<198! dosiofi ictobl r acuse P.m.a; loods 5cktb e 1 Rub- ainloi- adsiu- er.Fof it Hillb If dou- ore in. i infer iave a ie. For arat? redbf snov I Rud- lowing illpre- Inn. g.Foi :OUN- cation ).m.in n8:30 irinaiy j. i lami- eput- erno' info ! ' eake' ir. Fo ! ealS inca all; ire in sour- The Battalion SPORTS 9 Monday, October 9,1989 Sports Editor Tom Kehoe 845-2688 Photo by Frederick D.Joe A&M’s Darren Lewis leaps over the line for to Texas Tech. Lewis tied his career record some of his 85 yards in Saturday’s 27-24 loss with three rushing touchdowns in one game. Oilers stopped by Patriots 23-13; Flutie 11-0 in career Fox boro starts FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) —Wel come back, John Stephens. Good riddance, losing streak. Stephens, sidelined the pre vious two games, sparked New England’s offense, and the de fense defused the AFC’s highest- scoring team as the Patriots beat the Houston Oilers 23-13 Sun day. “You saw the difference out there with John carrying the ball,” New England quarterback Doug Flutie said. Stephens’ comeback, from an ankle injury forced the defense to pay attention to New England’s running game, making it easier for Flutie to throw and the Patri ots to stop their three-game slide. “The fact that we were running the ball so well made it a little bit easier on our offensive line” to block on pass plays, said Flutie, who was sacked just once. “I didn’t feel there was any thing their defense could do that we weren’t prepared for,” said Stephens, the AFC’s second lead ing rusher as a rookie last year. Greg Davis added three field goals as the Patriots, who began the game as the AFC’s lowest- scoring team, matched their point total for their previous three games. “There was a sense of ur gency,” Flutie said. “We wanted to win badly, and if you want it badly enough, you can do it.” Flutie improved his record to 11-0 at Sullivan Stadium, winning six games with the Patriots and five with Boston College. Stephens gained 59 yards in 21 carries and played key roles in New England’s first three scoring drives. Then he ran for an 11- yard touchdown that made the score 20-3 with 5:58 left in the third quarter. Both teams are 2-3 after the Patriots broke a three-game los ing streak and the Oilers lost two fumbles on kick returns that set up touchdowns. “You can’t win if you can’t make basic plays,” Houston coach Jerry Glanville said. The Oilers, who averaged 38 points in their previous three games, got field goals by Tony Zendejas of 46 yards on the final play of the first half, making the score 10-3, and 22 yards early in the fourth quarter. Warren Moon threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Drew Hill, cutting the lead to 23- 13 with 5:11 left. “We got a lot of sacks, a lot of interceptions,” Patriots coach Raymond Berry said. “It seemed like our defense was stopping them on the ground pretty well.” Moon was sacked three times and intercepted twice one week after completing a career high 82.6 percent of his passes in a 39- 7 win over Miami. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 227 yards against the Patriots “This is not the Houston Oilers that we were,” Glanville said. “I give full credit to New England. They outplayed us, they out- coached us, they outeverythinged us.” The Patriots got a first-hall touchdown for the first time in four games. Marvin Allen’s 1 - yard run with 1:08 left in the first quarter made the score 10-0. It was set up by Stephens’ 7-yard run for a first down at the Hous ton 1-yard line. “I felt good at halftime because we hadn’t done much but we were still in the game,” Glanville said. “Then they came out and scored on their first possession of the second half.” Davis kicked field goals of 30 yards in the first quarter and 34 yards in the third quarter, making the score 13-3. He added a 43- yarder with 6:49 left in the game. The first field goal came after Stephens ran for two first downs and the second followed a power ful block by Stephens on Robert Lyles that sprung Flutie for a 22- yard gain to the Houston 19. The Oilers entered the game with the NFL’s second best run defense but gave up 144 yards, New Eingland’s second best rush ing total of the season. Houston also was the NFL leader in time of possession with 35 minutes, 41 seconds per game, but held the ball just 24:49 Sun day. “We knew we had to control the ball,” Stephens said. “We knew Warren Moon is a great quarterback, and they have a full stable of running backs. We knew we had to keep making first downs and not think about touch downs because first downs equal touchdowns.” Stephens scored one play after Vincent Brown recovered punt returner Kenny Johnson’s fum ble. Allen’s first pro touchdown came six plays after he recovered Leonard Harris’ fumble on the kickoff following Davis’ first field goal. Tech’s Price is right Red Raiders upset No. 19 Aggies 27-24 as receiver hauls in last-minute TD pass two more touchdowns, tying his ca reer-high touchdowns in a game at With ten minutes left in the game, Tech appeared to be on the down ward slide. After a bench-clearing brawl, in which an unidentified Aggie was thrown out of the game, Tech began to battle back. Gill threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Price with just over five min utes to goin the game. Tech tried a two-point conversion but was unsuc cessful. A&M still led 24-20. after proceeded to knock The Aggies took possession the kickoff and proceeded to k fourth-and-two play and marched to A&M’s 17 yard-line. The Aggie defense stiffened and outside linebacker William Thomas sacked Gill, knocking the ball loose and giving the Aggies an apparent fumble recovery. The officials, though, ruled Gill down and Tech retained possession. “That was the play that hurt us right there,” A&M’s Defensive Coor dinator Bob Davie said. “I thought it was an obvious fumble.” But A&M bounced back and sacked Gill again, setting up a third- and-28 play. Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack A&M inside linebacker Trent Lewis walks away after level ing Tech quarterback Jamie Gill. Lewis had 10 tackles in his first career start. Gill later was knocked out of the game for one play after a hard hit by linebacker Anthony Williams. LUBBOCK — Better late than never? Not for Texas A&M, who was un able to line, up in time for Texas Tech’s last-minute desperation pass into the endzone to beat the No. 19- ranked Aggies 27-24 on Saturday. While the A&M defense hurried back onto the field after a Tech timeout in the fourth quarter, Red Raider quarterback Jamie Gill hit wide receiver Travis Price on a 35- yard pass for the go-ahead touch down. “We got out there late and the re ceiver ran a streak (pattern),” said A&M defensive back Derrick Richey. “For some reason it seemed like they put the ball in play quicker than normal.” The reason it seemed like Tech got the play off quicker is that they snapped the ball when they realized A&M was caught unprepared. “We were yelling from the side line to snap it,” Tech defensive line man Charles Perry said. “We really caught them off-guard.” “I knew we were in a little trouble, but we had the safties back there,” Richey said. However, A&M free safety Larry Horton didn’t make it on time. “Normally (the officials) allow you time to line up before they start the play after a timeout,” A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. “But it didn’t hap pen on that play.” However, Slocum said the loss shouldn’t be blamed on poor offi ciating. “Give Tech credit for making the play,” Slocum said. “It looked like a good throw and catch to me.” Tech Coach Spike Dykes didn’t let the time out controversy or a ques tionable call on a fourth-quarter fumble tarnish the win. “Thank goodness we executed that play,” Dykes said. “I’m not going to get into any arguments (aibouf the questionable calls). I really don’t know what happened. “When they (the officials) start the ball, it’s your responsibility to be out there.” Slocum said the Aggies simply let the game slip away. “We had our chances to win the game and didn’t execute well enough on offense or defense,” Slo cum said. “We should have won and let it get away from us.” The Aggies led the whole game, but it was the persistence of the Red Raiders that kept them close throughout. A&M couldn’t pul the game away. A&M scored first on a six-and-a- half minute drive, capped by a one- yard run by Darren Lewis. Tech quarterback Gill was quick to respond with his own one-yard leap that tie the game 7-7. After a Layne Talbot field goal, the Aggies went in at halftime up 10- 7. In the third quarter, Lewis scored off almost half of the time remaining in ihe game, but a seven-yard punt by Sean Wilson put Tech in good field position on its own 28 yard line. The Red Raiders then turned to running back James Gray, who fin ished the day with 70 yards on 23 carries. Tech converted on a critical Tech called time out to set up their next play and the entire Aggie defense went to the sideline. “We had them where we wanted them, but they hit the big play on us,” A&M inside linebacker Anthony Wilson said. “They made the plays when they needed to.” Cowboys lose, fall to 0-5 Walsh plays well, but his efforts fall short during 31-13 victory by confident Green Bay ; Oakland gets pennant repeat £ with 4-3 win over Blue Jays ttert n#* W TORONTO (AP) — The Oakland Athletics won heir second straight American League pennant on iunday, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 to win the livisional playoffs in five games. Dave Stewart outpitched Dave Stieb for the second ime in the series as Oakland became the first team to vin consecutive pennants since the New York Yankees indLos Angeles each did it in 1977-78. This also ended he longest streak in history without a repeat champion. The Athletics, with the best record in baseball the last ''0 seasons, will open the World Series at home next iaturday against San Francisco or Chicago. Either way, Oakland wall not have to face a pitcher hecaliber of Orel Hershiser, who stopped the Athletics n five games last year. And maybe just as important, hey have Rickey Henderson this time. Henderson, who began his career with the Athletics, f as traded back to his hometown by the Yankees on une 20 for pitchers Greg Cadaret and Eric Plunk and 'Utfielder Luis Polonia. His return propelled Oakland Hhe playoffs, then he made them his personal show- aseas he was easily named Most Valuable Player. Henderson stole the series, reaching base in 14 of 23 ’■ate appearances and stealing a postseason series re- °rd eight bases without being caught. Henderson, who 'em 6-for-15, hit two home runs, a triple, a double and c ored eight times. From the start on Sunday, Henderson kept Toronto , 11 trouble. He drew a walk to start the game, stole sec- l 'nd and scored on Jose Canseco’s single. In the third, / fter another leadoff walk, Henderson hit a triple that tode it 2-0. After that, the Blue Jays and their sellout crowd of 50,024 was mostly silent. No, Canada, the World Series will not be played north of the border for the first time. The Athletics, who won 10 more games than To ronto this season, got their 14th pennant, including nine while in Philadelphia. The victory also set up the possibility of baseball’s first Subway Series since 1956 w'hen Brooklyn played the Yankees. Stew'art, a 20-game winner for three straight seasons, made the lead hold up. He scattered eight hits in eight innings, allowing solo home runs to Lloyd Moseby in the eighth and George Bell in the ninth. He walked none and struck out four. Dennis Eckersley, who saved all four Oakland play off victories last season, earned his third of the series by pitching the ninth, allowing one run and one hit. As Eckersley warmed up, Toronto manager Cito Gaston talked to home plate umpire Dave Phillips, who then went to the mound and checked Eckersley’s glove. Oakland manager Tony La Russa then expressed his displeasure although no action was taken against the pitcher. Stieb allowed onlv four hits in six-plus innings. But he hurt himself with four walks, and all three leadoff walks wound up scoring. While Oakland’s offensive stars did the job, the Blue lavs’ big guns did not fire. Bell, who had 104 RBIs, went 4-for-20 and Fred McGriff was 3-for-21. McGriff, the league champion with 36 home runs, did not homer after Sept. 4 and did not have an extra-base hit aiu-r Sept. 13. GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Don Majkowski is in a position of power with the NFL’s most prolific offense. He can make it go, or he can make it slow. "If w'e’re executing, nobody has stopped us, we’ve only stopped our selves,” Majkowski said Sunday after completing 21 of 32 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns in a 31- 13 victory over the winless Dallas Cowboys. Majkowski, who threw nine inter ceptions in his first four games, had none against Dallas. “We scored the points and moved the ball,” he said. “We played consis- tenly throughout the first four quar ters. When I have protection, my guys will be open and I’ll be able to get them the ball. We feel very confi dent in that fact. “Every play we had called has a chance to oe successful,” he said af ter the Packers rolled up 501 yards, their most in one game since 1985. The biggest play came with 59 sec onds left Tn the first half when Majkowski connected with Sterling Sharpe on a 79-yard touchdow n pass that gave the Packers a 17-13 lead at the half. It marked the first time all season the comeback Packers have not trailed at the half. “Don threw a perfect ball and all I had to do was catch it and take it in,” said Sharpe, who outran two de fenders for the touchdown. “I hit him in stride and he did the rest,” said Majkowski. In the second half, Majkowski threw his second touchdown of the game to Herman Fontenot, a 38- yarder with 40 seconds to go in the third quarter. And then he hit Perry Kemp with a 4-yarder with 2:33 re maining in the game. The Packers’ 3-2 start is their best through five games since 1983. "I don’t know if it was my best day but I played smart and made some things happen. It was a really solid day,” said Majkowski. “We didn’t make a w hole lot of big plays last year, and this year we’re breaking tackles and shaking loose,” said Packers coach Lindy Infante. “We’re improving.” But the Cowboys aren’t. Dallas is 0-5 for its worst start since 0-10 in 1960. Rookie Steve W alsh, in his first NFL start, was 18 of 29 for 193 yards with one interception and was sacked three times. “Our defense gave us enough op portunities. It was 17-13 in the third quarter and then things fell aprt. We stopped playing together,” said W’alsh. “This is getting pretty old,” said Cow boys coach Jimmy Johnson, still looking for that elusive first NFL vic tory. Dallas used two big plays in the first half to lead twice. Eugene Lock hart picked up Majkowski’s fumble and ran 40 yards for a touchdown with 8:31 in the second quarter, giv ing Dallas a 13-10 lead. The Cowboys stunned the Packers early when James Dixon returned the opening kickoff 90 yards to the Green Bay 6. That set up Walsh’s 5- yard Touchdown pass to Michael Ir vin just 58 seconds into the game, but Green Bay’s Shawn Patterson blocked the extra point. Green Bay came right back only to have a signaled touchdowm reversed by instant replay. Jeff Query caught a pass from Majkowski near the goal line but was ruled down at the 1 af ter the review. The Packers then went backward and had to settle for Chris Jacke’s 26-yard field goal that made it 6-3. Query then recovered a fumble by Dallas’ Darrvl Clack on the ensuing kickoff at the Cow boys 13.