SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Houston Grounded by A&M; in Upset

Gambling with a defense that was instructed to play every play as if it were the last, Texas A&M; upset No. 8 Houston, 17-13, in a Southwest Conference game Saturday at College Station, Tex.

Texas A&M; fullback Robert Wilson rushed for 115 yards in 22 carries and had a 41-yard touchdown run, and tailback Darren Lewis ran 12 times for 120 yards, including an 84-yard run that set up a 21-yard field goal by Layne Talbot.

It was A&M;’s 18th consecutive SWC victory at home, a string that goes back to 1984. A&M; is 4-2 overall, 2-1 in SWC play.

Houston, which had scored more than 60 points three times this season and was the nation’s leader in scoring and total offense, is 4-1, 1-1.

“Every play we treated like the last play of the game,” said A&M; defensive coordinator Bob Davie of the defense that slowed Houston’s explosive offensive, led by quarterback Andre Ware.

Ware, No. 1 in total offense before the game with an average of 439.5 yards a game, had three passes intercepted and was sacked six times. Texas A&M; used five linebackers, five defensive backs and only one lineman--at nose guard.

Ware completed 28 of 52 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown--a nine-yard toss to wide receiver Patrick Cooper.

A&M; quarterback Lance Pavlas, also intercepted three times, completed 13 of 24 passes for 163 yards and a 19-yard touchdown to split end Percy Waddle for a 7-0 first-quarter A&M; lead.

Ware saved a touchdown when he chased down A&M; safety Larry Horton after Horton had returned an interception 67 yards to the Houston 15.

Houston pulled close on a one-yard run by Chuck Weatherspoon with 8:31 left in the game. A two-point pass conversion attempt failed.

The Cougars got the ball back, but A&M; defensive pressure and a dropped pass by Brian Williams of Houston kept the Cougars away from the A&M; end zone in the final minutes.

On the final sack, A&M; linebacker Aaron Wallace held up Ware’s helmet as the A&M; crowd of 66,423 screamed its approval.

Arkansas 45, Texas Tech 13--Quarterback Quinn Grovey rushed for 105 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown, and the No. 7 Razorbacks spoiled Texas Tech’s homecoming with a victory over the Red Raiders at Lubbock, Tex.

The Razorbacks (5-0 and 2-0) won by converting all of Tech’s four turnovers into touchdowns while committing no turnovers themselves. Tech (4-2 and 1-2) lost three fumbles and an interception.

The Red Raiders’ first turnover--a fumble on a punt return--was the most costly because it turned what should have been good field position for Tech into Arkansas’ first touchdown.

By the time Tech began its first scoring drive--in the third quarter--the Razorbacks already had built a 24-0 lead.

Even that touchdown was plagued by problems, as it took Tech four tries from the one-yard line before James Gray ran it in. The two-point conversion failed when Jamie Gill could find no one open.

Five Arkansas players scored touchdowns.

Baylor 49, SMU 3--Sophomore tailback Lincoln Coleman ran for two touchdowns and junior Brad Goebel passed for two more as the Bears rolled over Southern Methodist in an SWC game at Ownby Stadium in Dallas.

Baylor (3-3, 2-1) pulled away with a 28-point third quarter, and the Bears’ defense returned to form after a 66-10 loss to Houston last week. SMU, which went without a huddle throughout the game, is 1-4, 0-4.

Many in the crowd of 21,434--who witnessed the first Baylor-SMU game at Ownby in 43 years--got nasty after Baylor got tricky and added a touchdown on a fake punt. Punter Pete Rutter passed to tight end Steve Stutsman, wide open, down the right side for a 39-yard scoring play.

TCU 30, Rice 16--Kevin Cordesman kicked field goals of 23, 44 and 42 yards and Edward Galaviz intercepted two passes to lead Texas Christian to a victory at Houston.

Galaviz returned his first interception 22 yards in the second quarter to set up Cordesman’s 44-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Galaviz intercepted a pass by Rice quarterback Donald Hollas in the end zone.