By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Stillwater, OK

Running back Joe Bergeron rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth period, including a two-yard scoring rush with 29 seconds remaining to lift No. 12 Texas to a nail-biting 41-36 victory over Oklahoma State in a Big 12 showdown Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Bergeron finished with 48 yards on 15 carries while quarterback David Ash opened the Longhorns' eight-play, 75-yard final drive with a 29-yard pass to tight end D.J. Grant before running back Jeremy Hills covered five yards.

Ash then found wideout Mike Davis for 32 yards before Bergeron barged into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown for the Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 Big 12).

"Give David credit. He will not be under any more pressure than this. He couldn't have done this at the same time last year. He has really grown up. He's the leader of this football team," Texas head coach Mack Brown said of Ash, who completed 30 of 37 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns, all to wide receiver Jaxon Shipley.

"The throw to D.J. Grant was unbelievable. I thought David played great throughout the night. He did a good job managing the crowd. I was really proud of the way he played," he added.

The Cowboys (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) had one last shot at winning but time ran out on them.

"We made a couple of mistakes, and they made a couple of mistakes. We made a play at the end, and they just had to make the play when the clock ran out. I give (Texas) credit for converting on to third downs and fourth downs and making a play at the end of the game," Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy said.

Oklahoma State struck first inside the game's first minute when Joseph Randle eluded tacklers and raced 69 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Cowboys lead.

Texas responded on its first drive with a 10-play drive that yielded a 44-yard touchdown pass from Ash to Shipley, who finished with 82 yards on five catches.

Three plays later, Ash connected with Shipley for another touchdown, this one a 20-yard completion to stake Texas to a 14-7 lead. Oklahoma State evened the score at 14 later in the first quarter when Josh Stewart hauled in a 44-yard touchdown pass from Walsh.

Texas, however, regained the lead right away when D.J. Monroe returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and staked the Longhorns to a 21-14 cushion.

Oklahoma State drove deep into Texas territory on its next possession before settling for a 23-yard field goal from Quinn Sharp that sliced the UT lead to 21-17.

Oklahoma State scored on its opening possession of the second half and sliced the Texas lead to one as Sharp converted a 38-yard field goal to pull OSU within 21-20.

Texas followed by pounding away at Oklahoma State on 13-play drive that produced another touchdown connection from Ash to Shipley for a 28-20 Texas lead.

Walsh later found John Goodlett for a 20-yard touchdown to cut the Longhorns' lead to 28-26 and Texas maintained its lead after OSU's two-point conversion failed.

The Cowboys regained the lead, 33-28, five minutes into the fourth quarter when Randle plunged into the end zone from two yards out.

Bergeron then scored his first touchdown after a two-yard run but the Longhorns missed on a two-point conversion for a 34-33 lead.

Oklahoma State took a 36-34 lead with 2:34 left in the game on a 24-yard field goal from Sharp but Texas produced the game-winning drive that was capped by Bergeron's second touchdown of the game.

 

 

Bergeron's Late TD Runs Lift Texas Over Oklahoma State