No Johnny, no sweat

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Cleveland Browns have an open date this weekend, and Kenny Hill said he's heard the rumors that Johnny Manziel might attend Saturday's Arkansas-Texas A&M game at AT&T Stadium.

Manziel was Hill's predecessor as Texas A&M's quarterback and won the 2012 Heisman Trophy before moving onto the NFL, where he is a backup quarterback for the Browns. Hill told reporters Tuesday that if Manziel shows up, he'll get lots of attention during CBS' national telecast.

That may be true, but the Aggies don't seem to be missing Manziel. Texas A&M is ranked No. 6 and will be going for its first 5-0 start since 2001 this weekend in Arlington, Texas.

It sounds crazy considering Manziel's numbers the previous two seasons (7,820 passing yards and 63 touchdowns and 2,169 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns) while leading Texas A&M to a 20-6 record, but Hill quickly has become a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Hill, a redshirt sophomore, put himself in the national spotlight when he opened the season Aug. 28 by completing 44 of 60 passes for a school-record 511 yards in the Aggies' 52-28 victory at South Carolina. He broke the record of 464 yards set by Manziel against Alabama last season.

After three more starts against Lamar, Rice and SMU, Hill has completed 97 of 139 passes (69.8 percent) for 1,359 yards and 13 touchdowns. His lone interception came in last week's 58-6 victory at SMU, but Aggies Coach Kevin Sumlin said receiver Ricky Seals-Jones didn't get a signal and ran the wrong route on the play.

Hill ranks third in USA Today's Heisman Trophy poll behind Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and Georgia running back Todd Gurley.

"The goal is to win a national championship," Hill said Tuesday when asked about his Heisman Trophy candidacy. "It's not to win the Heisman."

Hill, whose father Ken Hill pitched 14 seasons in the major leagues, starred at Southlake Carroll High School in suburban Dallas and beat out freshman Kyle Allen -- the nation's top high school quarterback according to some recruiting services -- for the job as Manziel's replacement.

Sumlin said Hill has made gradual improvement as the coaches continue to expand the playbook for him.

"We're starting to give him more offense week by week," Sumlin said. "I think he's been steady and reliable, and really that's what you would ask out of a young quarterback that hasn't had a lot of experience. From that standpoint, I think he's been very effective."

Hill has done a good job of handling his new-found celebrity, a nice change for Sumlin and the Aggies after Manziel's partying drew a lot of unwanted attention.

"You haven't heard a whole bunch out of Kenny," Sumlin said.

Hill has a policy of politely declining to pose for pictures.

"I'm just trying to live how I've always lived," Hill said earlier this season. "It's one of those things where Johnny got into so much trouble with pictures."

Hill is trying to be careful to avoid off-the-field problems that have plagued Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, last season's Heisman Trophy winner who was suspended for the Seminoles' game against Clemson last week.

"You just always have to be careful," Hill said Tuesday of being a high-profile player. "That's what the coaches here tell me -- you have to watch your back and be careful about what you're doing because you're under a microscope. Especially with social media, everything gets blown up."

Hill played only the first half at SMU and completed 16 of 22 passes for 265 yards as the Aggies took a 38-3 lead.

"The game has slowed down for me," he said. "I'm confident out there."

Hill had a 58-yard run against SMU to set up a touchdown.

"I don't like doing that, but I can," he said.

Manziel was one of three Aggies selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft along with offensive tackle Jake Matthews and receiver Michael Evans, but Sumlin said he isn't surprised by his team's start.

"We have expectations," Sumlin said. "We may have surprised some other people, but I've said since last summer whoever we were going to play at quarterback was going to be talented, but they were going to be young.

"It was incumbent on the other 10 players and the coaches to make this offense quarterback-friendly, and we had to improve on defense."

Sumlin said those things have happened, especially the part about the defense improving. The Aggies have 17 sacks, led by freshman defensive end Myles Garrett's 5 1/2.

Returning all of the specialists from last season, Sumlin said, also has been big. Hill's play and his ability to handle pressure overshadow whatever else the Aggies are doing considering the player he had to replace.

"I think I've come along all right," Hill said. "I've had moments when I haven't done too well, but I've had moments when I've done great. I think I just need to be more consistent."

Sumlin said Hill benefited from playing for a high-profile program like Southlake Carroll -- which also produced Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel and Alabama quarterback Greg McElory -- and having a father who was a professional athlete.

"He's been around it all his life," Sumlin said. "I think he's probably handling it as well as anybody."

Sports on 09/24/2014