The Battalion
SPORTS
Monday, November 27,1989 Sports Editor Tom Kehoe
845-2688
Alan
Lehmann
Sports Writer
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Ags should have
no problem getting
hyped up for Texas
After being hyped to a fever pitch the
last couple of weeks, the race for the
Mobile Cotton Bowl Classic ended
abruptly last weekend.
With four Southwest Conference
teams still in cotention, the possibilities
were confusing and seemingly endless.
However, the Aggies held their destiny
in their hands. A win over Arkansas
would have given A&M the inside track,
needing only a win over Texas this
weekend to clinch the Cotton berth.
But some things just aren’t meant to
be. A questionable pass interference call,
a floating interception and a fumble
ended the Aggies’ chances of playing in
Dallas on New Year’s day.
Trailing 20-17 lead with under five
minutes to play, Arkansas faced a
fourth-and-three situation from the
A&M 19-yard line. Since a tie would
have given A&M a trip to the Cotton
Bowl, Arkansas coach Ken Hatfield
elected to go for the first down.
Quarterback Quinn Grovey looked
right and then threw the ball to tight end
Billy Winston.in the left fiat. A&M free
safety Larry Horton knocked the ball
away, but had to reach over Winston to
do so. The official ruled that Horton
touched Winston before the ball arrived,
and threw the flag.
After the automatic first down at the
Aggie 13, the Hogs scored the go-ahead
touchdown five plays later.
After a safety, Arkansas slipped out of
town with a 23-22 victory, their second
consecutive Cotton Bowl berth and a
string of Aggie broken hearts.
“For a bowl game, there is no
consolation to the Cotton Bowl,” said
A&M cornerback Kevin Smith, “I’d
rather lose by 100 points than by just
one.”
Horton agreed.
“It’S a sad feeling now,” Horton said,
“but we have to bounce back next week
See Lehmann/Page 13
Hogs escape with soooweet 23-22 victory;
Ags accept John Hancock bid against Pitt
By Richard Tijerina
Photo by Mike C. Mulvey
Arkansas cornerback Anthoney Cooney intercepts a lofted pass by A&M
Lance Pavlas late in the fourth quarter of the Razorbacks’ 23-22 thriller
over the Aggies. With the win, the Razorbacks earned their second con
secutive Cotton Bowl appearance. Their likely opponent is Tennessee.
Of The Battalion Staff
Texas A&M’s 23-22 loss to Arkansas was
like eating a BLT on old bread. It was good
in the middle, but stale on the outside.
A&M held Arkansas scoreless in the sec
ond and third quarters, but the Razorbacks
outscored the Aggies 23-12 in the first and
fourth periods to wrap up the Southwest
Conference championship Friday.
With the win, Arkansas improved to 9-1
overall and 6-1 in SWC play. A&M fell to 7-
3 and 5-2.
The Razorbacks earned their second
consecutive Cotton Bowl trip with the vic
tory. Their likely opponent will be No. 8
Tennessee. The Aggies, who were shooting
for their fourth Cotton Bowl appearance ir*
five years, are headed for El Paso Dec. 30 to
take on No. 19 Pittsburgh in the John Han
cock (Sun) Bowl.
For Arkansas Coach Ken Hatfield, the
victory was pure heaven. But for A&M
Coach R.C. Slocum, the ending was nothing
but pure hell.
“That’s what college football is all about,”
Hatfield said. “Heaven is more than w'e can
fathom, but we tasted a little heaven on
earth today. You couldn’t ask for more in a
championship situation.”
But the loss was a bitter one for the Ag
gies, who held- a 20-17 lead late in the
fourth quarter, only to fall behind after a
controversial defensive pass interference
call on a crucial fourth-and-three play deep
in their own territory.
“I thought it was an even game,” Slocum
said. “We had a chance to win at the end. It
was a disappointing, bitter loss for our
coaches, our players and I know our fans.”
The Aggies appeared to have the game
in control late in the game, as they led 20-17
with just over five minutes to play. But the
Razorbacks drove 70 yards to go up for
good, 23-20.
Still, the game looked like it was going to
come down to one play: a fourth-and-three
at the A&M 19-yard line. The Razorbacks
had to go for the first down, Hatfield said,
because only a win would clinch the
championship.
“We couldn’t afford to tie and have a
chance at the Cotton Bowl,” Hatfield said.
“That’s why we went for the win.”
If the Razorbacks had kicked a field goal
and ended up tying the Aggies, A&M still
would have had the inside track to the Cot
ton Bowl. If A&M and Arkansas had ended
up with even records in the SWC, the Ag
gies would have won the trip to Dallas be
cause it’s been longer since they went.
Slocum said he thought the Razorbacks
might try to draw the Aggies offsides on the
fourth down play. However, Arkansas
quarterback Quinn Grovey threw a quick
pass to tight end Billy Winston.
But A&M safety Larry Horton jumped
from behind Winston and knocked the ball
away. As the Aggies were celebrating, the
referee threw the yellow flag and called
Horton for interference.
The Razorbacks scored the go-ahead
touchdown five plays later.
“I thought I made a clean play, but it was
the referee’s decision,” Horton said. “I
thought I went over his back without touch
ing him. After I hit the ball, I went into his
back. That was a key play and probably
made the difference right there.
“I knew it was going to be an interference
call.”
Slocum was outraged on the sidelines,
but said after the game that he’d withold
judgement until he saw the play again on
film. However, A&M cornerback Kevin
Smith said a game of that importance
should never have been decided by a ref
eree.
“I’m not taking anything away from Ar
kansas — they played real hard today,”
Smith said. “It was a war between two tough
teams out there. But the disappointing
thing about the whole game is that it came
down to one play. I don’t think a game
should be decided by one call.”
Not surprisingly, Hatfield and Grovey
said there was no doubt about the interfer
ence call.
But even after two-yard touchdown by
Barry Foster that put the Razorbacks up,
the Aggies weren’t through yet. Linebacker
William Thomas blocked the extra point at
tempt, giving the Aggies one last chance to
drive the field and tie or win the game.
Ironically, Horton had the chance at the
kickoff return. But the junior, ranked tenth
in the nation in kickoff returns with a 26.07
average, didn’t run the ball out.
That left the Aggies and quarterback
Lance Pavlas 80 yards from the touchdown
to win, and about 60 yards to attempt a
game-tying field goal. Two minutes and 52
seconds remained in the game.
Pavlas, who led the Aggies in a game
ending touchdown drive in their 14-11 win
against Baylor earlier in the season, looked
like he was ready to spin some magic.
He completed his first three passes of the
See Game/Page 13
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34-0
Penalty-plagued Oilers shut out.
Schottenheimer: Tt was just our day 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — When
the home team plays its best game of the
season and the visitors play their abso
lute worst, routs happen.
“Let’s face it — we’re not 34 points
better than them,” Coach Marty Schot
tenheimer said Sunday after his Kansas
City Chiefs hung a 34-0 shutout on the
Houston Oilers, who set a team reord
with 16 penalties.
“I have no idea why it all came to
gether for us today — offense, defense
and special teams,” Schottenheimer said.
“It was just our day.”
The Oilers (7-5), who had won five of
their previous six, were shut out for the
first time in almost three years while set
ting the club record with 16 penalties for
115 yards. They also go into the record
book as the Chiefs’ (5-6-1) most thor
oughly beaten opponent since a 40-3 vic
tory over San Diego 21 years ago.
The Chiefs, who had only 15 yards in
penalties, got the first shutout since
1981, and the Oilers were making no ex
cuses.
“We couldn’t get open,” Houston
coach Jerry Glanville said. “We couldn’t
pass protect. The defense didn’t stay on-
side. We didn’t play well. I didn’t coach
well.”
“I guess you can say it’s not as bad as if
you lost by one point,” said Houston
quarterback Warren Moon, who was
pulled in the fourth period after an 8-
for-20 day for 99 yards. “We got blown
out.”
Moon’s one interception triggered a
sideline brawl that resulted in 24 yards
in Houston penalties and gave the
Chiefs complete control of the momen
tum.
After Walker Lee Ashley made the in
terception early in the first period,
Moon and rookie linebacker Derrick
Thomas wrestled each other into the
Chiefs’ bench and sent players, coaches
and officials scrambling to separate
them.
Moon was given a 15-yard penalty,
then Glanville tacked on another penalty
for arguing.
The penalty yards gave the Chiefs a
first down on the 8, and after a facemask
penalty against the Oilers, James Saxon
carried over right guard from 4 yards
out for a 10-0 lead.
“What a big momentum shift,” Chiefs
guard Mark Adickes said. “Any time you
get a turnover, it turns the momentum.
But then for there to be an altercation
and the guy to blame is the quarterback
... and then you get 24 yards in penalies,
and then you get another penalty that
puts you on the 4-yard line ...”
“They’ve always been known as kind
of a difty bunch of players,” Chiefs line
backer Dino Hackett said. “Then when
they tried to start some stuff against us
and we shoved it right back in their face,
it set the momentum right there. It said
we weren’t going to take anything from
them.”
Nick Lowery, who missed three po
tential game-winning field goals last
week at Cleveland, kicked a 31-yarder in
the first period and a 34-yarder in the
second.
The Oilers, who had not been shut
out since losing 27-0 at San Diego on
Dec. 7, 1986, broke their record of 15
penalties, established Oct. 6, 1985
against Denver.
“There is no two ways about it,” Hous
ton running back Alonzo Highsmith
said. “They beat us in every phase of the
game.”
With 4:16 left in the first half, Albert
Lewis blew in from the right side to
block Greg Montgomery’s punt. Jayice
Pearson fell on the ball on the 1-yard
line and rolled into the end zone for a
20-0 lead.
“Nothing was going right,” Glanville
said. “Maybe down the road that experi
ence will help us.”
Steve DeBerg, who completed 15 of
25 passes for 224 yards and no intercep
tions, drove the Chiefs 51 yards in six
plays in the third period and hit Jona
than Hayes with a 7-yard touchdown
strike for a 27-0 lead.
Christian Okoye’s 17-yard run up the
middle capped a 9-play, 71-yard march
in the fourth period. Okoye had 67
yards, pushing his season total to 1,043
and making him the Chiefs’ first 1,000-
yard rusher since the late Joe Delaney in
1981.
“Getting the 1,000 yards feels great,
but the most important thing was how
the team played,” he said. “All week long
we had great practices. It felt like we
were going to be ready.”
Both Moon and Thomas said there
were no hard feelings.
“I’ve never had a personal foul and I
didn’t think I should have had one on
that play,” Moon said. “I thought there
would be offsetting penalties.”
“I think that play increased our inten
sity level,” said Thomas.
Ware’s impressive day against Tech
furthers Heisman Trophy chances
Rice, Thompson,
Harris still in hunt
Photo by jay Janner
Houston quarterback Andre Ware was stopped by A&M on Oct. 14, but
his strong showing in Saturday’s game against Texas Tech solidified his
Heisman Trophy hopes. The winner will be announced Saturday.
HOUSTON (AP) — Andre Ware’s final
appearance on the campaign trail was spec
tacular. Voters for the Heisman Trophy
had to notice when the Houston quar
terback pumped up his stats by another
four touchdown passes Saturday.
Ware says his performance in Houston’s
40-24 victory over Texas Tech was just an
other day on the firing line and had noth
ing to do with campaigning.
“It was just an average day for me,” Ware
said. “I felt no pressure. I wasn’t playing for
the Heisman Trophy. I played the best
game I could have played against Tech.”
It came at the right time for those Heis
man electors who were about to seal the en
velopes before mailing their ballots.
The Heisman winner will be named Sat
urday at the Downtown Athletic Club in
New York.
Ware increased his season passing totals
to 44 touchdowns and 4,299 yards. His
chances for the most coveted individual
award in college football were not hurt any
what his chief rivals did.
Indiana running back Anthony Thomp
son gained only 97 yards on 28 carries in a
15-14 loss to Purdue.
Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice was
victimized in Miami’s 27-10 defeat of No. 1-
ranked Fighting Irish. Rice rushed for only
50 yards in 20 carries and passed for 106
yards.
Neither Thompson nor Rice scored, and
they can only hope their supporters mailed
their ballots early.
West Virginia quarterback Major Harris
no doubt helped his chances with a Thanks-
iving Day performance which resulted in a
4-17 victory over Syracuse.
Harris, a junior, became the first player
in college football history to pass for 5,000
yards and rush for 2,000 in a career.
Against Syracuse, he rushed for 95 yards
and a touchdown on 18 carries and com
pleted 12 of 23 passes for 182 yards.
Air Force quarterback Dee Dowis, rated a
longshot, scrambled for two touchdowns in
Saturday’s 42-38 wfin over Utah, having
rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries and
completing 6 of 8 passes for 137 yards.
Two other likely Heisman contenders —
Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan and
Florida running back Emmitt Smith —were
idle this week.
“I watched Major Harris on TV against
Syracuse and he does a lot for his team,”
Ware said. “I was very impressed.”
But Ware holds the statistical edge, with
nearly twice the number of touchdowns of
his closest competitor, Thompson, who has
24 this season.
“If Andre does not win, they should stop
giving the award,” said Houston coach Jack
Pardee. “He is a player who has put up sta-
dstics each week and has not had a bad day
this year.
“And when you talk about character, he
could have left school last year and been im
mediately eligible to play anywhere in the
country (because of NCAA sanctions
against Houston), but he stayed here and
has had a phenomenal season.
"WJaat else can you say about what tne
award represents?”
Because the NCAA has prohibited Hous
ton games from being televised this season
and from participating in bowl games.
Ware has had the additional burden of not
being seen by those selecting the Heisman
winner.
“I had a Barry Sanders-type season all
year long. I can’t vote. But I definitely feel
like I deserve consideration,” Ware said.
“I hope I’m able to win it because it
would be a great accomplishment for our
team,” Ware said. “If I don’t, I don’t know
what else I could have done.”