SOUTHWEST ROUNDUP : Pittsburgh, Martin Come Up Short Against Texas

Curtis Martin ran for more yards than any opponent in 101 years of Texas football. But when underdog Pittsburgh needed only three yards to tie the 19th-ranked Longhorns on Saturday, he didn’t even get the ball.

Taje Allen, a reserve defensive back, batted away Sean Fitzgerald’s two-point conversion pass with 36 seconds to play and the Longhorns held off Pitt, 30-28, at Pittsburgh.

Two missed conversions proved costly for Pitt as Texas won its opener for only the second time in eight seasons. Pitt lost its 10th consecutive home game but its first opener in eight years.

Martin, a 1,000-yard runner on a team that won three games last season, turned in a Tony Dorsett-like performance on Dorsett Day at Pitt Stadium, carrying 28 times for 251 yards. Texas Christian’s Jim Swink held the Texas opponent’s record with 235 yards in 1955.

“Tony Dorsett was a great back, and Curtis Martin is becoming a great player,” said Pitt’s Johnny Majors, who became the fifth active Division I-A coach to participate in 300 games. “He was phenomenal. All of the great backs are different--Gale Sayers was different from Tony Dorsett, for example--but Curtis is one of the best I’ve seen.”

But Martin got only 17 yards as Texas held the ball most of the fourth quarter, and a last-minute Pitt comeback fell short after Anthony Holmes’ fumble with 1:14 to play led to Fitzgerald’s 16-yard scoring pass to Matt Butler.

Pitt would have needed only a conversion kick to tie if David Merrick had not missed the conversion after Pitt’s first touchdown. Fitzgerald, a transfer from L.A. Valley College, passed to Chad Askew in the end zone, but Allen knocked the ball away.

“We could have made a lot of calls there, but what might have worked there we’ll never know,” Majors said. “It’s a one-shot deal . . . and a big guessing game. Giving it to (Martin) might have worked, but it didn’t work earlier on a third down (from the five).”

Said Texas Coach John Mackovic: “What I really worried about was the simple handoff.”

No. 15 Texas A&M; 18, Louisiana State 13--Leeland McElroy’s second touchdown run of the game, a 59-yarder with 7 1/2 minutes to play, lifted the Aggies at Baton Rouge, La.

McElroy, who ran for 132 yards, excelled despite LSU’s efforts to contain the Aggies’ highly regarded running attack. Texas A&M; used the run in shutting down LSU, 24-0, in last year’s season opener, with Rodney Thomas and McElroy combining for 331 yards.

Thomas, Texas A&M;’s leading rusher last season, had losses of two, one and three yards to open the game and only 10 yards in his first five carries. McElroy’s lone carry was for a two-yard loss as Texas A&M; managed only two yards in seven carries in the first quarter.

McElroy added legs to the Aggie ground game early in the second quarter. On the Aggies’ first possession, McElroy found a hole at right tackle and powered through for 13 yards. Three plays later, McElroy ran around left end for 32 yards and a touchdown.

Baylor 44, Louisiana Tech 3--Freshman quarterback Jeff Watson completed a touchdown pass and fullback Bradford Lewis scored two touchdowns to lead the Bears at Waco, Tex.

Watson, the No. 4 passer in Texas high school history, guided the Bears to four touchdowns.

Watson completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards, and Jerod Douglas rushed for 92 yards in 12 carries.

Texas Tech 37, New Mexico 31--Redshirt freshmen quarterbacks Tony Darden and Zebbie Lethridge helped the Red Raiders come back from from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Lobos at Lubbock, Tex. Lethridge completed 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards, Darden seven of 13 for 92. Darden also scored from the one to give Texas Tech a 27-17 lead in the third quarter.

Tech was threatening again later in the quarter when Darden fumbled attempting a pass at the Lobos’ 25. Damon Burrest, a 350-pound defensive tackle, scooped up the ball and ran 75 yards to pull New Mexico to within 27-24.