SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Klingler Closes Out Career With a Loss

Texas Tech overcame six touchdown passes by Houston’s David Klingler and beat the Cougars, 52-46, Saturday at Houston.

Robert Hall passed to Rodney Blackshear for two touchdowns on plays of 95 and 80 yards and also ran 35 yards for a score in leading Tech.

Hall completed 13 of 24 passes for 388 yards as Tech, 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Southwest Conference, closed with five victories in its last six games.

Blackshear caught five passes for a school-record 251 yards. The 95-yard touchdown pass play, which occurred only 2:27 into the game, set a school record.

Klingler rallied the Cougars (4-7, 3-5) after they fell behind, 49-28, with 2:46 left in the third quarter.

Klingler threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Grant and the Cougars then recovered an on-side kick, setting up a 34-yard field goal by Roman Anderson that narrowed the gap to 49-39.

But the Red Raiders stopped Houston’s next drive on fourth down at the Cougar 38 when Mike Lisco tackled Freddie Gilbert for a two-yard loss with 8:47 left to play.

Lin Elliot kicked a 20-yard field goal for Tech with 4:39 left. Klingler got his sixth touchdown pass with 43 seconds remaining, throwing a nine-yarder to Verlond Brown.

Klingler completed 40 of 71 passes for 533 yards, finishing his career with 54 NCAA records.

This season, Klingler completed 278 of 498 passes for 3,388 yards, 29 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions, finishing his career with 726 completions, 1,262 passes and 9,430 yards.

His 652 completions in two years breaks the NCAA record of 626 set by Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer in 1989 and ’90. Klingler threw 83 touchdown passes in two years to break the record of 77, set by Jim McMahon at BYU in 1980 and ’81.

Klingler averaged 2.84 touchdown passes during his career, breaking the record of 2.78, set by Houston’s Andre Ware from 1987 through ’89.

No. 22 Tulsa 31, Southern Methodist 26--With a chilled crowd of 7,900 huddling under blankets, the Mustangs (1-10) nearly upset the heavily favored Golden Hurricane (9-2).

T.J. Rubley threw three touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Chris Penn with 8:36 remaining, as the Golden Hurricanes, who will play San Diego State Dec. 20 in the Freedom Bowl at Anaheim, rallied to win.

SMU led, 26-22, after quarterback Todd Ritz scored on a one-yard run with 10:37 to play. But Rubley took Tulsa on a 69-yard scoring drive, with the payoff coming on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Penn, who caught seven passes for 159 yards and two scores.