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When the LSU Tigers take the field against the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday, they will be going up against Johnny Manziel, who is a dual-threat quarterback. Manziel is not just a quarterback who can extend plays. He can also take off and run the ball with success. So far this year, he has four games where he rushed for over 100 yards, and leads the SEC in rushing yards with 676, as well as touchdowns with 10.
With that type of running ability, it would make sense that an opposing team would have a defensive player spy Manziel. LSU head coach Les Miles recognizes how good Manziel is, but he is not going to utilize a particular player on Manziel:
"I don't know that we use "spy" effectively," Miles said on the SEC coaches teleconference. "We'll certainly keep a wary eye with one or two guys on our defense, not necessarily one guy."
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"Any time a quarterback has the ability to run it - he's their leading rusher - and the ability to throw it as well as he does and extend plays, that's the package," Miles said. "You want to contain, mix strategies, come get him, keep him in the pocket, cover his routes, make pressure of coverage. . . it's going to take all of the strategy and all of the calls to defend a guy like that."
LSU has the second-best defense in college football, so Miles could be correct in that he may not have to have just one player keeping an eye on Manziel to have success in slowing him down.
Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has not even opened up the entire playbook for Manziel, so there is the possibility that he could be even more dangerous as more plays are presented to him. Sumlin also added that that Manziel is not even at his full potential, as he has only played in six games.