Texas A&M; Advances to Cotton Bowl, 18-9 : College Football: Leeland McElroy has 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown to lead Aggies over Texas.

No. 8 Texas A&M; will take its third consecutive trip to the Cotton Bowl.

Texas Coach John Mackovic will take the heat.

The Aggies beat the Longhorns 18-9 Thursday night to win the Southwest Conference title with its record 22nd consecutive league victory.

Freshman Leeland McElroy jump-started the Aggies with a 100-yard kickoff return in the second quarter. However, the Longhorns, down 15-9, were in position to take the lead, driving to the Aggies two-yard line with 5:55 seconds to play.

But on fourth-and-one, Dennis Allen intercepted Shea Morenz’s pass. The Aggies then sealed matters when Rodney Thomas ran 54 yards to set up a 20-yard field goal by Terry Venetoulias with 53 seconds to play.

“It was an option play where the quarterback could run, pass or pitch the ball,” Mackovic said of the interception. “The quarterback decided not to toss it but passed instead and it just didn’t happen. I call the plays and I accept the responsibility.”

The Aggies (10-1, 7-0), the first SWC team to go through three consecutive seasons without losing a league game, won their 19th consecutive home game before 74,748 freezing fans at Kyle Field, where Texas A&M; is 50-3-1 since 1985.

Texas (5-5-1, 5-2) was knocked out of the bowl picture with the loss. Texas A&M; beat the Longhorns for the ninth time in 10 games. This was the 100th meeting of the teams.

“It thought it would be a tough game and it turned out to be just like I thought,” Texas A&M; coach R.C. Slocum said. “It was fitting. It was a great setting, a great crowd and a national television audience. I thought it was a classic Texas A&M; game.”

McElroy awakened the Aggies with his 100-yard return and tied the NCAA record for most kickoff returns for touchdowns in a season.

McElroy took the ball two-yards deep in his end zone, broke between blocks by Wilbert Biggens and Detron Smith, then outran Texas kicker Scott Szeredy to the end zone.

The Longhorns were limited to field goals of 20, 42 and 48 yards by Szeredy.

“They have a very good defense,” Morenz said. “We just couldn’t make it happen. They played tough down there (inside the 20). We had opportunities but we couldn’t get the job done.”

Texas tackle Blake Brockermeyer said: “We had them fourth and one and that’s it, game over. One yard and we had them. That’s kind of the way the whole season has been.”