Kenny Hill: Welcome to the Heisman race

A lot of people have heard the term “overnight celebrity.” After Kenny Hill torched the South Carolina Gamecocks, he became one.

If the Heisman Trophy race were a NASCAR Sprint Cup series race, then the Texas A&M sophomore quarterback is in the pole position.

For one night, the earth stood still and watched a type of game in college football they had not seen before.

Hill lit up the No. 9 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks on the first football game ever played on ESPN’s SEC Network, and he couldn’t have looked any better.

His final statline against South Carolina was 44/60 for 511 yards and three touchdowns.

Hill distributed the wealth among all of his receivers. There were 12 pass catchers with at least one reception in the game.

I watched this game from start to finish and I could not believe what I was watching. Hill showed a lot of poise playing on the road in a hostile environment. Before this loss, the Gamecocks had won 18 games in a row at home.

What I saw when I watched was a player who was mentally was screaming “I am ready for this (insert word here, rhymes with hits).”

The man played outstanding. The Aggies offense was amazing and they converted 39 first downs, recorded 680 yards of offense and didn’t commit a single turnover.

Though the Aggies only scored 52 points (only 52 points right) they would’ve easily scored over 60 points if head coach Kevin Sumlin did not start using conservative play calling. Up by more than three scores most of the game, there was no need for aggression.

Before the slaughter, the game was actually a fun shootout. The offenses kept trading scores as South Carolina kept throwing up deep touchdown bombs to stay in the game. It was entertaining and fun to watch the shootout, then the onslaught started and then it became legendary to watch.

I was sitting watching this game saying “You got to be kidding me.” Watching these strikes that Hill was throwing all over the field was breathtaking for someone who was on the bench last year.

I felt like I was watching my best friend play NCAA 2013 with Johnny Manziel against the CPU on rookie. There was nothing that Hill couldn’t do.

Even the next day at work, no one had anything to talk about besides Hill going off against South Carolina. I had not seen this effect since we watched Johnny Manziel during his freshman year. A lot of people realize that Hill’s ceiling as a player is greater than his predecessor.

(Crazy thought, but what if Hill were drafted by the Browns last season? )

Speaking of that Manziel fellow.

Hill’s first game as a starter was better than any game that Manziel put up while he was at college station and Manziel was a Heisman Trophy winner.

For one day in college football no one thought about last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. No one thought about the menacing Marcus Mariota. No one thought about the electric Todd Gurley.

The only person that mattered in college football was Kenny Hill.

They say that first impressions last the longest, well this game that Hill played is going down in infamy because he made such an impression, scouts are already salivating over him, while college football enthusiasts have anointed the Heisman Trophy his.

After watching what I just saw with my two eyes, I do not blame either one bit.

With all this I say, “Hello Kenny Hill. Welcome to the Heisman race.”

Though I have Winston as my pick to repeat, it’s not a surprise if the Aggies get another signal caller lifting up that Heisman Trophy later in the year.

Lets see when he takes a pit stop how Winston will respond. This year’s Heisman race is already on fire and it is only week one in the college football season.

I can not wait for the upcoming games to see who is going to make the next strongest statement.