Texas falls to Texas A&M, clinching losing season

Cyrus Gray rushed for 223 yards and had two long touchdown runs to help No. 17 Texas A&M beat Texas, 24-17, last night, sending the Longhorns to their first losing season since 1997.

Gray had TD runs of 84 yards in the second quarter and 48 yards in the third. Von Miller intercepted a tipped pass at the Texas A&M 11 with 2:37 left to kill what looked like a drive for the tying touchdown.

Jeff Fuller also caught a TD pass and Randy Bullock kicked a 50-yard field goal for the Aggies (9-3, 6-2 Big 12).

Texas' fifth home loss of the season means the Longhorns (5-7) won't be eligible for a bowl just one season after playing for the national championship.

* Southern California tailback Dillon Baxter has been reinstated by the NCAA after taking a ride in a golf cart with an agent last week. He is eligible to play for the Trojans against Notre Dame tomorrow.

* Former coach Mike Leach sued ESPN Inc. and a public relations firm on Wednesday, accusing them of libel and slander after he was fired by Texas Tech amid accusations that he mistreated a player suffering from a concussion. The suit filed in Texas district court claims the network's coverage of Leach's firing last year was "willful and negligent defamation" and that it failed to "retract false and damaging statements" it made from "misinformation" provided to ESPN by Craig James, the father of the Texas Tech player.