SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Hard Knocks Continue for Klingler, Houston

Houston quarterback David Klingler had big numbers again--all in the favor of 13th-ranked Texas A&M.;

The Aggies sacked Klingler 10 times for 83 yards in losses, intercepted three of his passes and held him without a touchdown pass for only the second start of his career in a 27-18 Southwest Conference victory over the Cougars at College Station, Tex.

The Aggies, 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the SWC, took a 21-3 halftime lead on runs of 24 yards by Greg Hill and three yards by Keith McAfee, and Bucky Richardson’s three-yard pass to James McKeehan.

After Houston (2-5, 1-3) cut the deficit to 21-18 in the third quarter on touchdown runs of 64 and three yards by TiAndre Sanders, Hill ended the Cougars’ comeback attempt on a 22-yard touchdown run with 4:30 left in the game.

Klingler’s 10 sacks were the most of his career in one game. He was sacked five times each by Miami and Illinois.

“Klingler is one tough customer,” linebacker Jason Atkinson said. “We kept hitting him and hitting him and he kept getting up.

“It got touchy when they were moving the ball in the third quarter. The crowd picked us up and we pulled together. All of a sudden, it would be something like third and 30 for them.”

Hill had 160 yards in 25 rushes and his 791 yards break A&M;’s freshman rushing record of 726 yards set by Curtis Dickey in 1976.

Houston’s only score of the first half was a school record 53-yard field goal by Roman Anderson, which gave him an NCAA record 397 points. Anderson entered the game tied with former Indiana running back Anthony Thompson with 394 points.

No. 22 Baylor 26, Texas Christian 9--The Bear defense set up short touchdown runs by quarterback J.J. Joe and fullback John Henry and Baylor rebounded from consecutive losses to beat the Horned Frogs at Waco, Tex.

Baylor (6-2, 3-2) led 17-2 at halftime after recovering three fumbles by TCU (5-2, 2-2). Joe scored from a yard out and Henry from the two, in addition to Jeff Ireland’s 38-yard field goal.

After the Bears intercepted a pass on the one-yard line, Joe was tackled for a safety by TCU’s Tunji Bolden, who later halted a Baylor scoring opportunity by recovering a fumble at the nine.

TCU scored on quarterback Matt Vogler’s 18-yard pass to Setrick Dickens with 1:42 left.

Texas 34, Southern Methodist 0--Peter Gardere threw three touchdown passes at Dallas and the Longhorns handed the Mustangs their 22nd consecutive SWC defeat since SMU returned from NCAA probation.

The Mustangs (1-6, 2-5) have won only three games since returning from the NCAA death penalty for recruiting violations in 1989--and none against conference opponents.

The Longhorns (3-3, 2-1) took advantage of two SMU mistakes to build a 21-0 halftime lead.

After Gardere’s eight-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Thrift early in the second quarter, SMU’s Corey Beard fumbled the ball to the Longhorns and then was hit with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for disputing the call.

On the next play, Gardere hit Justin McLemore with a 28-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.

SMU punter Ryan Lawson fumbled a snap, picked it up and ran out of his end zone before being tackled on the three. On the next play, Phil Brown scored for Texas with 11 seconds left in the half.

Texas Tech 40, Rice 20--Robert Hall threw for three touchdowns, rushed for two more and had 453 yards of total offense to lead the Red Raiders past the Owls at Lubbock, Tex.

Hall broke the school record of 446 total yards set by Billy Joe Tolliver against Oklahoma State in 1988. Texas Tech (3-4, 2-2) finished with 534 yards.

Hall completed 18 of 26 for 366 yards without an interception and rushed for 87 yards, including a 70-yard scoring run. His touchdown passes went 33 and 46 yards to Rodney Blackshear, and 24 yards to Lloyd Hill.

Trevor Cobb, the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 116 yards in 29 carries and a one-yard touchdown for Rice (3-3, 1-2).