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Big 12 spring game recap: Texas A&M

What happened:

  • Senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 9 of 14 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown.

  • Christine Michael carried the ball 11 times for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

  • Ryan Swope led all receivers with six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

  • Using a scoring system that grades each play from scrimmage, the offense beat the defense 133-119. Barnburner!

  • An estimated 16,500 fans showed up.

What we learned:

  • Coach Mike Sherman has to be encouraged with the quarterback play down the line. Tannehill had a good day, but the battle at No. 2 looks pretty interesting. My pick to win that No. 2 job, Jamiell Showers, completed 8 of 14 passes for 68 yards, and actually had the worst day of the four passers. Johnny Manziel enrolled early as a freshman and completed 8 of 9 passes for 115 yards and a pair of scores. It's only a scrimmage, yes, but on the biggest stage he's likely ever played on, that's a good sign for Manziel, who may contribute next year rather than redshirt.

  • Good to see Michael have a good day, too, coming back from the broken leg that gave way to a huge year for Cyrus Gray. The performance had to feel good.

  • Texas A&M didn't release full defensive statistics, which are tough to gain much from, but junior Caleb Russell had two sacks playing the Joker position that Von Miller excelled in last season. It sounds like that spot is still Damontre Moore's to lose, but like at quarterback, the depth has to make Sherman smile a bit. The Aggies were missing three starters in the secondary, which definitely had a factor in the high completion percentages from the quarterbacks, but Texas A&M looks pretty solid on both sides of the ball. For them, a team with very few questions, a spring game won't tell you much.

They said it:

"We're looking to be the No. 1 running back tandem in the country."

- Michael, on Texas A&M's running back duo

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