Kevin Minter on A&M:
"They're a very talented offense and we can't just go in there cocky thinking, 'Oh, we got this' ... It can get bad for you real quick with an offense like this." (A&M's offense is far and away the best in the SEC in points per game and yards per game; nationally, they are #5 in the NCAA in points per game and #6 in the NCAA in yards per game)
Minter on Manziel:
"He's surprisingly fast. You don't necessarily know until he's leaving you," Minter said, adding that in watching video, he noticed defenders being caught off guard by Manziel's acceleration and breakaway speed. "You can tell (defenders pursuing Manziel) don't go as fast as they need to and all of a sudden he takes off and they're panicking. He's 30 yards down the field already. So we've got to be able to crowd this guy"
LSU coach Les Miles said he’d like to get at least two guys to "keep a wary eye" on Manziel Saturday, but Minter said the Tigers will definitely have to spy to contain him. "You got to. You gotta have somebody there to keep an eye on him," he said. "If not, he’ll bust one for 70 [yards] real fast."
Bennie Logan on Manziel:
"He's fast, real fast. He's a dual threat quarterback like ones we've faced a couple times this year but he's faster. ... We have to make sure we keep him contained ... Coach was telling us to make sure we stay on our feet when we get to him. Don't try to jump for the ball or anything. Make sure you get him contained and tackle him down low."
Will Muschamp on Manziel:
Florida coach Will Muschamp has the formula for stopping Manziel: constrict the pocket, eliminate running lanes and make him a true pocket passer. Making sure he can’t escape the pocket is essential. "That’s where he scares you," Muschamp said.
"You can't give him escape lanes," Florida Coach Will Muschamp said. "In the first half of that game we were letting him use his legs. You have to constrict the pocket on him and make him a passer in the pocket. You have to put a wall up.
"You have to press the pocket and power rush. Defensive ends want to rush up the field and get sacks, and all that does is open up those escape lanes. Guys like that [Sam? Mingo?] don't help you when you play a guy like him."
Anthony Johnson on Manziel:
"He's a great football player," LSU defensive tackle Anthony Johnson said. For LSU, it comes down to proper technique. "Get pressure up the field," Johnson said. "Man your gaps and be aware of the run plays they have set for him. And make plays in the backfield."
Sam Montgomery on Manziel:
For LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery, talking about how to contain a running quarterback like Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel required space and the ability to demonstrate. "It's one of those things where your hands have to be on the inside," he explained while circled by reporters Monday. He squared up like the questioner was an offensive tackle, using his hands to demonstrate getting "inside" the right shoulder of the questioner. Montgomery shifted his head to the other side of the questioner, hands still to the inside.
"Your hat," he explained, "has to be on the outside."
Arkansas Coach John L. Smith on Manziel:
"He really has a knack for feeling the pocket," Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said of Manziel. "He extends the play and not only that but he makes the plays at the end of it. We didn't have anyone who can catch him. I said going into the game that he's a special player. If I had any answers on how to stop him, we would have used them."
Miles on Manziel:
"It’s going to take all of the strategy and all of the calls to defend a guy like that," Miles said.
"Hopefully we can contain, that's the first piece. ... Hopefully we will use a style of pressure that's most effective. At times it's going to be coverage and keeping him in the pocket, and other times, hopefully we can get to him. Having the opportunity to also cover is a pressure. It will certainly be a mix of weapons, if you will."
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