Southwest Roundup : Victory Comes Early to 34-Year-Old LSU Coach

Mike Archer got the Christmas present when he was named LSU’s head coach last Dec. 23. He finally got his Christmas bonus Saturday night.

With Victor Jones scoring touchdowns on consecutive carries in the first half, sixth-ranked LSU made the 34-year-old Archer’s debut a success by defeating No. 15 Texas A&M;, 17-3, at College Station, Tex.

The defeat ended the Aggies’ home winning streak of 14 games, the longest in the nation.

“Our coaching staff put together a great game plan and I told our players that we worked all summer for this, and we had a great plan, and all we had to do is go out and execute it,” Archer said.

“So I take my hat off to our coaches, staff and university because they went to bat for the staff back in December (when Archer was elevated from defensive coordinator after some infighting on LSU’s Board of Regents).”

Archer, the youngest major-college head football coach in the country, replaced the oldest, 60-year-old Bill Arnsparger, who became athletic director at the University of Florida.

The Tigers’ defense appeared stronger than ever, holding Texas A&M; to three first downs and 67 yards in the first half.

The Aggies didn’t cross midfield on their own until their second possession of the third period, when they trailed 17-0, and had to settle for Scott Slater’s 41-yard field after a first and goal at the LSU eight.

LSU managed only 61 of its 247 yards in the second half, and Texas A&M; Coach Jackie Sherrill said the Aggies’ defense “played an excellent game--exceptional. They were put in so many adverse situations and still played awfully well, I thought.

“Offensively, I don’t think anybody played well. We have a lot of work to do, but I knew that coming into the game. We simply had too many new players out there.

“LSU has an outstanding football team. We knew they did before the game.”

It was the second year in a row that LSU beat the Aggies in the opener.

Baylor 13, Louisiana Tech 3--Defensive end Keith Rose blocked a field goal that would have tied the game, and instead set up a touchdown that powered Baylor to a nonconference victory at Waco, Tex..

Baylor was ahead, 6-3, when Rose blocked Matt Stover’s 47-yard field-goal attempt and teammate Robert Blackmon caught the ball and returned it 38 yards to the Tech 25.

Baylor then scored on a 10-yard pass-run play from quarterback Brad Goebel to running back Charles Perry with 11:35 left in the fourth quarter.

Goebel, a second-year freshman, completed 13 of 22 passes for 137 yards, with no interceptions.

Until Rose’s key defensive play, Baylor had built its lead on a 53-yard field goal by Mark Mahler in the second quarter and Terry Syler’s 25-yard field goal in the third period.

Stover pulled Tech within three points with a 33-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter. An interception by safety Mike Welch, who returned it 21 yards to the Tech 19, was wasted when Tech held Baylor at its two.

Rice 34, Lamar 30--At Houston, Rice quarterback Quentis Roper scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 15 seconds to play, to continue the Owls’ second-half domination over Lamar.

Lamar’s Burton Murchison had run 11 yards for a touchdown with 4:53 left, giving the Cardinals their last lead of the game.

The Owls now lead the series 4-0 and have rallied in the second half of each game for their victories.