Oklahoma State Vs. Texas A&M: Battle Of The Big 12 Also-Rans

Stillwater, OK (Sports Network) - Dan Bailey's 40-yard field goal as time expired, due in large part to Jerrod Johnson's fourth, final and fatal interception moments earlier, lifted Oklahoma State to a wild 38-35 victory over Texas A&M.

Johnson put the football in the air early and often, completing 40-of-62 for 409 yards and five touchdowns. He single-handedly rallied the Aggies (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, but he also threw the four picks and had a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Opposing signal-caller Brandon Weeden was 28-of-42 for 284 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Justin Blackmon caught 10 of those passes for 127 yards and a score, while Kendall Hunter ran for 101 yards and two scores for the Cowboys (4-0, 1-0), who finished with 351 total yards after compiling just 107 of those in the first half.

Trailing 35-21, Johnson drove the Aggies 80 yards in 16 plays to draw within a touchdown. The quarterback found Kenric McNeal for a four-yard score, then with just under three minutes left in the game, Johnson connected with Ryan Swope down the seam, and the receiver sprinted 28 yards and leaped into the end zone to tie the game.

Texas A&M was near midfield with under 30 ticks left, driving for a field goal opportunity and a chance at victory. Johnson, however, overthrew his pass for a fourth interception. It led to Bailey's opportunity, and he came through from 40 yards out.

After domination by the Aggies in the opening 24 minutes, the game flipped 180 degrees in the Cowboys' favor out the locker room.

A 13-play, 73-yard march punctuated by Hunter's two-yard plunge cut the home team's deficit to 21-14. After an Aggies punt, Oklahoma State went on the move again, driving 70-plus yards again. The march again ended in the end zone, as Weeden found Blackmon for game-tying 29-yard scoring strike.

Texas A&M stabilized the game in the short term, moving the pigskin to the Cowboys 32-yard line before facing a pivotal fourth-and-one. Christine Michael was stuffed on a dive attempt, giving Oklahoma State the football and all of the momentum.

The Cowboys went three-and-out, but the reversal in field position paid dividends as Johnson was intercepted by Andrew McGee just inside midfield at the Aggies 48-yard line. Four straight pass plays, three of them complete, set up Hunter's seven-yard jaunt for Oklahoma State's first lead at 28-21.

They added another score courtesy of the defense, as Jamie Blatnick bull rushed Johnson, who lost the ball into the waiting arms of James Thomas and he ran 63 yards to paydirt for a 35-21 lead.

Johnson's five-yard toss to Jeff Fuller after a turnover and a three-yard throw to Cyrus Gray put the Aggies in front 14-0 in the first quarter. Weeden answered with a 38-yard TD strike to Joseph Randle, but Johnson's Aggies found the end zone in the final 10 ticks of the first half on the quarterback's six- yard connection with Fuller.