REGIONAL ROUNDUP : Strait Returns to Lead Baylor Over Rice

Robert Strait, a 244-pound senior fullback who was suspended last week for a curfew violation, scored a school record-tying four touchdowns as Baylor knocked Rice out of bowl contention with a 38-14 Southwest Conference victory Saturday at Waco, Tex.

Although Rice (5-5, 2-4) has a chance for a sixth victory against Houston on Nov. 26, the Owls are out of the bowl chase because it cannot meet NCAA requirements for six victories over major colleges. One of Rice’s victories was 14-13 over Sam Houston State, a Division I-AA school.

On the other hand, Baylor (5-5, 3-3) finishes at Texas next Saturday and a victory could be worth a spot in either the Hancock or Alamo bowls.

Rice, which lost tailback Yoncy Edmonds with an ankle injury on the first series, didn’t score until the fourth quarter,

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Mike Adams caught two touchdown passes from Shea Morenz as Texas (4-4-1, 4-1) rolled to a 24-3 SWC victory over Texas Christian (4-6, 2-4) at Austin. Wins in upcoming games against Baylor and Texas A&M; would put the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl. Adams had a career-best 10 catches for 151 yards, marking his third consecutive 100-yard game and his fifth of the season. Lovell Pinkney had eight catches for 102 yards. . . . Byron (Bam) Morris ran for 222 yards and three touchdowns in 38 carries and Robert Hall threw for two scores, keeping Texas Tech’s bowl hopes alive with a 41-24 SWC victory over Southern Methodist at Dallas. Tech improved to 5-5, 4-2. SMU is 1-7-1, 1-5-1. . . . David Small rushed 31 times for 203 yards and four touchdowns as Cincinnati (7-3) capitalized on six turnovers to record a 41-17 nonconference victory over Houston at Houston.

WEST

New Mexico 10, No. 23 Wyoming 7--A 48-yard field goal by Hugo Ojeda that hit the crossbar and skimmed over and reserve quarterback Fred Schweer’s touchdown pass off a faked field-goal try gave the Lobos the upset victory over the Cowboys in a rain and wind-soaked Western Athletic Conference game at Albuquerque.

All of the scoring occurred in the first half as a steady rain and accompanying 22-m.p.h. winds crippled both offenses in the second half and forced a combined 14 punts.

Wyoming (7-2, 5-1) had a seven-game winning streak end and fell into a tie for the WAC lead with Brigham Young.

New Mexico (5-5, 3-4), with one game left against Texas El Paso, kept alive its bid for its first winning season since 1982.

Wyoming fullback Ryan Christopherson, who got 137 of his 164 rushing yards in the first half, gave the Cowboys their only lead with a four-yard run in the first quarter after Wyoming recovered a fumbled punt by Abe Ghoston at the Lobos 34.

New Mexico scored the game-winner on its next possession, driving to the Wyoming 12 in 14 plays. From there, Ojeda lined up for another apparent field-goal attempt, but Schweer, the holder, took the snap and floated the game-winning pass to wide-open Jerone Williams in the middle of the end zone.

New Mexico’s Carl Winston, who caught five passes, set an NCAA record by catching at least one pass in his 45th consecutive game. The record of 44 was set by Ohio State’s Gary Williams from 1979-82.

SOUTH

Clemson 23, No. 18 Virginia 14--Dexter McCleon, a defensive back moved to quarterback this week, ran for one touchdown and threw for another as the Tigers (7-3, 5-3) upset the Cavaliers (7-3, 5-3) in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Clemson, S.C.

Clemson Coach Ken Hatfield announced the move Monday, leaving the 5-foot-10 freshman less than six days to prepare. And McCleon came through, rushing for 127 yards in 12 carries, scoring on a 29-yard run and passing to Terry Smith for a 73-yard touchdown pass play as the Tigers qualified for one of four ACC bowl spots.

Clemson’s wishbone attack rolled up 470 yards--361 yards on the ground--and extended Virginia’s winless streak at Memorial Stadium to 19 games.

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Terry Harvey rebounded from the worst game of his career to completed 21 of 37 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns as North Carolina State (7-3, 4-3) defeated Maryland, 44-21, at Raleigh, N.C., to almost assure a sixth consecutive bowl appearance. Maryland (1-9, 1-6) is in danger of losing 10 games for the first time ever. Harvey threw for touchdowns on plays of 71 yards to Eddie Goines and nine yards to Robert Hinton in the Wolfpack’s 17-point third quarter to break open a close contest. Harvey was seven of 17 for 71 yards in last week’s 21-20 upset loss to Duke before being benched in the fourth quarter.

Dorsey Levens, a disgruntled transfer from Notre Dame, ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns, and Donnie Davis threw two scoring passes to lead Georgia Tech (5-5, 3-5) to a 38-28 ACC victory over Wake Forest (2-8, 1-6) at Winston-Salem, S.C. . . . Tony Scarpino passed for 225 yards and two touchdowns to lead Memphis State (6-4) to a 20-9 victory over Southern Mississippi (2-8) at Memphis, Tenn. Scarpino, a reserve until last week when a broken leg ended the season for Steve Matthews, completed 15 of 26 passes.

EAST

Jimmy McGeehan completed 19 of 32 passes for three touchdowns, including two within 2:21 in the third quarter, and unbeaten Penn (9-0, 6-0) clinched at least a tie for the Ivy League championship with a 27-20 comeback victory over Harvard (3-6, 1-5) at Cambridge, Mass.