COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Southwest Roundup : Interception Sets Up Field Goal as Texas Stuns SMU, 27-24

Jeff Ward kicked a 40-yard field goal with 16 seconds left to give Texas a 27-24 Southwest Conference upset victory over 18th-ranked Southern Methodist Saturday before 65,481 at Austin, Tex.

Ward’s winning kick was set up by an interception by Eric Jeffries at the SMU 47 with a little more than two minutes to play.

Texas, which was off to its worst start since 1966, improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the SWC. The Mustangs, ineligible to win the conference title because of NCAA penalties, fell to 5-2 and 4-1.

Texas built a 21-0 lead in the third quarter before SMU rallied behind the passing combination of Bobby Watters and Ron Morris.

Morris caught passes on touchdown plays of 66 and 19 yards, Brandy Brownlee had a 35-yard field goal and Jeff Jacobs caught a 14-yard pass with 5:29 left to tie the score, 24-24.

SMU got the ball at its 15-yard line with 2:10 to play when Longhorn running back Edwin Simmons fumbled. But Jeffries intercepted Watters on the next play to set up Ward’s winning field goal.

Simmons, starting his first game in three years, scored on touchdown runs of 1 and 13 yards in the first half, and quarterback Brett Stafford scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter as Texas built its 21-0 lead.

And it was 24-7 with 12:35 left to play after a 45-yard field goal by Ward.

Since coming to Texas, Ward has tied one game and won two others with kicks in the final seconds.

Texas A&M; 45, Rice 10--Kevin Murray threw for 215 yards and established an SWC career record for touchdown passes as the 10th-ranked Aggies won at College Station, Tex.

Murray, a redshirt junior, threw his record 41st college touchdown pass when he connected with Rod Harris from 26 yards out in the second quarter. The SWC mark was 40, held by Texas A&M;’s Edd Hargett (1966-68) and SMU’s Chuck Hixson (1968-70).

Murray completed 17 of 33 passes and also became the Aggies’ all-time passing leader with 5,542 yards, breaking Hargett’s record of 5,379. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes this season.

Murray’s performance and a 115-yard rushing effort by Roger Vick enabled the Aggies, 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the SWC, to win their 13th straight game at home and the 18th in their last 21 overall. The Aggies, the defending conference champions, are in sole possession of first place since SMU lost to Texas.

Rice (2-5, 1-4) lost to the Aggies for the 12th time in 13 years.

Baylor 28, TCU 17--Cody Carlson’s fourth-quarter touchdown bombs to John Simpson and Derrick McAdoo gave the Bears a come-from-behind SWC victory over Texas Christian at Fort Worth, Tex.

Simpson scored on a 72-yard pass play, and McAdoo on an 86-yard pass play.

TCU’s Tony Jeffery was held to 31 yards in 13 carries, the least productive day of his career.

Baylor is 5-3 overall and 3-2 in SWC play. TCU is 2-5, 0-4.

Carlson, who completed 16 of 25 passes for 312 yards, also threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Randy Rutledge in the first quarter. The three touchdown passes gave him 31 for his career, a school record.

Arkansas 30, Houston 13--Kendall Trainor kicked field goals of 22, 35 and 51 yards as the 14th-ranked Razorbacks ruined the Cougars’ homecoming for the sixth straight year.

The Razorbacks, 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SWC, dropped the Cougars to 1-6 and 0-4.

Marshall Foreman scored on a 19-yard run, while Joe Johnson added a 3-yard touchdown run for Arkansas, which lost starting quarterback Greg Thomas with a sprained right wrist on the first play of the third quarter.

Thomas was replaced for the rest of the game by John Bland, who scored on a one-yard run.