Southwest Roundup : 18th-Ranked Arkansas Rallies for 15-9 Win Over SMU

Arkansas quarterback Mark Calcagni was sacked on two straight plays, and the Razorbacks, trailing 9-7, faced third and 23 when Coach Ken Hatfield called time.

“He called us over to the sideline during that timeout and told us the game was ours if we wanted it,” Calcagni said. “Well, we wanted it pretty bad.”

Calcagni immediately threw to Bobby Joe Edmonds for 48 yards, and four plays later scored from the four with 3:47 left as the 18th-ranked Razorbacks rallied to beat Southern Methodist, 15-9, Saturday at Fayetteville, Ark.

It was Arkansas’ first victory over SMU since 1979 and the first time since then that the Razorbacks have won nine regular-season games.

They finished their season at 9-2 and accepted a bid to the Dec. 22 Holiday Bowl at San Diego against Arizona State. SMU is 6-4, with a game against Oklahoma on Dec. 7.

Arkansas finished 6-2 in the SWC and SMU wound up 5-3.

The Razorbacks’ winning drive didn’t look as if it was going anywhere when Ben Hummel dropped Calcagni for losses of four and nine yards. On third down from his 27, Calcagni found Edmonds for 48 yards to the SMU 25. On second down, Calcagni ran the option for 12 yards and a first down on the nine. After Derrick Thomas made five yards, Calcagni faked a pitch to Sammy Van Dyke, kept the ball and scored.

Brandy Brownlee kicked field goals of 25, 34 and 28 yards to account for all of SMU’s points. He has scored the Mustangs’ last 19 points.

Texas A&M; 53, Texas Christian 6--At Fort Worth, quarterback Kevin Murray’s three touchdown passes propelled 19th-ranked Texas A&M; into a Thanksgiving showdown with Texas for the Southwest Conference championship and host spot in the Cotton Bowl.

The Aggies are 8-2 overall and tied with the Longhorns at 6-1 in the conference. TCU, crippled by an early season recruiting scandal, ended the season winless in SWC play and 3-8 overall.

Murray, who hit 12 passes in a row, wound up 15 for 22 with 246 yards. His touchdown passes came on plays of 61 yards to Keith Woodside, 15 yards to Jeff Nelson and 13 to Shea Walker.

Nelson caught 7 passes for 83 yards, Walker had 4 for 77 and Woodside caught 2 for 66.

Houston 17, Texas Tech 16--Raymond Tate rushed for 176 yards in 23 carries, and Sloan Hood gained 100 yards in 20 carries as Houston held on to win at home for the first time this season.

Texas Tech pulled within a point on James McGowan’s three-yard run with 1:36 remaining, but Billy Joe Tolliver’s pass to Gerald Bean for the two-point conversion was knocked down by Gary McGuire.

The victory gave the Cougars a 3-7 overall record, 2-5 in the SWC. Texas Tech, in its final game under fired coach Jerry Moore, finished at 4-7 and 1-7.