New Mexico State head coach Jim Hess gave his Aggies as much chance to beat Texas as village people once gave a boy with a slingshot.
"There won't be no damn David and Goliath stories," Hess said earlier this week.
True to Hess' word, the Aggies rolled out of Austin late Saturday night with wounded pride and hefty pocketbooks. NMSU took Texas for a $200,000 guaranteed payout, and No. 7 Texas (2-0) took NMSU (0-2) by 34 points as Texas won 41-7 at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
Texas has not been ranked this high in the Associated Press poll since the No. 3 ranking in the final regular season poll of 1990.
Saturday's win now clears the Longhorns' slate for a Sept. 21 showdown with the No. 9 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
"As far as size, strength and speed, we had control," Texas head coach John Mackovic said. "It was a chance to let our backup players get some minutes. We were really interested in throwing the ball and working on our passing game."
The Longhorns got in all three quarterbacks -- starter James Brown and backups Richard Walton and Marty Cherry -- in an attempt to get everyone reps. Mackovic wanted to work on short pass routes that bolstered the overall passing game.
The three quarterbacks combined threw 22-for-37 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
"I wanted each quarterback to [throw short routes] without going deep every time. We made some improvement, but we're not where we need to be," he said.
The game was historic for one Longhorn, and could have been historic for another. As far as the Aggies are concerned, they're just glad that it's history.
Texas flanker Mike Adams entered Saturday's game needing just two catches to overtake Eric Metcalf's place atop the all-time school receptions list. Brown hit Adams in the right flat to tie the record, and Walton hit Adams on a nine-yard gainer to break it.
"I can't really put it into perspective right now," Adams, who finished the game with four catches for 51 yards, said. "Maybe five or 10 years from now I can look back and say that it was a great accomplishment. I guess it means a lot since it was one of my goals that I set out to accomplish. Right now, it's just really hard to."
The Texas senior now has 128 catches, 2,201 receiving yards and seven 100-yard games in his career -- all Longhorn records. Adams, who is also a return specialist, now needs only 952 yards to surpass Metcalf's all-purpose school yardage record of 5,705.
NMSU, members of the Big West conference, entered the game with nothing to lose. Unfortunately for the Aggies, they lost the ball at the most inappropriate time.
Buried deep in its own end zone, NMSU quarterback Chad Salisbury set up to pass on the goal line and his pass was tipped at the line by Texas nose guard Chris Akins. Defensive lineman Gray Mosier caught the pop-fly and returned the ball five yards to New Mexico State's one.
On second-and-goal, Longhorn running back Priest Holmes dove over the top of the line for the 1-yard score with :49 left to play in the first quarter.
"It was a good deal," Mosier said of the interception. "It caught me by surprise, but I looked up in the air and it was there."
With the Longhorns leading 14-0, the Aggies only scoring drive began with running back Denvis Manns' 17-yard scamper up the middle putting the ball on Texas' 48. Salisbury hit wide receiver Ryan Shaw on the left sideline for 12 yards to set up a one-yard run by Manns.
On second-and-9, Salisbury rolled to the right sideline and hit wide receiver David Patterson in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Texas safety Tre Thomas got a hand on the ball, but his tip kept the ball alive for Patterson's catch.
After NMSU scored with 14:52 to play in the first half, the Texas offense put the pedal on the floor and never looked back.
After an exchange of punts, Texas had the ball at midfield. Texas fullback Ricky Williams opened the drive with an 18-yard sweep around the left end. On the next play, Williams ran off left tackle, hurdled a defender and made a 32-yard dash to the end zone that brought fans to their feet armed with more Earl Campbell comparisons.
"He's an unbelievable learner, and he can imitate anything he sees, football wise," Texas running backs coach Bucky Godbolt said. "He's a great listener. You tell him something and he dosen't just shake his head yes and say 'Yea, coach.' He puts it into practice."
Williams officially scored on that 32-yard play, but the one that left fans spellbound was yet to come.
With 2:48 left to play in the first half, Texas began a drive on its own three after forcing NMSU into a three-and-out series. Leading 24-7, Williams took the first play around the right side and dashed 97 yards for an apparent touchdown.
Williams' chance to ink his name into Longhorn history was wiped out by split end Curtis Jackson, who was flagged for holding on the play. A thrilling 97-yard UT and Big 12 record run was reduced to a simple 14-yard dive play. Texas advanced the ball to the NMSU 48 yard line before time expired in the half.
"I feel bad that [the officials] called that run back on him, because he works so hard and it was a great run," Texas offensive guard Dan Neil said. "Luckily at the time, we had control of the game and things we're going well for us. So, it wasn't a make it or break it play."
The third and fourth quarters were a chance for Mackovic to get someone who is anyone into the game to get some playing time. Texas used 64 players during the game, and many backups that would normally not get many chances to play, did.
Redshirt freshmen running backs Chris Butcher and Ricky Brown combined for 12 carries and 66 yards. Running back Will Barnes caught one pass for 11 yards. Cornerback Anton Hector, inside linebacker Anthony Hicks and defensive tackle Tim Warfield all had three tackles apiece in defensive mop-up roles.
The Longhorns, who came out of the game mainly injury free, now can begin the minimal talk that will turn into mega hype in preparation of the Irish.
"We need to win this [next game] for us," Brown said. "Notre Dame is supposed to be this top, elite team and this and that. We know we can beat them. We just have to go do it."
Texas fullback Ricky Williams says he wants the Heisman Trophy, so on Saturday, he tried to figure out how to do it -- and it may work.
Just before hitting the field against New Mexico State, Williams sat down with running backs coach Bucky Godbolt and watched a highlight reel of 1988 Heisman winner Barry Sanders. Then he went out and galloped for 132 yards on 12 carries, giving him the fifth 100-yard game of his career. His average of 9.4 yards per carry this season are Heisman numbers -- his carries per game (13), however, are not.
"Right now, he's real proud of his yards per carry," Godbolt said. "That's a number he's watching."
Williams put on a Sanders-like show Saturday night, cutting, spinning and speeding past defenders for two touchdowns. It was a performance reminiscent of Texas' only Heisman winner, the oft-compared Earl Campbell. But Williams added a spin-move to his repertoire, one he didn't pick up until last week.
Usually, Williams uses a stiff-arming, bulldozing style of play, but against the Aggies, the 6-foot, 216-pound sophomore unveiled a multitude of moves, finding a way to reach the coveted 100-yard mark with limited carries for the second game in a row. His total yards are not enough to bring Heisman accolades, but Godbolt feels that moment could someday arrive.
"I think there's no doubt about the upcoming years," Godbolt said. "I'm not going to say he's going to get it. ... I don't know if he's in [the Heisman race], but he's got to be one of the three or four best in the country. If he got 30 or 40 carries a game, there's no telling what he'd get."
Williams' day could have been even bigger. On a first down from their own 3-yard line, the Longhorns handed the ball to Williams on a quick-hitting play through the right side of the line. Williams ran through the mass of bodies, then sprinted down the sideline for an apparent 97-yard touchdown.
The run, which would have been the longest run in school history, surpassing Chris Gilbert's 96-yard jaunt against TCU in 1967, was called back because of a questionable holding call on Curtis Jackson.
"[Jackson] apologized," Williams said. "I don't remember where he did it. ... [A 97-yard run] flashed through my mind [before the play]. I thought, hmm, this would be nice. I got the ball and it happened so slow. I dream about it a lot, but I doubt it will ever happen again."
Godbolt recalled player reaction during the run: "[Running back] Shon Mitchell said, 'If he goes 97 yards, I'm going to the locker room.' [Then] James said, 'He is. He's going.'"
"His speed is real good. I wish he had gotten that long run, because he works every day on the long one. He prepares himself for it. ... Last year, he was good. This year, he's much better. He can get better, he can get strong. He hasn't even really lifted [weights]," Godbolt said.
Williams' two touchdowns included a 32-yarder in which he hurdled a fallen player, then raced untouched to the corner of the end zone, giving the Longhorns a 21-7 lead in the second quarter. For the second game in a row, Williams' running energized the crowd and the team. Sharing the backfield with Shon Mitchell and Priest Holmes has forced Williams to spend many snaps blocking or sitting on the bench. Williams, however, with the help of a hip injury to Mitchell, has so far separated himself from the rest of the backs.
"That's my boy," Texas cornerback Bryant Westbrook said. "He's from the crib; he's from [San] Diego. I don't think there's a better back in the country."
New Mexico State head coach Jim Hess said, "I wish Ricky Williams would have played pro baseball."
With 244 yards on 26 carries in the first two games of the fall, Williams is on pace to accumulate 1,342 yards in the regular season -- a feat that has been topped only once in University history. Earl Campbell gained 1,744 yards in 1977 on 267 carries; Williams is on pace to run the ball only 143 times. But UT coaches realize the type of damage Williams could cause by carrying the ball more.
"You don't get a chance to coach many guys like that," Godbolt said. "He's exceptional. ... He's incredible. He's always looking to learn something new. Ricky and I watched Barry Sanders doing some cuts. There's no telling what [Williams] got out of that. He absorbs things. I've got to get a Gale Sayers film."
Then maybe Williams can find just one more Heisman move.
After easily getting by their first two opponents, Texas players can finally talk about Notre Dame.
Not that they all want to.
With a bye week, the Horns have time to prepare for the Fighting Irish. They had no time, however, to prepare themselves for the media hype and fan anticipation, which started as soon as Texas finished their victory over New Mexico State.
"I'm looking forward to the game but not really the hype," Texas fullback Ricky Williams said.
Other than Williams, the biggest topic in the postgame press conference and radio talk shows Saturday night was the Sept. 21 game between Texas and Notre Dame at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
"I'm going to start thinking about Notre Dame next week but I'm going to celebrate this one right now," Texas cornerback Bryant Westbrook said. "I'm going to go out."
Fifty-yard line seats for Texas' next game are commanding as much as $500. Students getting tickets through the draw must use visa bands, usually reserved for the Texas A&M and Oklahoma games.
"It's a big game," Texas guard Dan Neil said. "The fans are excited. It's going to be a great atmosphere and college football at its finest."
Notre Dame (1-0) dropped Sunday to No. 9 in the AP polls after edging Vanderbilt in its season opener. No. 7 Texas is the highest ranked team on Notre Dame's schedule, which includes No. 8 Ohio State.
"In the back of everybody's mind, we knew Notre Dame was coming up," Westbrook said. "The Big West [Conference, home of NMSU] is not a powerhouse. We're focused. We want to show people we're a top team in the country. Who's Notre Dame? Notre Dame's not God. We had to think about New Mexico State. We're thinking about Notre Dame now."
After the bye week, Texas starts a four-game stretch without an off week, including a visit to No. 22 Virginia and the Oklahoma game in Dallas.
Texas traveled to Notre Dame a year ago riding a 2-0 record and a No. 13 ranking in the polls. Notre Dame was ranked 21 but beat Texas 55-27.
"This year it's going to be different," Westbrook said. "They're coming to Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium and it's going to be a dogfight."
* Texas tight end Pat Fitzgerald took advantage of NMSU's tight outside coverage Saturday, catching four passes for a career high 93 yards.
The Aggie secondary focused most of its attention on Texas receivers Mike Adams and Curtis Jackson, often letting Fitzgerald loose in the middle. Fitzgerald caught passes for 40 yards and 28 yards.
Fitzgerald caught his 40-yarder on a post pattern against man coverage. The 6-2, 228-pound tight end got behind an NMSU defensive back and caught Brown's lob on the run.
* Texas outside linebackers Dwight Kirkpatrick and Aaron Humphrey were pushed into the starting role Saturday because of injuries to the normal starters. The two, however, may have been the defensive stars of the game.
Kirkpatrick forced a fumble to go with an interception and constant quarterback pressure. Humphrey led the team with seven tackles, broke up a pass, and made perhaps the biggest hit of the day when he blasted Aggie kick returner Michael Harvey, forcing a fumble that NMSU recovered. Humphrey also was responsible for chasing Aggies quarterback Chad Salisbury out of the pocket and forcing a horrible pass that resulted in Kirkpatrick's interception.
New Mexico St. 0 7 0 0 -- 7
Texas 14 17 0 10 -- 41
Texas Jackson 11 pass from J.Brown (Dawson kick), 3:11
Texas P.Holmes 1 run (Dawson kick), 14:11
NMSU Patterson 35 pass from Salisbury (Hopkins kick), :08
Texas Williams 32 run (Dawson kick), 6:19
Texas FG Dawson 21, 7:39
Texas Williams 10 run (Dawson kick), 10:21
Texas Coleman 1 run (Dawson kick), :03
Texas FG Dawson 52, 10:22
A--69,762.
NMSU Texas
First Downs 14 27
Rushes-Yards 32-57 47-203
Passing 209 276
Comp-Att-Int 16-34-4 22-37-0
Return Yards 0 48
Punts-Avg 9-40.2 3-47.3
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 4-3
Penalties-Yards 11-116 5-42
Time of Possession 29:00 31:00
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
NMSU - Manns 23-78, Montez 1-1, Murray 3-(minus 1), Salisbury 5-(minus 21).
Texas - Williams 12-132, Butcher 8-40, R.Brown 4-24, Coleman 5-14,
P.Holmes 4-9, Mitchell 9-9, Barnes 1-(minus 2), J.Brown 2-(minus 4),
Walton 1-(minus 7), Cherry 1-(minus 12).
PASSING
NMSU - Salisbury 15-30-4-200, G.Madsen 1-4-0-9.
Texas - Brown 10-18-0-134, Walton 10-13-0-126, Cherry 2-6-0-16.
RECEIVING
NMSU - Gregory 6-72, Patterson 3-68, Manns 3-26, Birdwell 1-17,
Shaw 1-12, Murray 1-9, Payne 1-5.
Texas - Fitzgerald 4-93, M.Adams 4-51, Jackson 4-43, Davis 3-30,
Williams 2-10, Armstrong 1-18, Barnes 1-11, Scarborough 1-9,
Scott 1-6.