|
|
Gallery Furniture Bowl 2001
Texas A&M 28 TCU 9
|
|
HOUSTON (AP) -- Not a bad way to begin a career. Freshman Byron Jones
intercepted three passes in his first start, and Joe Weber scored two
touchdowns, helping Texas A&M end a four-game bowl losing streak with a
28-9 victory over TCU in the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl on Friday.
Jones, one of five freshmen in the lineup, helped the Aggies beat
their former Southwest Conference rivals for the 24th straight time. He
had to fight off the flu to do his job.
"I really think it was just a bit of nervousness," Jones said. "I
woke up this morning and my stomach was queasy. But the doctors took
care of me, and I played pretty well."
Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum was concerned before the game. "Some of
our players had a bug this morning," Slocum said. "Byron didn't look
very good so the doctors gave him some medicine. I want to find out what
kind of medication it was or what the bug was because he played a
spectacular game."
A&M won a bowl game for the first time since a 22-20 victory over
Michigan in the 1995 Alamo Bowl. The Aggies ended the season 8-4 after
losing their final three regular-season games. The Horned Frogs (6-6)
haven't beaten the Aggies since 1972, and trail the series 56-29-7.
Weber, voted offensive player of the game, broke a 7-7 second-quarter
tie with a 2-yard touchdown run and added a 14-yard run that put the
Aggies in control with 1:14 left in the third quarter.
Weber broke straight up the middle on his second touchdown, knocking
aside two tacklers and running into the end zone (video).
He finished with 59 yards on nine carries.
Jones was the game's MVP and also was the defensive player of the
game. He had three tackles and ran back his interceptions a total of 77
yards (video).
Jones, wide receiver Terrence Thomas and tight end Thomas Carriger --
all freshmen -- helped the Aggies to a 14-7 halftime lead. Starting in
place of the injured Sean Weston, Jones had only
Charlie Owens scooped up a fumble by A&M running back Derek Farmer
and returned it 89 yards for a TCU touchdown with four minutes left in
the half, tying the game 7-7. It was the second-longest fumble return in
school history.
"We felt like we had the momentum after the touchdown," Owens said.
"Then they got a couple of turnovers, and the momentum changed."
Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards, and Carriger, a
converted defensive lineman, lumbered 19 yards with his second reception
of the season to set up Weber's 2-yard touchdown run with 1:06 left in
the half.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TCU takes the field behind the flag in 2001. |
|
|
|
|
| Jones returns one of his three interceptions. | |
|
|
|
| Slocum got a bath. It was his last bowl game with A&M. | |
|
|
|
| It was fitting that the Astrodome's last bowl game be between two old SWC rivals. | |
|
Attendance: 53,480
Scoring Summary Second Quarter
TAMU- M Farris 1 run (Scates kick) Third Quarter
TAMU- Jo Weber 14 run (Scates kick) Fourth Quarter
TAMU- Jones 82 pass from M Farris (Scates kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing |
|
|
|
|
TCU's Casey Painters was intercepted four times, including the first
three of Jones' career. Aggies safety Wes Bautovich got A&M's fourth
interception. On the very next play, Mark Farris hit Mickey Jones for an
82-yard touchdown pass and a 28-7 lead with 14:40 left in the game (
two broken-up passes on
his defensive chart in 11 games before he returned his first
interception 62 yards in the first quarter to the Frogs' 35. The Aggies
couldn't score on that chance, but Jones had a 15-yard interception
return to TCU's 1-yard line in the second quarter, setting up Farris'
quarterback keeper for the score. 
