Southwest Roundup : Texas A&M; Trounces TCU, 74-10

Precision passing by Kevin Murray and a four-touchdown performance by Roger Vick powered 13th-ranked Texas A&M; to a record-shattering 74-10 victory over Texas Christian Saturday at College Station, Tex., clinching at least a tie for the Aggies’ second consecutive Southwest Conference championship.

The Aggies, 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the SWC, could win the conference title outright Thursday with a victory or tie over the Texas Longhorns to earn the host berth in the Cotton Bowl New Year’s Day.

In addition to beating the Horned Frogs by the second-biggest league winning margin ever, the Aggies amassed a school-record 705 yards.

Texas A&M;’s 64-point margin of victory ranks behind Texas’ 65-point, 81-16 win over TCU in 1974.

Murray finished with 20 completions in 28 attempts for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns to move into second place on the SWC’s career passing yardage list with 6,249 yards. The junior raised his season completion total to 187, breaking the Texas A&M; record of 181 set by Gary Kubiak in 1982.

Freshman Melvin Collins had a game-high 110 yards rushing in 20 carries, and Vick added 104 yards in 17 carries.

Rod Bernstine became Texas A&M;’s all-time reception leader. He had 8 catches for 56 yards to raise his career total to 98.

TCU closed out the season with a 3-8 record, 1-7 in the SWC.

Arkansas 41, Southern Methodist 0--At Irving, Tex., quarterback Greg Thomas ran for three touchdowns to keep the 11th-ranked Razorbacks’ hopes alive for a Cotton Bowl bid.

The Razorbacks, who finished the season with a 9-2 overall record, 6-2 in the SWC, will be in Dallas on New Year’s Day if Texas defeats Texas A&M; in Austin Thanksgiving Day.

If the Razorbacks do not earn a Cotton Bowl berth, they are assured of a spot in the Orange Bowl.

SMU, which is barred from postseason play because of NCAA probation, finished at 6-5 and 5-3.

Thomas, who gained 116 yards in 16 carries, scored on runs of 4, 1 and 23 yards.

Baylor 18, Texas 13--Cody Carlson, Baylor’s all-time passing and total offense leader, accounted for three touchdowns at Waco, Tex., as the No. 17-ranked Bears defeated the Longhorns.

The victory raised Baylor’s record to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the SWC, and earned the Bears an invitation to the Bluebonnet Bowl at Houston on Dec. 31 against Colorado.

Texas fell to 4-3 and 5-5 and must defeat Texas A&M; on Thanksgiving to avoid its first losing football season in 30 years.

Carlson finished with 13 completions in 22 attempts for 145 yards and a career total of 2,284 yards, breaking Don Trull’s single-season passing record of 2,157 yards, set in 1963.

Texas Tech 34, Houston 7--At Lubbock, Tex., Tyrone Thurman stung the Cougars with 97 yards in punt returns as the Red Raiders rolled to an Independence Bowl showdown with Mississippi.

The victory gave Texas Tech a record of 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the SWC. Houston, playing its next-to-last game under retiring Coach Bill Yeoman, fell to 1-9 and 0-7.

Thurman, at 130 pounds the smallest player in major college football, returned one punt 67 yards for a touchdown and sped 30 yards to set up another for the Red Raiders, who will meet Mississippi Dec. 20 in Shreveport, La.

Rice 21, Air Force 17--Mark Comalander completed two long touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lift the Owls to a come-from-behind victory over the Falcons in a nonconference game at Houston.

Comalander erased Air Force’s 17-7 lead when he teamed with Keith Lewis on a 37-yard touchdown and completed a 60-yard scoring play to Darrell Goolsby to lift the Owls (3-7).

Air Force is 6-4 with one game remaining.