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Show mm SECTION El SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7. 2003 SPORTS EDITOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA .15, I Aaron Shill 344-257- 1 ashillheraldextra.com BRIGHAM YOUNG 18 A 7n:b DAVID J. PHILUPThe Associated Press Jason Carter (7) celebrates with Jaxson Appel after recovering a fumble. Texas A&M's Utes come up two short at texasA&M Michael A. Lutz . AP SPORTS WRITER COLLEGE STATION, Texas Texas A&M survived a close call as Jonte Buhl preserved the Aggies' 28-2-6 victory by knocking Utah quarterback Brett Elliott out of bounds on a conversion attempt with 6 seconds to play. "It was to watch," receiver Jamaar Taylor said. That was like watching a soap opera and not knowing what was going to happen at the end. Jonte made a great play at the end. We all learned something tonight." The Aggies (2-- led 21-- at half-tim-e Saturday night, but the Utes rallied behind Brandon Warfield, who ran for three touchdowns and finished with 181 yards rushing on 36 carries. The Aggies were leading 28-2-0 in the closing minutes when Elliott drove the Utes (1-- 76 . yards and completed a TEXAS A&M 28 touchdown pass UTAH 26 to John Madsen. The drive includ ed two third-dow- n conversions and another on fourth down. Elliott rolled to pass for the 2 points then ran for the pylon, only to be slammed at the by Buhl "My job was to read the line and "if I saw run, I was supposed to come up and help make the play." Buhl and linebacker Scott Stick-an- e, subbing for injured Jared Morris, converged to keep Elliott from forcing the game into overtime. for our "That was a team," quarterback Reggie McNeal said. "We needed to stay levelheaded. We let them back into the game but nobody panicked. We still have a tot of work to do." The Aggies lost three fumbles in the second half . Terrence Murphy fumbled the kickoff following Warfield's touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter but kicker Brifield an Borreson missed a goal attempt. Corey Dodds later recovered a bobbled snap at the Aggies 18, setTD. Agting up Warfield's gies fullback Keith Joseph fumbled at the Utah goal line late in the third quarter. . x- - - 0 0) 1) 45-ya- gut-chec- k 39-ya- See UTAH, C3 ' USC Mistakes cost BYU chance at big upset Patrick Ridgell THE DAILY - LOS ANGELES Perhaps it was the USC band, or the atmosphere, or the opponent, or a combination of those and other factors. Whatever it was, BYU began and finished Saturday's adventure at the University of Southern California looking bewildered And it was mistakes that the Cougars committed in the opening and closing moments that cost them a chance at a major upset. USC beat BYU 8 before 75,315 people in the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday. It was a ' night that left USC frustrated for a large chunk of time, clinging to a lead that shrank to 8 in the fourth quarter. And it was a night in which BYU measured itself against the nation's fourth-ranke- d team, and came away feeling pretty good. 'I . 35-1- ' 21-1- 1 1 MARK J. TERRIUThe Associated Press quarterback Matt Berry throws an interception in the first half against Southern California. See O C4 BYU, game in Los Angeles. THIS SCRIPT Jason Franchuk WOULDN'T FAVOR The Front Row UNDERDOG 8 see this in television and all of the time. The character is tied up and handcuffed and gagged and ' bleeding and tired and defeated. They look like that new ESPN show Haymakers. Yeah, that bad. Saturday night at USC, BYU was Rocky without arms to punch back; MacGyver with no stick of gum or Duct tape to escape the chaos he found. It's over, you think as you sit there staring at your watch. Over like Mike Tyson, or USC's admiration of O.J. Simpsoa " How soon til Albuquerque? The Cougars were being pounded and slaughtered and given about as much chance of surviving Los Angeles as laws banning expensive cars or silicone implants. BYU spotted the Trojans 21 quick points. The Cougars looked like Rocky in his last good fight, film No. 4, when his face was turned to pulp. It was ad- - You HERALD BYU Game summary, MARK J. TERRIULThe Associated Press defenders MeMn Simmons (51) and Jason Leach go after a punt fumbled by BYU's David Christensen in the first half of Saturday mirable of BYUto show up, but still ... throw in the toweL The story lines could go on forever. This game, everyone had to be thinking, was over. Then, USC started getting friendly. USC coach Pete Carroll was Dr. Evil, miniis the hairless l, cat and to BYU's Austin Powers. The Trojans gave up a seemingly meaningless (unless you happened to have a wad of cash hanging on the outcome) field goal safety, then a just before halftime. It was 21-- 5 USC at the break. No reason, ABC must have figured, for fans to tune back in. Mini-Carrol- d See FRANCHUK, C4 PIONEER LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Ogden surprises Provoin Game 1 12 times in 16 games. Oh, and dont think Provo fans have forgotten about the little tidbit of tyuig the Pioneer League record for wins at 54. Not to be overconfident or anyNo worries. thing, but who could blame the But when Ogden scored two runs Angels' fans for thinking the in the. top of the eighth to take a 1 would eventually come Satur day lead, it left Provo fans fumbling night when Provo for the panic button. opened the Pidneer around ' Could it happen? League Playoffs Final score: Ogden 4, Provo 2. against Ogden at . The Raptors beat the league's top Miller Field. team to take a lead in the Provo had Abel series. Ogden can eliminate Moreno on the Provo with a win today (4 pjn.) or mound, who was ' OGCEN Monday in Ogden. 4 named Pioneer "We knew coming in here we'd PROVO 2 League pitcher of the year, and came have to play a perfect game to beat into the game 100. them," said Ogden manager Travis The Angels had a team batting av- Barbary. "Everything went right ' erage of .303 and had beaten Ogden tonight. We got the big hits when we Neil K. Warner THE DAILY HERALD 4-- 0 best-of-thr- needed them. Now weVe got to come back (today) and do the same thing." Ogden surprised Provo with two runs in the second off Moreno: With two outs, Ryan Carter singled and Andy LaRoche followed with a two-ru-n . ' homer. Provo cut the lead in half with a ' run in the sixth when the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Bobby Wilson hit a sacrifice fry to score . Howard Kendrick. , The Raptors then broke through 'V for two huge insurance runs in the eighth that put Provo away. Reliever Dave Austin gave up a leadoff triple to Xavier Paul Luis Castillo then sin gled to put Ogden up 3-- Castillo '. L ! - r See ANGELS, Co' , V, " Ogden's Andy LaRoudw (34) slides safely . . IAN WINQFIELOThe Daily Herald ahead of ihe tag by Howard Kendrick. . , ; |