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Monday, October 20, 1997

Wac Roundup: The Texas teams

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ AP Sports Writer

The New Mexico Lobos found out quickly what the Rice Owls' spread option was all about.

The Owls (5-2, 3-1) needed less than the first quarter to build a 21-0 lead and the Lobos spent the rest of the game trying to overcome it. New Mexico made it close but Rice held on for a 35-23 victory that tied the Lobos (6-1, 3-1) for the Western Athletic Conference's Mountain Division lead.

In other games involving Texas WAC members, Texas-El Paso (2-5, 1-3) missed two potential game-tying kicks in the final minutes and lost to San Jose State, 10-7 and Texas Christian (0-6, 0-3) remained winless in a 33-22 loss to Tulsa (1-5, 1-2).

The Owls entered the game with the nation's No. 2 rushing attack and that's what they showed the Lobos. Rice attempted one pass but rushed 384 yards on 65 carries.

Coach Ken Hatfield appreciated the quick start.

"We came out and played probably our finest football in the first quarter and a half," Hatfield said. "We should have been ahead 42-0. We were just beating ourselves with turnovers and penalties. To their credit, New Mexico made it tough on us."

Rice led 28-14 at the half but the Lobos cut it to 28-23 with 14:03 left in the game and the Owls took over with a time consuming drive leading to Michael Perry's 4-yard touchdown run with 6:26 to play.

"There wasn't any doubt about it we stopped ourselves and let them back into the game," Perry said.

But the Owls took the momentum back with their final touchdown drive.

"We had to nickel-and-dime it, so to speak," Hatfield said. "Our guys made their blocks and held them. The ball carriers fought for the yards they needed and we were able to run that clock out. We sure needed it."

Texas Christian fell behind early but pulled within 27-22 with 12:11 left. But that was it for the Horned Frogs as the Hurricane added a 5-yard touchdown run by John Mosley, his second of the game, with 3:38 left.

"I told the team that right now, everybody is hurting," TCU coach Pat Sullivan said. "Times are tough. But life can be that way and things can get a lot tougher. How they react over the next five weeks will have bearing on how we do."

TCU's LaDanian Tomlinson rushed for 180 yards on 27 carries but it went for naught.

"I heard Basil Mitchell (another TCU running back) talking all week that the Tulsa defense would key on him, and I should have a big game," Tomlinson said. "They were following him everywhere. They weren't worried about me."

Mitchell had 42 yards on 12 carries.

Texas-El Paso had a chance against San Jose's sputtering offense but Ola Kimm missed a 31-yard field goal with four minutes to play and Matt Finley missed a 45-yarder with four seconds to play.

The game's only touchdown came on an 84-yard punt return by San Jose's Omarr Smith.Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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