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COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Ticker) -- Freshman Cedric Benson wore down Texas A&M and fifth-ranked Texas kept the pressure on Oklahoma. Benson rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and Tony Jeffery returned a blocked punt for a score as the Longhorns stayed in contention for the Big 12 Conference championship game with a 21-7 win over Texas A&M. The Longhorns will advance to the title game as the South Division representative only if Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State on Saturday. But even if the Sooners win, the Longhorns (10-1, 7-1 Big 12 South) increased their chances of earning an at-large berth in the Bowl Championship Series with Friday's win. Texas won its sixth straight game despite a shaky game from quarterback Chris Simms, who was 16-of-33 for 138 yards. Roy Williams of Texas caught eight passes for 56 yards. Benson, limited to six yards on 11 carries in the first half, scored on a five-yard run with 7:20 left to break a 7-7 tie. The Longhorns drove 35 yards for the score following a short punt by Cody Scates into a 20-miles per-hour wind. Simms put the Longhorns into position with an 11-yard pass to Bo Scaife. Later in the quarter, linebacker Everick Rawls intercepted a pass by Mark Farris deep in Aggies territory and Benson iced the game with an 11-yard TD run. Benson, who needed 105 yards to break 1,000 for the season, carried 27 times for 79 yards. The only scoring for Texas came in the first half came when Roderick Babers blocked a punt by Scates and Jeffery returned it 23 yards for a touchdown midway through the first quarter. Keith Joseph scored on a four-yard run with 10:34 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 7-7. The touchdown was set up by a 37-yard punt return by Mickey Jones. Joseph had 23 carries for 71 yards playing in place of leading rusher Derek Farmer, who was out with a knee injury. Texas won at Kyle Field, one of the toughest venues for a road team in the country, for the first time since 1995. Texas A&M (7-4, 4-4) again struggled offensively and has scored just 17 points during its three-game losing streak. The touchdown by Joseph ended a string of 10 quarters without a score. Farris completed just 16-of-37 passes for 123 yards and was intercepted twice. The Aggies lost at home for the first time this season.
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