Southwest Roundup : Akers Put on Spot in 47-12 Loss

The Oklahoma Sooners cast their oldest rival aside with contemptuous ease Saturday, rebuilding some of their lost pride and perhaps ensuring the eventual dismissal of Texas Coach Fred Akers.

Scoring on five of their first six possessions before a crowd of 75,587 at Dallas, the sixth-ranked Sooners romped to a 47-12 victory over the Longhorns in the 81st renewal of one of college football’s top rivalries.

Oklahoma ran its record to 4-1 with its second straight one-sided victory after an upset loss to Miami. Texas fell to 2-2.

Oklahoma piled up 396 yards rushing and allowed 29 while administering the worst regular-season loss in Akers’ 10-year tenure at Texas.

Akers, despite an 83-27-2 record, has absorbed heavy criticism from the school’s big-money backers, and the loss could have ended his hopes to return as coach next year. The Dallas Morning News reported Friday that Iowa Coach Hayden Fry already has agreed to replace Akers--a report Fry angrily denied Saturday.

Patrick Collins scored on runs of 9 and 14 yards the first two times the Sooners had the ball as Texas found it almost impossible to stop Oklahoma’s option play. Collins scored a third touchdown on a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter.

SMU 27, Baylor 21--Mitchel Price scored on the opening kickoff and, less than five minutes later, fullback Jed Martin raced 74 yards for another touchdown as the Mustangs upset the 14th-ranked Bears at Waco, Tex.

Price took a handoff on a reverse from Jimmy Young at the 10 and ran 90 yards to give Southern Methodist a 7-0 lead.

Baylor closed to 27-21 with just less than five minutes remaining in the game on a one-yard touchdown plunge by Derrick McAdoo, but the Bears come up short on two remaining drives.

SMU, which is on NCAA probation and ineligible for the Southwest Conference title, is 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play. Baylor is 4-2 and 2-1.

Baylor quarterback Cody Carlson, who completed 18 of 33 passes for 248 yards, set a school passing yardage record at 4,260 and a total offense record of 4,507 yards.

Texas Tech 17, Arkansas 7--At Fayetteville, Ark., Tyrone Thurman, the smallest player in major college football, returned a punt 27 yards to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown and sealed the Red Raiders’ upset of the eighth-ranked Razorbacks.

With Texas Tech leading, 10-7, the 5-3, 130-pound sophomore ran Greg Horne’s punt back to the Arkansas 35. Six plays later, quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver sneaked in from the one.

The Arkansas offense, which was averaging 410 yards a game, gained 231 against the Texas Tech defense, which was led by linebacker Brad Hastings and defensive tackle Desmond Royal. Royal did not play the previous two weeks when Texas Tech lost to Texas A&M;, 45-8, and Baylor, 45-14.

Arkansas, favored by more than three touchdowns, is 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the SWC. Tech is 3-3 and 1-2.

Texas A&M; 19, Houston 7--Scott Slater kicked four field goals for the 14th-ranked Aggies, and Kevin Murray became the school’s all-time leading passer in this Southwest Conference game at Houston.

Murray, a junior, completed 18 of 29 passes for 188 yards and now has a school-record 408 career completions, and 5,019 passing yards. He surpassed Edd Hargett, who completed 400.

The Aggies (4-1, 1-0) won their fourth straight, while Houston (1-4, 0-1) lost its third in a row.

Rice 37, TCU 31--Quarterback Mark Comalander capped a 74-yard, 7-play drive with a one-yard dive for the deciding touchdown with 11:59 left as the Owls (2-3, 1-2) upset the Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-3) at Fort Worth.