COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Southwest Roundup : Texas A&M; Spoils Pardee’s Homecoming by Defeating Houston, 22-17

Freshman quarterback Bucky Richardson guided Texas A&M; on four scoring drives as the Aggies defeated Houston, 22-17, Saturday in a Southwest Conference game at College Station, Tex.

Richardson entered the game for senior Craig Stump with 2:14 left in the first quarter and may have won the quarterback battle with Stump and No. 2 Lance Pavlas, although all three played.

The victory raised A&M;’s record to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the SWC. The loss spoiled a homecoming for new Houston Coach Jack Pardee and dropped the Cougars to 1-3 and 0-2.

Pardee was an All-American fullback at A&M; in 1956 and also an A&M; assistant coach in 1965.

“We just need to keep trying hard. We’re still in the drawing room. I guess we haven’t paid our dues yet,” Pardee said after the game.

Texas A&M; Coach Jackie Sherrill wasn’t pleased with his team’s passing, but he praised Richardson.

“I thought Bucky did some good things. None of our quarterbacks threw the ball very well. We were very, very poor throwing the ball.”

Richardson led A&M; to four scores with his scrambling running style.

“Coming into the game, they told me I would play, but I had no idea I would play as much as I did,” he said. “The offense is going to have to put some points on the board and not keep depending on the defense to win games for us. Nobody is happy with the way we played. We were too inconsistent.

Richardson, a 195-pounder from Baton Rouge, La., ran 11 times for 60 yards, leaping over tacklers on three carries. He completed three of 10 passes for 31 yards.

Andre Ware, among the nation’s total offense leaders, completed 15 of 27 passes for 206 yards for Houston.

Arkansas 31, Texas Tech 0--Halfback James Rouse shredded the Red Raider defense for 111 yards and a touchdown at Lubbock, Tex., as the 20th-ranked Razorbacks tied Baylor for the Southwest Conference lead at 2-0.

The Razorbacks (4-1 overall) rolled up 294 yards rushing and a total of 405, while holding Texas Tech to 270 yards, 55 on the ground.

Texas Tech had upset Arkansas, 17-14, last year, keeping the Razorbacks out of the Cotton Bowl.

Rouse, who missed 10 games last year with a broken leg, had a career-high 125 yards two years ago against the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech, which upset defending champion Texas A&M; last week, dropped to 3-3 and 1-2 with the loss.

TCU 30, Rice 16--Tony Jeffery rushed for 197 yards in 34 carries and scored on runs of 6 and 7 yards, and the Horned Frogs took advantage of five Rice turnovers en route to a Southwest Conference victory at Houston.

TCU’s Tony Darthard, who rushed for 181 yards in 14 carries, and Jeffery each had more than 100 yards by halftime as the Horned Frogs led, 30-3.

Three of Rice’s miscues set up 17 points for the Horned Frogs (2-3), who had lost two straight against Rice (2-4).

Baylor 36, SW Texas St. 15--At Waco, Tex., Brad Goebel threw for one touchdown and set up three other scores to lead the Bears to a nonconference victory.

The game was tied, 15-15, at the half, but Southwest Texas lost quarterback Ron Rittiman to injury, and the Bears (5-1) were able to pull away.

The defeat dropped Southwest Texas to 0-5, its worst start since 1938.