Southwest Roundup : Sherrill Sits Out as Texas A&M; Beats TCU

Texas A&M;, playing without Coach Jackie Sherrill, defeated Texas Christian, 18-0, in a Southwest Conference game Saturday at College Station, Tex.

Quarterback Bucky Richardson passed to Mike Jones for a touchdown, and set up a field goal with a completion to Rod Harris as Texas A&M; extended its winning streak over TCU to 16 games.

Sherrill sat out the game after a former player said the coach had paid him $4,400 to keep quiet about alleged National Collegiate Athletic Assn. violations. Sherrill said the decision not to coach was to minimize the pressure on the team.

The controversy started when former Aggie fullback George Smith told the Dallas Morning News that Sherrill paid him $4,400 in hush money before and after the school’s football program was placed on probation last September by the NCAA.

Smith on Saturday recanted his statements.

“I called A&M; as soon as I knew the story was going to come out. The information in the story is not true, and I told A&M; I’d come to College Station to straighten everything out,” Smith said at a news conference.

Smith read for about 4 minutes from a prepared text and then answered reporters’ questions for about 5 minutes.

“It certainly was not hush money. I put great emphasis on that. It was not hush money,” Smith said.

Defensive coordinator R.C Slocum assumed Sherrill’s duties for the game.

Sherrill is expected to be back on the sidelines for the annual Texas A&M-Texas; game on Thanksgiving night.

Texas A&M; is 6-4 overall and 5-1 in the SWC. TCU finished 4-7 overall, 2-5 in the SWC.

Houston 30, Texas Tech 29--Jason Phillips caught a 3-yard pass from Andre Ware with less than 3 minutes to play, as the 17th-ranked Cougars edged the Red Raiders at Lubbock, Tex.

The victory, amid blowing snow and freezing temperatures, gave Houston a 8-2 overall record and a trip to the Aloha Bowl. With a 4-2 conference mark, the Cougars can claim second place by beating Rice next week.

Tech fell to 5-5 and 4-3 with the loss.

Trailing, 29-24, with less than 3 minutes remaining, Houston put together a short scoring drive after a punt into stiff winds by Texas Tech’s Chris Burns carried only 15 yards to the Tech 22.

Baylor 17, Texas 14--Eldwin Raphel ran 50 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown as the Bears rallied to beat the Longhorns at Waco, Tex.

Baylor ended its season with a 6-5 overall record and 2-5 mark in SWC play. Texas is 5-5 and 2-4.

North Texas St. 33, Rice 17--Quarterback Scott Davis ran for 2 touchdowns and passed for 2 as the Eagles whipped the Owls in a nonconference game at Houston.

Rice’s losing streak reached 17 games, the longest in the nation. The Owls are 0-10; North Texas State is 8-3.