SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Kickoff Return Gets Texas A&M; Going

Leeland McElroy highlighted a game of big plays with a 100-yard touchdown return of the opening kickoff, leading No. 12 Texas A&M; to a 41-17 victory over Southern Mississippi Saturday at College Station, Tex.

The Aggies (3-0) won their 22nd straight at Kyle Field, the nation’s longest current home winning streak after Washington beat Miami, 38-20, at the Orange Bowl on Saturday, ending the Hurricanes’ record run at 58 in a row.

Texas A&M; jumped to a 27-10 halftime lead over the Golden Eagles (2-2) behind such big plays as McElroy’s run, a 57-yard tuchdown pass from Corey Pullig to Ryan Mathews on a fake end-around and a 61-yard field goal by freshman Kyle Bryant.

McElroy got it started when he took the opening kickoff and headed straight up field, darting right and getting past kicker Chris Pierce to race into the end zone. It was his fourth career touchdown on a kickoff return.

McElroy helped set up a second-quarter three-yard touchdown run by Rodney Thomas with a 47-yard run that went for five more yards when he fumbled and teammate Chris Sanders recovered it upfield.

Bryant, who kicked a 30-yard field goal with 3:53 to go in the half, missed a 56-yarder but got another chance from 61 yards because of a penalty.

This time, Bryant’s kick took off low but was dead center and barely eased over the crossbar. He’s the first Aggie freshman to start his kicking career with eight consecutive successful kicks.

Bryant’s 61-yarder was the second-longest since the NCAA banned the used of kicking tees in 1989. Jason Hansen of Washington State had a 62-yarder against Nevada Las Vegas in 1991.

Southern Mississippi tried to match the big-play flavor of the game, but it was outmanned from the start.

Pierce, subbing for regular kicker Johnny Lomoro, kicked a 30-yard field goal, the first of his career, in the first quarter and Tommy Waters threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Fred Brock in the second quarter.

Brock made a diving one-handed catch in the end zone.

Ronald Jones scored Southern Mississippi’s final points on a five-yard run with 8:39 to play.

The Aggies got a scare near the end of the first half when quarterback Corey Pullig twisted his right knee and left the game. He returned in the third quarter and completed a 40-yard pass to Mathews that set up Thomas’ second touchdown, a one-yard dive with 2:40 left in the period.

McElroy added his second score on a three-yard run with 14:25 left in the game.

Thomas finished with 90 yards in 23 carries. McElroy had two kickoff returns for 121 yards and rushed for 85 yards in 15 carries.

Texas Tech 35, Southern Methodist 7--Zebbie Lethridge passed for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Red Raiders (2-2, 1-0) to a SWC victory at Lubbock, Tex.

SMU (1-3, 0-1) was hampered by injuries, the worst being the pulled hamstring that sidelined quarterback Ramon Flanigan in the second quarter. Flanigan, who led the SWC with 271 yards of a offense per game, accounted for just 47 before leaving.

Lethridge, a redshirt freshman, rushed for 73 yards in his first collegiate start and completed 14 of 26 passes for 148 yards.