced a second-and-21 from their own 1-yard-line and scored 3 plays later.
A week later, Manziel produced 576 yards of offense in a 59-57 victory. He’d throw for at least 250 yards in each of his final 8 games that year, with 4 100-yard rushing performances, while being named the Heisman Trophy winner.
That campaign has gone down in history as one of the best Heisman seasons, and Manziel is widely remembered as one of college football’s most entertaining players of all time.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
