November 16, 2002
COLLEGE STATION, Texas-- Brad Smith's 1-yard touchdown run in the second overtime helped Missouri overcome blowing a two-touchdown halftime lead to beat Texas A&M 33-27.
Smith also threw two TD passes for the Tigers (5-6, 2-5 Big 12), who were coming off a 42-35 overtime loss against Colorado.
The Aggies (6-5, 3-4) were trying to follow up their victory over top-ranked Oklahoma with another victory, and they had the ball first in the second overtime. But they failed to score when Missouri cornerback Michael Harden intercepted Dustin Long's pass.
Long replaced injured starter Reggie McNeal in the second quarter and helped Texas A&M rally to tie the game at 24 in regulation. Joe Weber scored his second touchdown from the 1-yard line with 15 seconds left.
In the first overtime, Michael Matheny kicked a 40-yard field goal and A&M's Todd Pegram matched it with a 40-yarder.
Smith completed touchdown passes of 8 yards to Zack Abron and 32 yards to Justin Gage. Smith, a redshirt freshman, needs one rushing yard to become the second quarterback in NCAA Division I-A history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. Woody Dantzler of Clemson passed for 2,360 yards and rushed 1,004 yards last season.
Smith completed 13 of 25 passes for 171 yards and rushed 94 yards on 29 carries.
The Aggies trailed 17-3 before Weber scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter and Long dove across from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter to tie it.
Smith's 32-yard pass to Gage with 8:40 left to put Missouri ahead 24-17, and the Aggies responded with a 67-yard drive, aided by two pass-interference calls against the Tigers. Weber's run sent it to overtime.
The drive also included an interception by Missouri's Sean Doyle, who fumbled. Weber recovered the fumble at the Aggies 30 to keep the drive going.
Missouri built its 14-point halftime lead on two touchdowns by Abron, one a 9-yard run and the other an 8-yard TD catch from Smith, and a 20-yard field goal by Matheny.
McNeal, a freshman, earned the starting quarterback role after leading the Aggies past Oklahoma 30-26 in a stunning upset last week. But with 10:45 to go in the second quarter, he was helped off the field with what appeared to an injury to his right foot or leg.
Texas A&M declined to release any more details about McNeal's injury.
Long completed 22 of 35 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. Abron ran for 127 yards on 27 carries for the Tigers, who snapped a seven-game road losing streak and moved within one game of becoming bowl-eligible.
Long took the Aggies to the Missouri 1-yard line late in the second quarter, but a fourth down pass into the end zone toward Keith Joseph was incomplete.
Matheny had a 38-yard field goal attempt blocked by A&M's Johnny Jolly on the final play of the second quarter.
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME NOTES
JOHNSON NABS A&M CAREER CATCHES MARK --- Senior Bethel Johnson grabbed a team-high six catches (for 98 yards) against Missouri to become Texas A&M's all-time leading pass catcher. Johnson's career receptions total stands at 115, breaking the 15-year old mark of 110 by running back Keith Woodside (1983-87). Earlier this season, Johnson set A&M's career receiving yards record, which he has improved to 1,715 yards. His 11 career receiving touchdowns are tied for No. 4 in school history.
HEARTBREAK AGGIES - The Aggies' last four losses have been decided either in overtime or in the final minute. The Nebraska and Oklahoma State games ended with final minute interceptions in the endzone that killed potential game winning drives. The Texas Tech and Missouri games were lost in overtime.
FOR THE RECORD ---
TEXAS A&M POSTGAME QUOTES
WR BETHEL JOHNSON: "In the second half, we came out and played with emotion. In the first half, we didn't very good emotion and we didn't do what we needed to do. We were on the same accord emotionally. As a unit we picked it up in the second half."
(on losing McNeal and adjustment to Long) "Dustin had been our starter before tonight's game, so there was no adjustment. Dustin did a good job and was ready to play."
QB DUSTIN LONG: "We have two quarterbacks who can play each week. Unfortunately, Reggie got hurt, but we didn't change the plays. Whoever is hotter, that's who the coaches go with. I always have confidence in myself. It's tough to lose game like this. I've had it happen two or three times. Hopefully we'll win one of these eventually. We felt good in overtime. I thought we had a good chance to win when the defense held them to a field goal."
ILB BRIAN GAMBLE: "I thought we came out flat in the first half as a team and that made the crowd flat. It was really mundane. I thought we made some good adjustments in the second half. For the most part we played pretty well after halftime. It was the type of game that you played hard on defense the whole game, but it always seemed like they found a way to convert third down situations. They've got a good offense - one of the best in the Big 12."
"Anytime you play Texas, it's a big game. It's been a frustrating season. One week we beat the No. 1 team in the nation and the next we lose to a 4-6 team."
(Did you simplify the defense due to injuries) "We tried to run the normal gameplan. The young guys have to learn to play at a high level. We can't afford to simplify."
HEAD COACH R.C. SLOCUM: "We talked at halftime about things that they were doing and made some adjustments that helped our offense in the second half.
(on injuries) It's frustrating. You hate it for these young men that haven't had a lot of practice time. But you try to play with what you've got and try to win the game.
(hangover from OU?) No. I sure didn't. We had great practices all week.
(running game struggles) They were getting a lot of guys in the box. We tried to throw the ball more and loosen them up. With how they were playing, it was hard to play with a steady diet of running."
MISSOURI CENTER A.J. RICKER: "That's what we needed after working so hard. We overcame a lot. There's a lot of times we could have went in the tank. They are a good defensive football team. This is huge. We have to build on it, get another win and get a bowl bid. We were in so much better condition than they were. They couldn't stop us."