Survival
Texas uses last-second field goal to outlast Oklahoma State
Posted: Sunday November 08, 1998 02:31 AM
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Williams' 90-yard performance leaves him 204 yards behind Tony Dorsett in the chase for the all-time Division I rushing title AP |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- For three quarters, the Oklahoma State
defense swarmed Ricky Williams. When it mattered most, however, the
Cowboys were too pooped to stop him.
Williams gained 42 of his 90 yards on the game's final drive,
setting up Kris Stockton's 29-yard field goal with three seconds
left as No. 20 Texas beat Oklahoma State 37-34 Saturday.
The Cowboys showed early their main defensive concern was
stopping Williams, so the Longhorns concentrated on throwing the
ball. As a result, freshman quarterback Major Applewhite went
29-for-40 for 408 yards and three touchdowns -- including a
48-yarder to Williams.
"They brought their safeties up to the line and they showed no
respect for our passing game," said Applewhite, whose completions
and yards set school records. "All I had to do was execute the
plays and that wasn't too difficult."
The Cowboys defense, ranked 47th in the country and allowing
139.6 rushing yards per game, did hold Williams 114 yards below his
average.
"Our strategy was to control the running game," Oklahoma State
coach Bob Simmons said. "You don't concede anything."
Williams upped his rushing totals to 1,724 yards this season and
5,879 in his career. He's 204 yards behind Tony Dorsett in the
chase for No. 1 on the Division I list with games left against
Texas Tech and Texas A&M.
The Longhorns (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) go into that stretch not just
trying to help Williams set records and win the Heisman Trophy, but
also trying to win the Big 12 South.
A ridiculous notion when Texas was 1-2, it is now possible
because the Longhorns have won six straight. They've pulled out the
last three in the fourth quarter and Williams played a big role
each time. He scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to
beat Baylor 30-20, then got first downs to help Texas run out the
clock in a 20-16 upset of Nebraska last week.
"They believe they're going to win every time they walk out
there right now," said first-year coach Mack Brown, who inherited
a team that went 4-7 last year.
Oklahoma State's Nathan Simmons kept the Cowboys close but Texas edged out the win AP | |
Williams, who had just 32 yards on 16 carries over the first
three quarters, ran seven times for 58 yards in the final period.
His most important yards were the 42 that helped Texas go from
its 17 with 3:52 left to the Oklahoma State 11 with seven seconds
to play.
"He was probably the difference," Brown said. "Guys got tired
and he ran right at 'em."
The Cowboys called three straight timeouts to try icing Stockton
-- and it almost worked. After he had easily made kicks of 39 and 45
yards, this one ricocheted off the left upright as it went through.
"I made it as scary as possible," Stockton said.
Oklahoma State (3-6, 2-5) lost for the fifth time in six weeks,
with each loss coming to a team that was ranked at the time.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys assured of a losing season and will not
make a second straight bowl appearance.
They trailed 21-7 late in the first quarter and rallied to tie
the game in the second quarter. Texas went back ahead 34-21 in the
third, then Oklahoma State tied the game at 34 with 10:25 left on a
55-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Howell that went through the hands
of tight end Marcellus Rivers.
"Our effort has been super throughout the year," Cowboys coach
Bob Simmons said. "What I've been concerned about is consistency
in different situations. That has been our Achilles heal throughout
the season."
Sophomore quarterback Tony Lindsay finally looked liked last
year's Big 12 freshman of the year, throwing for 236 yards and two
touchdowns and running for two more scores and a two-point
conversion.
But the passing star was Applewhite, who improved to 6-1 as a
starter since replacing injured senior Richard Walton in the second
half of the second game. In turning in his seventh straight
200-yard game, he went to seven different receivers and threw
touchdown passes to three players. Wane McGarity had nine catches
for 125 yards and Kwame Cavil had nine for 109. Williams had three
catches for a career-high 74 yards.
In addition to his touchdown catch, Williams scored on a 3-yard
run, allowing him to set NCAA records for consecutive games with a
rushing touchdown (12) and most games with multiple touchdowns
(21). He tied the mark for games with a touchdown (31).
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