Exclusive: Malcome Kennedy reacts to A&M's new reality

Billy Liucci: I’m joined by Malcolm Kennedy today, pride of Cayuga, Texas. Just take us through that touchdown, the game-winner that will probably be forever etched in A&M football lore.

Malcolm Kennedy: “It was just a basic corner route, three receivers to the side. I just had to beat the man coverage and we work on that all the time, especially in the red zone, just working on beating your man, and I beat him. Johnny (Manziel) made the perfect over-the-shoulder throw and all I had to do was concentrate and catch it and take it in.”

BL: It wasn’t an easy catch, though. Was there a point when you were going “Alright, am I going to get under this thing or not?”

Kennedy: “I mean, my heart was desired on going to snag that ball. I knew it was the game winner, so I just had to focus and once I got one hand on it, I knew I’d be able to get two and that’s all I needed.”

BL: For those of us that have not caught a touchdown pass in front of 100,000 people to knock off the defending national champs, describe the feeling at that moment, and then when you got home that night or the next day, when you just got to soak it in.

Kennedy: “That moment was weird. I’m a weird person, so I caught it and the crowd was of course silenced because they couldn’t believe it, and then I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh there’s a penalty!’ But I said ‘oh well,’ and I just started celebrating and it turned out to be a touchdown. The feeling was unreal.

"It was good to celebrate there with the team, and that night, it still stuck with me. With us being a fast moving team, I just started saying that that was a good touchdown and that was a good pass and a good game, beating number one, but now we have to focus on our next game.”

BL: This week coming up, you’re playing a good FCS team, but it’s an FCS team. You played the number one team, now you’re playing a team that has that label in front of it, but then again does it get your attention that they played for the national title last year in their division?

Kennedy: “Oh it does, and we realize that. We give every team credit. Alabama was number one and they got beat by number 15. It doesn’t matter who you are, you just have to come ready to play every day and it’s something that all athletes learn and all athletes know. We know that if we play our game, we’ll be fine, but if we go out there and mess around, then they’re a very good team that is capable of embarrassing us on Kyle Field.”

BL: And that is kind of the Kevin Sumlin approach this year. How much does that benefit you guys? It’s cliché, but you guys have completely bought in and you’re doing this thing literally one week at a time. He told me last week that there are no schedules in the building now.

Kennedy: “Every week we go in to team meetings and he says that this week we need to be 1-0. Every week it is our goal to accomplish that and its been a good goal, and Coach Sumlin keeps it real with us and he lets us know what’s going on and how to do things and so far it has been the best thing that could happen to us.”

BL: I want to go back to this Alabama game. It was 20-0 in the first quarter against a defense that had allowed six first-quarter points all year. What is the biggest factor in Texas A&M racing out to these early leads? It just doesn’t seem to matter who the opponent is. Is it the tempo and that teams just can’t simulate it in practice? Is it Johnny’s ability to extend drives? Is it the focus that you guys are coming out with?

Kennedy: “You hit it perfectly. It’s collectively all of that. We come out with confidence and we know that if we get an early lead, it’s just amazing that we can do that and keep doing that over and over. I think that it does have a lot to do with Johnny and the way he can extend plays, and that we have playmakers everywhere.

"I love that there’s so much attention that defenses have to pay to Johnny, and then you realize we have three of the greatest backs in the nation, and then we have a plethora of receivers that people don’t even know about. They come in and defenses are like, ‘Aw, this guy is second, third string,’ but he comes in and he does what he has to do and people realize that this A&M offense is something to be reckoned with.”

BL: Talk about two of those receivers and two guys that are approaching 1,000 yards, Mike Evans and Ryan Swope. Evans has been playing hurt for about six weeks now, so talk about the job he’s doing, then Ryan Swope, a record-setting career, probably his finest moment as an Aggie on Saturday night and the game he had.

Kennedy: “To start with Mike Evans, he’s an incredible guy. He redshirted his first year of course, and he’s a big receiver. He only played high school football for one year and that was his senior year. He was a basketball player, so that’s where his jumping ability comes from, and he strains for yards. He’s a really strong guy. With Ryan Swope, he’s always been a guy that makes plays after the catch. He blocks incredibly, he’s a real strong guy with super NFL potential. He’s just a great character. He does everything right and he’s really fundamental. Those two guys make a great pair of receivers.”

BL: Should Johnny Manziel win the Heisman trophy as a freshman?

Kennedy: “Of course, definitely! There are always going to be critics, there are always going to be people who believe that he shouldn’t because he’s a freshman or this and that, but football is football and that’s what makes this sport so great. Anything can be done and he deserves it, so I think so.”

BL: I’m going to talk about your recruitment real quick, your background. This is one of the first times you’ve been put out there in front of the media. As A&M was one of your first offers, you committed and never looked back. Take us through your recruitment. You were with your teammate at the time, Trayon Shead, and you guys came up and you walked away with an offer, and it was over pretty shortly after that, wasn’t it?

Kennedy: “I came over here with Traylon and Coach Jordan was recruiting him as a running back, and he verbally committed and I committed. I was ready. I saw the tradition and I just loved the school atmosphere. I committed when they offered to me and that was pretty much it for me. He ended up going to Texas, but this has been my home ever since then.”

Kennedy: “All the time. The whole football team, everybody is so athletic. I love going to the rec and just hoopin’ it up. It’s good to see the other players that can hoop as well.”

BL: I want to talk about, before we go, confidence with this football team. I don’t imagine, knowing Coach Sumlin for a while, that there was a real fiery locker room speech before the game. You guys came out and looked ready to play football. In one year’s time, you guys have become such an incredibly confident team, not only before games, but also leading up to them, and during games when things start to not go your way. What has been the biggest change?

Kennedy: “It’s funny that you said that because Coach Sumlin said the exact same thing. He was saying that he doesn’t need to give a speech before this game. If you’re not fired up, then you’re not ready, and that alone was enough. I think what has gotten us to be the better team this year is the way we work out and prepare.

"Coach Jackson got us so mentally and physically prepared for any game and any situation, and just us not wanting to have a year like we did last year. Wanting to keep our morale up and make the 12th man proud. I just feel like all of that collectively is what really helps us make it through games.”

BL: Finally, all this talk about A&M’s offense. That defensive stand, four plays from the  five yard line. Have you ever seen better defense?

Kennedy: “That’s heart. That’s what you have to except from the Wrecking Crew. They do it all the time, and it’s funny because that last play they ran, a couple defensive guys came up to me and said that they worked on that play all week and they messed it up. Finally, in game time, when they ran that play, Deshazor (Everett) did exactly what he needed to do and better. He got the interception, not only deflecting the ball.

"That’s just the type of heart you need to play with, and they played one of the best games I’ve ever seen a defense play. Alabama came into that game with a plus-five turnover margin and they left with minus-three, so that was crazy.”

BL: How many phone calls and well wishes have come from your hometown of about 400 people? How many of those 400 have reached out to you this week on Facebook or through text messages?

Kennedy: “It’s crazy. I don’t have a twitter, but everything else. I don’t even know what to say. I try to say thank you to everybody because everyone is supporting me and backing me up, so I appreciate everybody. I just try to do what I can and it’s been a blessing.”