1994 Texas - TAMU
Rout drops Texas to 5-4
It's disappointing that we won't go to the Cotton Bowl, but we can't change
what's already happened." -- Stonie Clark, Texas nose guard
Johnny Ludden
Daily Texan Staff
Longhorn fans can find some solace in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the
Aggies: at least it wasn't on TV.
To set things straight, it was Texas A&M's probation that prevented the
broadcast, not the game's graphic content.
The Aggies scored on their first two possessions of the game, added a
fumble return for a touchdown less than six minutes later, and turned
Leeland McElroy loose when the Horns made their only semi-threat of the
game early in the third quarter.
When it was over, Texas A&M, which remains unbeaten in 28 straight
Southwest Conference games, had delivered Texas its worst loss in 10 years
in the 101-game series in front 82,312 fans Saturday, the fourth-largest
crowd in Memorial Stadium history.
"They're just better than us," Texas left tackle Blake Brockermeyer
said. "I don't know why. It makes me sick to my stomach to say it, but I
have to give them credit. They've beaten me every year.
"It's really frustrating. I'd trade beating A&M and Oklahoma for losing
the rest of the games."
Texas' second lopsided loss in as many weeks almost completely
eliminated any hopes of a Cotton Bowl berth. The Longhorns, 5-4 (2-3 in the
Southwest Conference), most likely need to win their final two games
against Houston and Baylor to play in any type of bowl game. The Aggies,
8-0-1 (5-0-1), lead the SWC but are restricted from postseason play because
of their probation.
"It would have been great to win this game," said Texas junior nose
guard Stonie Clark. "One of our goals is always to beat A&M. We need to go
out and play our best football and strive to make a bowl game. It's
disappointing that we won't go to the Cotton Bowl, but we can't change
what's already happened."
Texas A&M's "Wrecking Crew" defense lowered the boom on the Longhorns,
holding Texas' running game to 51 yards while pounding quarterbacks Shea
Morenz (13 of 28 for 168 yards) and James Brown (eight of 14 for 97 yards)
throughout the day. The two were sacked a total of three times, but a
conservative count (official statistics are not kept on knockdowns) showed
the Aggie defense sending Morenz and Brown to the turf a total of 13 times
in the second and third quarters alone.
"It is hard to win when you score only 10 points," said Morenz, who had
to leave the game in the fourth quarter with an injured shoulder. "They did
a good job of shutting us down. They stopped the run and put pressure on
the quarterbacks all day. They are the best team defensively we've seen all
year."
Texas A&M did not waste much time in letting the Longhorns know it was
going to be a long afternoon, driving 80 yards on its first possession. The
drive ended on a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback Corey Pullig to running
back Rodney Thomas, who dove into the end zone from the 3-yard line. On the
Aggies' next series, McElroy completed a 70-yard march with a 3-yard
touchdown run around the right end. Kyle Bryant's extra point gave Texas
A&M a 14-0 lead with nine seconds left in the first quarter.
On Texas' second possession of the second quarter, Brown rolled right on
first and 10 at A&M's 46-yard line. Aggie senior outside linebacker Antonio
Armstrong crunched Brown on a blindside hit, forcing the Texas quarterback
to cough up the ball. A&M sophomore defensive end Brandon Mitchell caught
the fumble in the air and raced 48 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
A&M went on to take a 24-0 lead at halftime when Bryant added a 27-yard
field goal just before the end of the second quarter.
"Blake Brockermeyer was reaching out and I'm thinking, 'I'm a quick guy,
I can get around him.' I was running full speed and just kept on going
until I hit Brown," Armstrong said. "When I saw the ball pop in the air and
Brandon catch it, I knew nobody was going to catch him. James Brown is a
fast guy, but I was just laughing because I knew nobody was going to catch
Brandon."
The Longhorns never caught A&M either.
After Texas held A&M for four yards on its first drive to open the
second half, the Longhorns drove 80 yards and scored on a one-yard run by
redshirt freshman running back Darrell Wilson, trimming the gap to 24-7
with 9:57 remaining in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Texas redshirt freshman Phil Dawson planned to
keep the ball away from McElroy by lofting a high pooch kick to Billy
Mitchell. McElroy, after reading that Texas head coach John Mackovic
planned to kick away from him, switched places with Mitchell just before
the kick. McElroy, who had not had a return since the Aggies' Sept. 24 game
against Southern Mississippi, caught the ball at the 16-yard line and,
after breaking a tackle by Texas' Jim Bob Evans, streaked 83 yards to the
Horns' one. Only Victor Frazier, who caught the sophomore running back and
return man from behind, prevented McElroy's fifth career kickoff return for
a touchdown.
"They were flip-flopping, going back and forth," Mackovic said. "Other
teams had success kicking to the sideline. We wanted to make [McElroy] go a
long way to get it. He did a good job."
"I tried to kick it to the 20 or 25," Dawson said. "I should have kicked
it a little better. I'll take the blame."
McElroy's return was eerily similar to a 100-yard TD return he made last
year in the Aggies' 18-9 win.
"It was deja vu all over again," Mackovic said.
Three plays after McElroy's return, Thomas took the ball in from three
yards out, all but ending the game except for fourth-quarter field goals by
Bryant (42 yards) and Dawson (47 yards).
Texas' defense held the Aggies to 133 yards, their lowest total since
they gained 122 against Rice last year. Take away McElroy's return and the
Longhorns allowed only a pair of field goals after the Aggies' opening
touchdowns.
It was Pullig's passing, especially early on, that hurt Texas. The
junior quarterback completed 13 of 21 passes for 161 yards -- 101 yards in
the first quarter -- with one touchdown and no interceptions.
"We came out and played well in the beginning, but we gave up the big
play to them," Texas senior cornerback Joey Ellis said. "They are a good
team, and you can't spot a good team a big lead and expect to come back."
Texas A&M 34, Texas 10
Texas 0 0 7 3 -- 10
Texas A&M 14 10 7 3 -- 34
A&M -- Thomas 15 pass from Pullig (Bryant kick).
A&M -- McElroy 3 run (Bryant kick).
A&M -- Brandon Mitchell 48 fumble return (Bryant kick).
A&M -- FG Bryant 27.
Texas -- Wilson 1 run (Dawson kick).
A&M-- Thomas 3 run (Bryant kick).
A&M -- FG Bryant 42.
Texas -- FG Dawson 47.
A -- 82,312.
Texas A&M
First downs 20 15
Rushes-yards 34-51 41-133
Passing 265 161
Return Yards 70 111
Comp-Att-Int 21-43-0 13-21-0
Punts 7-39 4-48
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-40 8-77
Time of Possession 29:32 30:29
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Texas: Wilson 11-25, Holmes 6-15, Brown 8-10, Walker 4-6,
Morenz 5- (-5). A&M: McElroy 12-74, Thomas 18-38, Biggins 5-12, Pullig 4-3,
D. Smith 1-3, Groce 1-3.
Passing -- Texas: Morenz 13-28-168, Brown 8-14-97, Walker 0-1-0. A&M:
Pullig 13-21-161.
Receiving -- Texas: Pinkney 4-60, Bradley 2-27, C. Jackson 2-20, E.
Jackson 7-98, Wilson 3-36, Walker 3-24. A&M: Br. Mitchell 4-83, Thomas
4-36, Smith 1-25, Sanders 1-8, McElroy 2-5, Mathews 1-4.