SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Gray Lifts Texas Tech Over SMU

James Gray rushed for 232 yards and scored four touchdowns Saturday as No. 20 Texas Tech kept alive its slim Cotton Bowl hopes with a 48-24 victory over Southern Methodist at Dallas.

Texas Tech improved its record to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Southewest Conference race with a game left against Houston. The Mustangs dropped to 2-8 and 0-7.

Gray scored on runs of one, 59, two and 35 yards. He surpassed the Texas Tech career season rushing record of James Hadnot and became the third-leading career rusher in conference history with 3,966 yards.

Gray, the nation’s fifth-leading rusher, also established new career conference records for touchdowns and scoring. Gray has 50 touchdowns and 300 points.

SMU quarterback Mike Romo passed for 408 yards and set a school record for completions with 38.

Rice 6, Baylor 3--Bears’ linebacker James Francis blocked three kicks, giving him an NCAA-record nine for the season, but the Owls countered with five interceptions for the upset at Waco, Tex.

Rice, 2-7-1 overall and 2-5 in the conference, beat Baylor (4-6 and 3-4) for the first time since 1981.

Francis blocked two punts and an extra-point attempt--all in the first half--to break the record of eight blocked kicks set by Jimmy Lisko of Arkansas State in 1975.

Rice, a 17-point underdog, capitalized on its only threat when quarterback Greg Willig scored on an eight-yard run with 27 seconds to play in the second quarter. Francis blocked the point-after try and the Owls led 6-3 at the half.

Texas 31, Texas Christian 17--Third-string quarterback Donovan Forbes hit Kerry Cash on a 36-yard pass play for one touchdown and Adrian Walker ran 43 yards for another fourth-quarter score as the Longhorns won at Austin, Tex.

Texas Christian scored 17 consecutive points in the third quarter before Texas rallied for its 22nd consecutive victory over the Horned Frogs.

Texas improved to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the SWC, with games left against Baylor and Texas A&M.; The Horned Frogs finished the season 4-7 and 2-6.

Tulsa 45, Bowling Green 10--T.J. Rubley threw five touchdown passes, four of them to split end Dan Bitson, as the Golden Hurricane secured a trip to the Independence Bowl at Tulsa, Okla.

It is the first bowl appearance since 1976 for Tulsa (6-5). Bowling Green ended its season at 5-6.