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Longhorns dispatch Aggies from Big 12 with loss

Nov 25, 2011 - 6:46 AM College Station, TX (Sports Network) - Justin Tucker hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Texas to a 27-25 victory over Texas A&M in the final meeting between the in-state rivals as members of the Big 12 Conference.

Texas A&M, which will move to the Southeastern Conference next season, took a 25-24 lead with 1:48 remaining on Jeff Fuller's 16-yard touchdown reception.

Texas responded, however, as Case McCoy's 25-yard scramble set up Tucker's game-winning field goal and the Longhorns (7-4) grabbed a road victory in the 118th meeting of the longtime rivals.

McCoy threw for 110 yards, while Jaxon Shipley tossed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Blaine Irby for Texas, which was coming off a 17-13 loss to Kansas State.

Senior Ryan Tannehill completed 20-of-49 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for the Aggies (6-6).

Ben Malena ran for 83 yards on 25 carries and Fuller had seven receptions for 107 yards in the loss.

McCoy, who replaced David Ash in the third quarter against Kansas State, struggled to guide the offense early.

The Longhorns did not pick up a first down until the final play of the first quarter and faced a 16-7 deficit at the half.

After the break, they turned to their defense and special teams, which promptly delivered.

Carrington Byndom intercepted Tannehill on the opening drive of the second half and sprinted 58 yards for a score to make it a 16-14 game.

The Texas defense then forced a punt and Quandre Diggs' 81-yard return set up Tucker's 23-yard, go-ahead field goal.

Next, Kenny Vaccaro intercepted Tannehill and the Longhorns moved to the A&M one before Cody Johnson found the end zone for a 24-16 advantage midway through the third.

The Aggies made it a 24-19 game on Ryan Bullock's 32-yard field goal with 5:56 remaining in the fourth.

Following a Texas punt, the Aggies reeled off a 68-yard touchdown drive. Tannehill extended the march with a 10-yard scramble on 3rd-and-10, then found Fuller on a crossing route on the next play for the go-ahead score. But his pass on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.

The Longhorns received the ball with 1:48 remaining. A 15-yard personal foul on A&M's Trent Hunter preceded three straight completions by McCoy. The sophomore quarterback then barreled down the middle of the field for 25 yards, setting up Hunter's game-winning kick.

The Aggies, spurred by the raucous Kyle Field faithful, began the game with a charge, forcing a three-and-out before Tannehill found Malena from seven yards out for an early 7-0 advantage.

Midway through the first, Bullock nailed a 49-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

The Longhorns didn't pick up a first down until McCoy found Shipley on 3rd- and-14 for 27 yards.

Still, that drive ended with a punt, and a strong return by Dustin Harris, coupled with a 15-yard personal foul on Texas set up Bullock's 52-yarder, making it 13-0.

The Longhorns then went three-and-out, but Harris fumbled away the punt and Shipley hit Irby for a 41-yard touchdown on the next play from scrimmage.

Irby then fumbled following a Tannehill interception, leading to a 29-yarder from Bullock and a 16-7 Aggies advantage at the break.