AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Chris Simms threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns Friday and 10th-ranked Texas took advantage of six turnovers by Texas A&M to coast to a 50-20 victory over the Aggies.
Often criticized for subpar performances in big games, the Longhorn faithful gave Simms a warm ovation in his final home contest when he left the field with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The southpaw did his best to earn it, completing touchdown passes of 75 and 38 yards to Roy Williams and 44 yards to B.J. Johnson to become the first quarterback to lead the Longhorns to consecutive 10-win campaigns.
Texas (10-2, 6-2 Big 12 South) had not strung together two straight 10-win seasons since capturing back-to-back national championships under Darrell Royal in 1969 and 1970.
Simms improved his record as a starter to 25-6 record and helped the Longhorns extend their home winning streak to 19 games. Simms, who completed 16 of 24 passes and was not intercepted, has 23 touchdown passes, breaking his own school record of 22 set last season.
Friday's loss capped what has been a difficult week for the Aggies (6-6, 3-4), who were playing with the heaviest of hearts following the death of 18-year-old freshman defensive end Brandon Fails.
Fails collapsed in his dorm room Monday.
The lopsided loss will only add to the uncertainty regarding the job status of coach R.C. Slocum, who has come under fire even though the Aggies upset Oklahoma earlier this month. Perhaps knowing what it is like to be criticized, Simms was among the first to greet Slocum after the game ended.
The Aggies climbed within 23-14 when Dustin Long threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Murphy early in the third quarter, but the Longhorns put away the game by scoring the next 27 points.
Cedric Benson started the outburst with a 30-yard touchdown run and Simms lofted a 38-yard strike to Williams in the end zone. Williams caught six passes for 149 yards.
Michael Huff had a 28-yard interception return for a score and Nathan Vasher returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown to make it 50-14.
Long was 17 of 25 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and was intercepted three times.
Simms' first three passes of the day were incomplete before he found his groove in the second quarter. Johnson caught a short pass from Simms over the middle and raced up the sideline for a 44-yard touchdown run five minutes into the second period.
Less than four minutes later, Williams caught another short pass from Simms on a slant pattern and went 75 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead to 23-7.
The Aggies had a chance to cut into the lead before halftime when they moved to the Texas 15, but Dakarai Pearson intercepted a pass from Long in the end zone.
The Longhorns scored on five of their six possessions in the first half and took advantage of four Aggie turnovers before intermission.
The first three Texas scores came on field goals of 37, 41 and 28 yards by Dusty Mangum.
Linebacker Derrick Johnson set up the first score when he intercepted a pass from Long and the second followed a fumble by Derek Farmer.
After Mangum converted, Byron Jones fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leading to the third field goal by Mangum.
The Aggies held on the ball long enough to cut the lead to 9-7 on a 12-yard throw from Long to Terrence Thomas.
Jason Carter scored the final Aggie touchdown on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Texas defeated the Aggies for the third straight time and produced its highest point total against the Aggies since a 51-15 win in 1996.
