Jimcs50
10-22-2006, 08:10 AM
Bryant blocks PAT, seals Aggies' overtime victory
By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Sports Writer
STILLWATER, Okla. - For the third straight week, the Aggies found a way to reach out and grab victory.
This time, defensive tackle Red Bryant used his big right arm to block an extra-point kick in overtime to give Texas A&M a 34-33 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night.
The kick by Jason Ricks appeared low, and the 6-foot-5, 324-pound Bryant knifed in and batted the ball down.
"We were getting a good push all night but just kept coming up a little bit short," Bryant said. "We lined up side-by-side to get good penetration. Chris Harrington got a good push, and I just stuck my right arm up. I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and I was excited."
So were his teammates, who rushed the field at Boone Pickens Stadium where 43,006 had gathered on the Cowboys' homecoming night.
Bryant's play punctuated a strong finish by the Aggies (7-1, 3-1), who needed a miraculous 65-yard drive in the closing minutes of regulation to force overtime.
OSU had itself in position to win on Dantrell Savage's 60-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left. Savage, the team's No. 3 tailback, pounded his way to 134 yards on 13 carries.
The unlikely Savage complemented backup quarterback Zac Robinson, who was pressed into action when Bobby Reid suffered a mild concussion and had to leave the game in the second quarter.
Robinson led OSU to 27 second-half and overtime points, and his most impressive drive gave the Cowboys their 27-20 lead at the bleakest of times for the Cowboys.
Thanks to a 54-yard punt by Justin Brantly, A&M's defense had OSU backed up to its own 12 facing third-and-seven and heading into a 19 mph wind.
Robinson hooked up with Adarius Bowman for an 11-yard pass and a first down. Robinson then went around right end for 13 yards, his best run of the night, and two plays later, Savage scored.
A&M responded with an 11-play drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Stephen McGee to tight end Joey Thomas with 3 seconds left.
McGee ran forward in the pocket to make the linebacker covering Thomas come up. McGee then flipped the ball to the open Thomas.
But it wasn't even the most spectacular play on the drive.
With 1:30 left, running back Jorvorskie Lane one-handed a pass behind him and rambled for a 17-yard play on fourth-and-13 from the Aggie 32.
"We had a chance to win the game when we had them in fourth-and-long," OSU head coach Mike Gundy said. "We could have finished it off right there."
Instead, Lane kept it alive, and McGee finished the drive.
Sure-handed Chad Schroeder's 15-yard catch on third-and-7 moved A&M to the OSU 29. McGee threw to Earvin Taylor for 14 yards, then to Schroeder for 10 more, with a personal foul penalty taking it to the 2.
In overtime, A&M needed only three plays to score against a reeling OSU defense. Lane finished the short drive with a 1-yard run, his second touchdown run of the night.
OSU needed one more play to cover the 25 yards. The touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Robinson to Bowman.
Bryant's block then sealed the win for A&M. It was the second botched extra-point try by OSU, which had a bad snap after its first touchdown.
"We gave up two points on special teams," Gundy said. "There is the difference in the game."
The Aggies, meanwhile, earned their third straight victory thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback.
"This game was very typical of these young men," A&M head coach Dennis Franchione said. "They will never give up. We found a way to make one more play than Oklahoma State, and that is based on spirit and character."
A&M used a pair of long drives in the fourth quarter to beat Kansas, 21-18, two weeks ago in Lawrence, Kan. Last week at Kyle Field, the Aggie defense kept Missouri from scoring in the last quarter for a 25-19 victory.
On Saturday, the Aggies appeared headed to another last-second finish from the outset.
OSU (4-3, 1-2), surprisingly leaned on its defense for a 6-3 first quarter lead after both teams scored on their first possessions. The difference for OSU was a 41-yard kickoff return by Grant Jones, which led to a 1-yard Mike Hamilton touchdown run. Reid accounted for 45 of the last 49 yards of the drive as he showed uncanny running ability and a strong arm.
A&M's Martellus Bennett had the lone score in the second quarter, a 10-yard touchdown catch.
Each team threw costly interceptions on first down in the quarter - A&M at the OSU 20 and OSU at the A&M 31.
Robinson, a redshirt freshman who had attempted
By ROBERT CESSNA
Eagle Sports Writer
STILLWATER, Okla. - For the third straight week, the Aggies found a way to reach out and grab victory.
This time, defensive tackle Red Bryant used his big right arm to block an extra-point kick in overtime to give Texas A&M a 34-33 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night.
The kick by Jason Ricks appeared low, and the 6-foot-5, 324-pound Bryant knifed in and batted the ball down.
"We were getting a good push all night but just kept coming up a little bit short," Bryant said. "We lined up side-by-side to get good penetration. Chris Harrington got a good push, and I just stuck my right arm up. I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and I was excited."
So were his teammates, who rushed the field at Boone Pickens Stadium where 43,006 had gathered on the Cowboys' homecoming night.
Bryant's play punctuated a strong finish by the Aggies (7-1, 3-1), who needed a miraculous 65-yard drive in the closing minutes of regulation to force overtime.
OSU had itself in position to win on Dantrell Savage's 60-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left. Savage, the team's No. 3 tailback, pounded his way to 134 yards on 13 carries.
The unlikely Savage complemented backup quarterback Zac Robinson, who was pressed into action when Bobby Reid suffered a mild concussion and had to leave the game in the second quarter.
Robinson led OSU to 27 second-half and overtime points, and his most impressive drive gave the Cowboys their 27-20 lead at the bleakest of times for the Cowboys.
Thanks to a 54-yard punt by Justin Brantly, A&M's defense had OSU backed up to its own 12 facing third-and-seven and heading into a 19 mph wind.
Robinson hooked up with Adarius Bowman for an 11-yard pass and a first down. Robinson then went around right end for 13 yards, his best run of the night, and two plays later, Savage scored.
A&M responded with an 11-play drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Stephen McGee to tight end Joey Thomas with 3 seconds left.
McGee ran forward in the pocket to make the linebacker covering Thomas come up. McGee then flipped the ball to the open Thomas.
But it wasn't even the most spectacular play on the drive.
With 1:30 left, running back Jorvorskie Lane one-handed a pass behind him and rambled for a 17-yard play on fourth-and-13 from the Aggie 32.
"We had a chance to win the game when we had them in fourth-and-long," OSU head coach Mike Gundy said. "We could have finished it off right there."
Instead, Lane kept it alive, and McGee finished the drive.
Sure-handed Chad Schroeder's 15-yard catch on third-and-7 moved A&M to the OSU 29. McGee threw to Earvin Taylor for 14 yards, then to Schroeder for 10 more, with a personal foul penalty taking it to the 2.
In overtime, A&M needed only three plays to score against a reeling OSU defense. Lane finished the short drive with a 1-yard run, his second touchdown run of the night.
OSU needed one more play to cover the 25 yards. The touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Robinson to Bowman.
Bryant's block then sealed the win for A&M. It was the second botched extra-point try by OSU, which had a bad snap after its first touchdown.
"We gave up two points on special teams," Gundy said. "There is the difference in the game."
The Aggies, meanwhile, earned their third straight victory thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback.
"This game was very typical of these young men," A&M head coach Dennis Franchione said. "They will never give up. We found a way to make one more play than Oklahoma State, and that is based on spirit and character."
A&M used a pair of long drives in the fourth quarter to beat Kansas, 21-18, two weeks ago in Lawrence, Kan. Last week at Kyle Field, the Aggie defense kept Missouri from scoring in the last quarter for a 25-19 victory.
On Saturday, the Aggies appeared headed to another last-second finish from the outset.
OSU (4-3, 1-2), surprisingly leaned on its defense for a 6-3 first quarter lead after both teams scored on their first possessions. The difference for OSU was a 41-yard kickoff return by Grant Jones, which led to a 1-yard Mike Hamilton touchdown run. Reid accounted for 45 of the last 49 yards of the drive as he showed uncanny running ability and a strong arm.
A&M's Martellus Bennett had the lone score in the second quarter, a 10-yard touchdown catch.
Each team threw costly interceptions on first down in the quarter - A&M at the OSU 20 and OSU at the A&M 31.
Robinson, a redshirt freshman who had attempted