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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) --- Southern Mississippi's defense was
very good. Texas A&M's was better.
The fifth-ranked Aggies intercepted four passes, returning two
of them for their only touchdowns of the game, to take a 23-6
victory Saturday.
"We knew Southern Mississippi would be a very tough task and
they have a great defense," A&M coach R.C. Slocum said. "We
needed a great defensive effort today."
|  | | Raymond Walls of Southern Miss rises to break up a pass intended for Texas A&M's Chris Cole. |
They got it.
Jay Brooks and Michael Jameson each picked off passes from Cable Davis and returned them for scores to break open a tight game in
the second half. Terence Kitchens kicked three field goals,
including one from 62 yards, for the Aggies (3-0).
It was the second straight week Southern Mississippi (2-2) fell
to a ranked opponent due to turnovers. Last week, then-No. 5
Nebraska used a touchdown on an interception return to win 20-13.
"It's frustrating when the offense gives up touchdowns two
weeks in a row," coach Jeff Bower said.
Brooks' 41-yard return for a score midway through the third
period staked the Aggies to a 16-0 lead before Southern Mississippi
(2-2) scored the only offensive touchdown of the game, a 54-yard
pass play from Davis to Todd Pinkston on the second play of the
fourth quarter.
Jameson sealed the outcome when he picked off Davis' pass at the
Golden Eagle 26 -- the fourth A&M interception -- and sprinted
untouched into the end zone with 8:32 left in the game.
Davis, in relief of Jeff Kelly, was off-target to Sherrod Gideon
and Brooks intercepted, returning it 41 yards down the right
sideline.
"We needed a spark to try to change things up," Bower said,
explaining the quarterback switch midway through the third quarter.
"We didn't play particularly well on offense. We couldn't move the
ball. We never got into a rhythm."
Southern Mississippi held the nation's second-ranked offense,
averaging 538 yards a game, to 299 yards and no offensive
touchdowns.
But the Aggies' defense, which was limiting opponents to a
nation-leading 25 yards a game, surrendered only 129 yards,
including just 18 on the ground. Southern Mississippi had only
seven first downs.
Texas A&M scored the first time it got the ball, getting a break
on the opening series of downs when punter Shane Lechler, on
4th-and-6 at his own 24, mishandled a snap and took off running
around left end for 22 yards and a first down to the Golden Eagles
46. Fourteen plays later, his 20-yard field goal gave A&M a 3-0
lead.
Southern Mississippi, which gained only 24 yards in the first
half, including minus-12 yards rushing, failed to take advantage of
an early scoring opportunity when linebacker T.J. Slaughter forced
a fumble by Aggie quarterback Randy McCown. Ty Trahan recovered for
the Golden Eagles at the A&M 13, but Brant Hanna's 27-yard field
goal attempt sailed wide.
Texas A&M drove to the Southern Mississippi 6 when McCown ran
for 10 yards on a 4th-and-1 from the 16. They settled for another
field goal from Kitchens, this one from 28 yards out, to make it
6-0.
Kitchens' third field goal came after Webster intercepted
Kelly's pass at the A&M 15 and returned it to the 36, where the
Aggies took over with 33 seconds remaining in the first half. A&M
drove to the Southern Mississippi 27 before a holding penalty
pushed them back to the 44.
Then with six seconds left, Kitchens' 62-yard, line-drive field
goal attempt with a 14 mph wind at his back cleared the crossbar
easily as time ran out, giving A&M a 9-0 halftime lead. It was the
third-longest field goal in A&M history and only three yards shy of
Tony Franklin's 65-yard record set in 1976.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Southern Mississippi Clubhouse
Texas A&M Clubhouse
Top 25 overview
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jay Brooks snags an interception and returns it 41 yards for a TD.
avi: 936 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Davis hooks up with Todd Pinkston for a 54-yard TD.
avi: 738 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
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