SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Finally, Life After Death for SMU

There is finally football life after the NCAA “death penalty” for Southern Methodist University.

Dan Freiburger threw two touchdown passes as the Mustangs ended six years of frustration and a 25-game Southwest Conference losing streak with an emotional 21-9 victory over Texas Christian Saturday at Dallas.

“This was big,” said SMU Coach Tom Rossley. “It means so much to the players and the student body. It was a tremendous feeling. Football is still a great thing at this university.”

The Mustangs, 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the SWC, last won an SWC game on Nov. 15, 1986, at Texas Tech. The six years without a conference victory included a two-year suspension of the football program when the NCAA gave SMU the “death penalty.”

The three straight victories since a season-opening loss to Tulane also is the school’s longest streak since 1986. SMU was just one loss short of tying the SWC record for futility set by Rice from 1981-86.

A crowd of 18,100 watched SMU’s first conference victory in Ownby Stadium since 1947. SMU played at Texas Stadium and the Cotton Bowl before the program’s two-year hiatus because of the NCAA death penalty.

TCU (0-2-1, 0-1) remains winless under new Coach Pat Sullivan.

Freiburger, a member of the Mustangs’ first post-death penalty senior class, had a career-best day, completing 31 of 51 passes for 372 yards. He rallied SMU in the second half, completing a 13-yard pass to James Whitmore that set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Kevin Shepard for a 14-9 lead.

Texas Tech 36, Baylor 17--Byron Morris made up for two turnovers inside Baylor’s two-yard line by running for two touchdowns as the Raiders beat the Bears in an SWC game at Lubbock, Tex.

Morris finished with 157 yards in 32 carries and touchdown runs of one yard and 14 yards.

Late in the first quarter, Morris took a pitch from Robert Hall on third and goal at the Baylor two and threw a pass to Bruce Hill that was intercepted in the end zone by Chris Lewis.

Morris also fumbled into the end zone on second and goal from the Baylor two midway through the second quarter, with Baylor’s Raynor Finley recovering.

Tech is 2-2, 1-0; Baylor 1-3, 0-1.

Texas 33, North Texas 15--Peter Gardere threw for three touchdowns at Austin to break Bobby Layne’s 45-year-old school career record.

Gardere broke Layne’s record of 25 with his third scoring throw of the day, a 55-yarder to Lovell Pinkney with 5:25 left in the second quarter.

Gardere, a senior who has started since the fourth game of his freshman season, completed 14 of 19 passes for 201 yards. He sat out most of the second half as freshman quarterback Shea Morenz made his debut, completing five of nine passes for 65 yards, with one interception.

The victory was the first in three games for new Coach John Mackovic. North Texas, a Division I-AA team, slipped to 1-3.

Rice 45, Sam Houston State 14--Trevor Cobb rushed for 223 yards and three touchdowns in 23 carries and Bert Emanuel teamed with Louis Balady on an 80-yard touchdown pass play as the Owls beat the Bearkats at Houston.

The game marked Emanuel’s first college start. He replaced injured Josh LaRocca.

The 45 points is the most points for Rice since a 55-0 victory over Virginia Military Institute in 1969.