The Arkansas Razorbacks traveled Friday to Texas A&M and laid the groundwork for a New Year's trip to Dallas.
Barry Foster scored on a 2-yard run with 2:52 remaining, lifting the ninth-ranked Razorbacks to a 23-22 Southwest Conference victory over No. 15 Texas A&M and helping Arkansas become a virtual lock for another trip to the Cotton Bowl.Arkansas, 9-1 and 6-1 in the league, needs only to beat Southern Methodist on Dec. 2 to clinch its second straight Cotton Bowl trip as SWC champions. The opponent in the Jan. 1 contest will be a representative of the Southeastern Conference, likely Tennessee.
"Heaven is more than we can fathom, but we tasted a little heaven on earth today," Arkansas Coach Ken Hatfield said. "You couldn't ask for more in a championship situation. We couldn't have asked more of our defense."
Texas A&M, 7-3 and 5-2 in the conference, will be invited to face Pittsburgh in the Dec. 30 Hancock Bowl in El Paso, Texas. The loss ended the Aggies' 19-game SWC winning streak at Kyle Field.
The game was a battle between the only two teams to have worn the SWC crown since 1985. Three of the previous four meetings between the two teams have been decided by five or fewer points.
Foster's touchdown run enabled Arkansas, which blew a 14-0 lead, to offset two Layne Talbot field goals in the second half. Talbot's second kick, a 38-yarder with 8:14 left, put the Aggies on top 20-17.
After Talbot's go-ahead kick, Arkansas drove to the A&M 19. On fourth-and-3, Quinn Grovey threw incomplete to Billy Winston, but Texas A&M defender Larry Horton was called for pass interference after going over Winston's back. Five running plays later, Foster scored the winning TD.
"We couldn't afford a tie to have a chance at the Cotton Bowl," Hatfield said. "That's why we went for the win. The last drive was a thing of beauty.
"On fourth down, we knew they would blitz, so we had to decide between a quick pass and the draw play. Quinn did a great job. Billy was the secondary receiver. There was no doubt it was pass interference."
Texas A&M's William Thomas blocked Todd Wright's extra-point attempt, but the Aggies lost a chance to come back when a Lance Pavlas pass was intercepted by Anthoney Cooney at the Arkansas 28 with 1:32 remaining.
Arkansas punter Allen Meacham took a deliberate safety with 29 seconds left to account for the Aggies' final points. Texas A&M got one more chance after the safety, but Pavlas fumbled the snap as time ran out.
"We had a chance to win at the end," Texas A&M Coach R.C. Slocum said. "It was a disappointing, bitter loss. Arkansas hit a couple of big plays early."
Slocum and Horton were disappointed with the pass interference call.
"It was a great play," Slocum said. "Our young man broke on the ball and did just like we coached him. It was a critical play in the game."
The Razorbacks also scored on a 25-yard run by Grovey, linebacker Mick Thomas' 23-yard interception return and Wright's 22-yard field goal. Shane Garrett scored on a 26-yard run and Pavlas threw a 27-yard TD pass to tight end Mike Jones for the Aggies.
Arkansas scored twice in the first four minutes for a 14-0 lead and mounted 194 yards in the first quarter to build a 17-7 advantage. But the Razorbacks were held to minus-13 yards in the second quarter. Pavlas' 26-yard TD strike to Jones with 1:58 showing brought the Aggies within 17-14 at intermission.
Kevin Smith intercepted Grovey to open the second half, leading to Talbot's 23-yard field goal to tie the score 17-17 with 4:29 left in the third period.
Texas A&M running back Darren Lewis was injured, but his replacement, sophomore Keith McAfee, set up the go-ahead score with a 36-yard run to the Arkansas 15.
McAfee lost a yard on his next carry and Pavlas was thrown for a 10-yard loss by Shannon Wright. Texas A&M then settled for Talbot's 38-yard field goal with 8:14 left for a 20-17 lead.
Arkansas took the opening drive into winds gusting up to 20 mph, but marched 80 yards in nine plays for Grovey's 25-yard scoring run, the first TD scored by the Arkansas offense against Texas A&M since the third quarter of the 1986 meeting.
The Razorbacks scored again three plays later when Thomas intercepted a Pavlas pass that bounced off Lewis' shoulder and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, giving Arkansas a 14-0 lead less than four minutes into the contest.
Texas A&M came back on its next possession, with Garrett scoring from 26 yards out.
Wright kicked a 22-yard field goal with 3:45 left in the first quarter to give Arkansas a 17-7 lead. After each team blew scoring opportunities, Pavlas tossed a 27-yard scoring pass to Jones with 1:58 left, cutting Arkansas' lead to 17-14 at halftime.