Post-Game Review: Texas A&M 56, Vanderbilt 24

Johnny Manziel, showing no ill effects of a shoulder injury that left his status in doubt, passed for 305 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters of play to lead Texas A&M over Vanderbilt, 56-24, Saturday at Kyle Field.

The Aggies (6-2, 3-2 SEC) jumped out to a 28-0 lead and then staved off a mild Vandy rally to post arguably their most impressive victory of the season. Here’s a look at some of the highlights and top plays from the win which — by the way — clinched bowl eligibility.

Rising: Manziel’s legend keeps growing. Although A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said he was uncertain which quarterback he’d start until pregame warmups, Manziel wasted no time in demonstrating he was at top form. He completed all 10 passes he attempted on an opening touchdown drive; he actually completed 12 of his first 13 passes. The incompletion was a drop by LaQuvionte Gonzalez that would have gone for a 64-yard touchdown.

Of course, Gonzalez caught a seven-yard touchdown pass later in that drive. Manziel threw touchdown passes to end A&M’s first three possessions. He added another to Derel Walker in the third quarter. It marked the fifth game this season that Manziel has thrown three or more touchdown passes.

Falling: The SEC career receiving yardage record — Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews set a new standard. He actually tied the record of 3,093 yards set by Terrence Edwards of Georgia with a 13-yard reception in the second quarter; he broke the record with a 17-yard catch later in that frame. Matthews finished with eight catches for 92 yards to extend his career yardage and SEC record to 3,172 yards.

Best hit: Early in the second quarter Vanderbilt QB Patton Robinette rolled right looking for a receiver. Instead, he found himself in the path of freshman LB Darian Claiborne. Claiborne drilled Robinette in the chest, lifted him and body slammed him to the ground for a two-yard loss to the Vandy 23. He was credited with a sack.

Best hands: Walker leaped up and reached over Vanderbilt's Paris Head to make a circus catch on a pass from Manziel on third-and-nine midway through the first quarter. It was so good that side judge Jesse Dupuy didn’t believe it was a catch. Dupuy called the pass incomplete, ruling that Walker came down out of bounds. But replays showed Walker’s left foot came down in bounds before he and Head fell into the Vanderbilt bench area.

The call reversal gave Walker a 32-yard reception to the Vandy 33-yard line. Three plays later, the Aggies scored their second touchdown.

Turning point: Howard Matthews’ 26-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half was big. The fact that it staked Texas A&M to a 35-17 lead was even bigger. Vanderbilt had bounced back from an early 28-0 deficit to score 17 unanswered points to close the first half. Riding a wave of momentum, the Commodores took the second half kickoff and had a chance to pull within four points with a touchdown. But Matthews, playing close to the line of scrimmage, stepped in front of Robinette’s pass to Jonathan Krause and dashed untouched into the end zone. An A&M victory was never in question after that.

Standing 'O': The much-maligned Texas A&M defense got a measure of redemption with an impressive showing in which the Aggies allowed 329 yards, claimed three interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — posted seven sacks and “limited” Matthews to eight catches for 92 yards. True, Vanderbilt's Robinette made his first career start and was eventually replaced by sophomore Josh Grady. But the fact remains A&M’s defense responded to a week of constant criticism to turn in perhaps its best performance of the season.