Toombs' Three TDs Lead Aggies to 26-10 Upset Win over No. 8 K-State

Saturday, October 28

College Station

2:30 PM

Texas A&M

6-2 , 4-1

Kansas State

7-2 , 3-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Kansas State

Texas A&M

Oct 28, 2000 | Football

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

October 28, 2000

The Texas A&M football team took a step closer to a berth in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday, shutting down the 8th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats 26-10 in front of a marooned-out crowd of 80,659 at Kyle Field.

The win moves the Aggies to 6-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Big 12, and makes them eligible for a postseason bowl berth. KSU falls to 7-2 on the year and 3-2 in league play.

"Today was the loudest I've ever heard Kyle Field," A&M junior center Seth McKinney said. "I was getting a headache out there, but I loved every minute of it. It was great."

For the second-straight week, a total team effort led to a big win. The Aggies dominated the first half, scoring twice in the first seven minutes of the game, en route to a 19-point lead at the break.

A&M set the tempo early on their first drive of the game, marching 66 yards in 12 plays against a gusty south wind and getting a 31-yard field goal from Terence Kitchens to put the first points on the board. Senior wideout Chris Taylor, who led the Aggies with 68 yards receiving, caught a 39-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Mark Farris on 3rd-and-11 to keep the drive alive and move A&M into Wildcat territory.

K-State quarterback Jonathan Beasley was intercepted on his first pass attempt of the game by Aggie linebacker Jason Glenn. The senior picked the ball off at the KSU 25 and returned it all the way to the 3-yard line. Kitchens would connect again, this time from 22 yards out, to make the score 6-0.

The Aggies would cap another long drive, this one nearly six minutes in duration, on the last play of the first quarter when junior fullback Ja'Mar Toombs, who led all rushers with 89 yards on 24 carries, rumbled into the endzone from two yards out. Once again, it was Taylor who provided the spark, converting another 3rd-and-long situation with a 23-yard catch and run down to the Wildcat 10. The two point conversion failed, keeping the score 12-0.

Toombs would provide the only points of the second quarter on an 8-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes left in the half. Junior wide receiver Robert Ferguson made a great grab of a Farris pass for 36 yards on 3rd-and-4 to move the chains and keep the 97-yard scoring march going.

The Wildcats took advantage of the wind at their backs in the third quarter, getting on the board when Beasley connected with wide receiver Aaron Lockett on a 31-yard touchdown pass just four minutes into the half. Lockett led all receivers in the game with 119 yards on six catches. K-State would tack on a 22-yard Jamie Rheem field goal six minutes later to cut the A&M lead to nine.

Freshman punter Cody Scates pinned the Wildcats inside their own 5-yard line early into the final quarter. Beasley looked deep down the left sideline on the first play, and A&M junior defensive back Wes Bautovich intercepted the ball off a tip to give the Aggies possession inside the KSU 30.

Three plays later, Toombs would score for the third time in the game, again from eight yards out, to make the score 26-10.

Kansas State would get no closer than the A&M 29 on their final two drives as the Wrecking Crew defense held its ground.

Farris completed 12-of-20 passes on the afternoon for 155 yards, while his counterpart Beasley was held to 14-of-39 passing for 227 yards and a touchdown. The Wildcat quarterback threw two interceptions and was sacked once.

"This game shows what we can do if we put our minds to it," Farris said. "I think we have the talent in our locker room to beat anyone in the nation. We talked all week about gaining respect, and I think we did that today."

The Aggies now turn their attention to Oklahoma State, as they head to Stillwater on Saturday, Nov. 4 for a Big 12 matchup with the Cowboys. Kickoff at Lewis Field is set for 1 p.m. (CST).