Sunday, September 29, 1996

Aggies lose to Colorado, 24-10
By BILL HART
Senior Staff Writer

COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M ran 41 more plays than Colorado Saturday, outgained the Buffaloes by 110 yards, but lost the Big 12 Conference game, 24-10.

The Aggies also had the most turnovers, 4-3, and that played a major role in A&M's third loss in four games, its worst record at this stage of the season since 1988.

Two fumbles led to 10 Colorado points and the other two stopped Aggie drives deep in Buffalo territory.

Texan Koy Detmer sparked the win by completing 16 of 27 passes for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Buffaloes got only 91 yards rushing.

Former Stephenville quarterback Branndon Stewart set three A&M school records by completing 34 of 64 passes for 385 yards, but he also had two fumbles when he was attempting to pass. And he was also sacked seven times, some also stopping drives.

Wide receiver Albert Connell caught an A&M single game record 18 passes for 208 yards, but twice had to leave the game with leg cramps. But Colorado was able to keep him out of the end zone.

Michael Jennings fumbled the opening kickoff at the A&M 28 when he was tackled and Colorado's Brandon Southward recovered. On the first play, Rae Curruth, on a reverse, ran around left end, picked up a strong block by tight end Tennyson McCarty, and went in untouched for the touchdown.

Jennings had fumbled a punt in the season opener against Brigham Young that led to a touchdown in A&M's 41-37 loss.

"We started the game with a turnover and then we continued to do it," said A&M coach R.C. Slocum. "I felt at the half that we had denied ourselves (points) with turnovers and most of them were self-inflicted. It is very frustrating."

The Aggies had a chance to close the gap to 21-14 in the third quarter and had fourth down-and-1 at the Colorado 3-yard line. But Stewart's pass to a wide-open Marc Broyles was off target and Colorado took over.

"It was a designed pass play and we needed a touchdown to get back in," Stewart said. "I rolled out, but just as I was ready to throw, I got hit and didn't get the ball to Marc. At first, I thought I might run it, but one of their guys came up and I had to throw.

"We moved the ball and we had the opportunities to score, but then we'd make mistakes."

The most passes that Stewart had ever thrown in a game, high school or college, was 31 against Southwestern Louisiana. He had 30 last week against the University of North Texas.

Stewart completed 6 of 7 passes in the first Aggie drive for 45 yards, but the drive died at the Colorado 21. Then to add to the Aggies' misery, Kyle Bryant missed a 38-yard field goal. That was the beginning of wasted opportunities for A&M.

The Buffaloes went up 14-0 two series later when Detmer, on third-and-18, threw a screen pass to Herchell Troutman in the right flat and he turned into a 50-yard touchdown.

Dante Hall fumbled away an Aggie threat at the Colorado 22, but Stewart finally got A&M on the scoreboard the next time it had the ball. It was a 64-yard drive and a 46-yard Stewart-to-Connell pass ate up most of it. The payoff was a 13-yard pass from Stewart to Sirr Parker with 8:36 left in the half.

That made it 14-7, but it didn't take Detmer long to make it a two-touchdown margin. The key play came on third-and-1 from the Colorado 43. Detmer faked a rollout to the right then circled back and passed to a wide-open Carruth for a first down at the A&M 21. Three plays later, Detmer passed to Darrin Chiaverini for a 9-yard touchdown although he was covered by two Aggies.

"I thought Koy was exceptional, when he had to make a play, he got it done," said Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel. "He exhibited good leadership skills today."

A&M threatened one more time in the first half, but after three Stewart completions, Bryant's 48-yard field goal attempt hit the crossbar and bounced away.

The Aggies, particularly Stewart, would like to forget the third quarter. Stewart was blindsided and fumbled at the Colorado 28, a play after a pass for a first down was dropped.

A&M recovered a Colorado fumble at the Buffalo 29 and moved to the 3 where Stewart's pass to Broyles missed its mark.

Andre Williams intercepted a Detmer pass to end a Colorado threat at the Aggie 12, but two plays later, Stewart was hit as he was ready to throw and the Buffaloes recovered at the 8.

Again the Aggie defense held, aided by a holding penalty aginst the Buffs and Lesley booted a 32-yard field goal and a 24-7 lead with 1:24 left in the third quarter.

"Those fumbles were the result of lack of concentation," Stewart said. "Sure, I got hit from behind, but we're taught to keep both hands on the football and protect it. I didn't."

Bryant kicked a 30-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter for the final A&M score and the Aggies recovered the following kickoff, but couldn't convert it into points.

Connell's previous high for receptions was nine against North Texas last week.

"I didn't think about the record," he said. "After we got behind, I was hoping we would throw the ball to get back into the game. It's disappointing the record comes on a loss."

He couldn't pinpoint, however, the cause of the 16 turnovers the Aggies have now committed in four games.

"I know we're trying hard; I guess we're trying too hard," he said. "Now, we've got to bounce back."