Exclusive: Sumlin reviews season, steers A&M to final test

Top quotes from one-on-one with Kevin Sumlin

Sumlin on gearing up for the Cotton Bowl…

“We did a lot with the young guys prior to Christmas. We had finals the week before and then school was out. We went that whole week, Monday through Saturday the 22nd. We had a few practices on Oklahoma starting about Thursday and then got back Thursday of this week to really get going.

“The response has been good. We had a quick workout yesterday and had Coach (Larry) Jackson running a little bit of the Christmas cheer out of them the last couple of mornings. We have a really rigorous practice today with full pads before we have a quick one in the morning and head up to Dallas.”

On the attention A&M has received because of this season…

“I think it says a lot. Fortunately for me, it isn’t the first time I’ve been through a bunch of these things. Being at Oklahoma and what happened there, and even at Houston with Case (Keenum) being in Orlando. We have experience with dealing with bowl games and practices, but for Texas A&M it’s a big deal.

“That’s free advertising and free exposure for not just our football program, but for the university and all programs. I think our whole athletic department benefits from it. I think our university benefits from it, and for us individually as a sport, to have what happened in Orlando at the Home Depot Awards was a big deal. To win an Outland and a Davy O’Brien, that’s a big night. The Heisman a couple of days later, you can’t put a price on it.

“I think for us, so many times people have talked about our offense being gimmicky or a system with a ‘system quarterback.’ All of that is out the window now. We have a ‘system quarterback’ who has won a Heisman and we have an Outland Trophy winner in this offense. From a recruiting standpoint, just like a lot of things that have been said about what was going to happen this year, all that stuff is out the window now.”

“I think it has been great. You look at what we did on the junior college signing day to fill some holes. You’re talking about signing a guy like JaQuay Williams from Fork Union who has traditionally had a bunch of great players all the way in Virginia, all the way to Cameron Clear at Arizona Western. You go on and on to Jeremiah Stuckey at San Francisco City and the Kansas guys.

“We have expanded beyond just this region and now have the ability to recruit not just players, but top-notch players nationwide. That’s been the appeal of our league number one, and then number two, the success we have had in the league. Also, the type of play. Guys see us and the players having fun and playing in meaningful games. I think if you’re a really good player, that’s what you’re looking for.”

On Johnny Manziel progressing through the year and eventually winning the Heisman Trophy…

“It was different every week. He got better every week even though we didn’t win every game. It’s like anything else, the blame is there all the time. You get all the credit when you win, and you get all the blame when you lose. The interceptions, three of those weren’t even his fault. He threw them, but we had broken routes and we had all kinds of other stuff happen.

“He continued to progress, and obviously you have to have a big win to be involved in that type of conversation, so Alabama was big. I think how he responded the weeks after that really showed how he could handle the moment and handle everything. Handling success is more difficult than handling failure, depending on your personality. His ability to come back after the Alabama game and for us to play the way we played down the stretch, I think that is when everyone knew that he would have a chance.

“When the numbers start piling up and you get down to the end of the year, you don’t realize the number of yards he has got and who it was against in the SEC. That’s why I said what I said at the end of the year: You put his single season stats up against anyone this year or anyone who has ever played and he would have to be in the conversation.”

On the Cotton Bowl being one of the best matchups of the bowl season…

“There is no doubt (this feels like a BCS game). I’ve been fortunate to coach in every one of the BCS games and because of the venue and it being sold out to upwards of 90,000+ fans, it being a Friday night game with everyone watching, there is no doubt that besides the national championship game, this would probably be the biggest game out there as far as implications nationally, but also from viewership. That place is going to be loud.

“For our guys, it’s a great way, I think, for our seniors to finish up their career. We are trying to become one of only six teams in the history of Texas A&M to win 11 games in 118 years of football. Our guys understand that and we approach bowl games the same way. For us, it’s the cap on a great year and a way to send out seniors out in the right way.

“It’s also the beginning of next year. What it does is set you up for some momentum in the offseason and probably propels you into a little bit higher ranking to start the preseason next year.”