University of Missouri
#21 Texas
Longhorns Defeat Tigers On Soggy Field, 46-12
10/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 21, 2000
By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
AUSTIN, Texas -- Hodges Mitchell ran for 151 yards and a touchdown for Texas and Major Applewhite set a school record for career TD passes in a soggy 46-12 victory over Missouri on Saturday.
Applewhite's three TD passes gave the junior 55 for his career, breaking the mark of 53 set by James Brown (1994-97).
Mitchell broke the game open for Texas (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) in the third quarter in driving rain.
Texas led 17-12 when Missouri (2-5, 1-3) downed a punt on the Longhorns' 1. With Mitchell either running or catching the ball on six of the next seven plays, the Longhorns drove 99 yards for a touchdown on Mitchell's 41-yard burst up the middle. He started the drive with a 30-yard run.
After a 2-point conversion pass from Applewhite to Brandon Healy made it 25-12, Rod Babers returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown.
Applewhite then hit Sloan Thomas from 4 yards out for his third scoring toss of the game to make it 40-12.
Applewhite broke Brown's record in the first half on touchdown passes to Roy Williams and Thomas. Williams' 48-yard TD gave Texas a 7-3 lead and was the Longhorns' first offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season.
Applewhite was 20-of-31 passing for 277 yards before he was replaced by Chris Simms in the fourth quarter.
Texas rolled up 494 yards of offense on a rainy day that drove many of the announced crowd of 82,892 out of the stands.
Mitchell, who rushed for 125 yards in a 28-14 win over Colorado a week earlier but nearly gave that game away with two fumbles that led to touchdowns, averaged more than 8 yards on 18 carries and didn't turn the ball over. He also caught a team-high seven passes for 47 yards.
Brian Hammerich kicked field goals of 25 and 31 yards, and Darius Outlaw hit Eric Spencer for a 21-yard scoring toss for Missouri in the first half.
But Outlaw, a freshman making just his third career start, threw two interceptions and fumbled in his own end zone. Texas Marcus Tubbs recovered the loose ball for the Longhorns' final touchdown.
Missouri, which has given up 40 or more points in three of its five losses, managed just 64 yards on offense in the second half.
