Texas A&M Defeats Oklahoma State 36-20

Saturday, October 16

Stillwater, OK

7:07 PM

Oklahoma State University

5-1 , 2-1

Texas A&M

5-1 , 3-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Texas A&M

Oklahoma State

October 17, 2004 | Cowboy Football

Box Score

STILLWATER, Okla. Â– Reggie McNeal threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores to help No. 23 Texas A&M beat No. 16 Oklahoma State 36-20 on Saturday night.

The Aggies bolted out to a 20-0 lead as Oklahoma State made uncharacteristic mistakes with a string of early penalties and turnovers.

After Oklahoma State quarterback Donovan Woods cut it to 20-6 with a 2-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds left in the second quarter, McNeal launched a 55-yard touchdown pass to DeQawn Mobley on the final play of the half.

McNeal then added a 25-yard TD pass to Terrence Murphy on the Aggies' first possession of the second half and a 52-yard connection between the two set up a 25-yard field goal by Todd Pegram that made it 36-6 midway through the third quarter.

Vernand Morency scored on a 1-yard dive on the first play of the fourth quarter and Billy Bajema caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Woods as the Cowboys pulled to 36-20 with 8:58 to play, but they could get no closer.

McNeal was 19-of-25 for 288 yards and ran for 98 yards for the Aggies (5-1, 3-0 Big 12), who recorded their first five-game winning streak since opening the 2001 season 5-0. They're tied for the Big 12 South lead with Oklahoma.

Morency, who entered the game as the nation's leading rusher with 173.8 yards per game, had 111 yards on 28 carries for Oklahoma State (5-1, 2-1), but also lost his first two fumbles of the season on consecutive possessions in the first half. Another drive stalled after a holding penalty, and A&M took advantage of the mistakes.

The Cowboys struggled to contain McNeal, who entered the game as the only NCAA quarterback averaging at least 70 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.

McNeal had touchdown runs of 24 and 3 yards and fullback Keith Joseph added a 3-yard dive as the Aggies scored on three of their first four possessions.

It appeared the Aggies would take a two-touchdown lead into halftime as they ran on three straight plays with time running out, but Taylor Schuster picked up a third-down fumble by McNeal and advanced it for a first down to put A&M within striking distance.

McNeal launched the high-arcing pass and Murphy leaped inside the 5 to tip the ball to Mobley, who dove to catch it in the end zone.

Woods finished with 202 yards on 15-for-26 passing.