Cyrus Gray rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns as No. 17 Texas A&M kept its hopes for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game alive with a 24-17 victory over Texas on Thursday.

Ryan Tannehill passed for 128 yards and a score for the Aggies (9-3, 6-2 Big 12 South), who will need Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State on Saturday and then will need to finish higher in the BCS standings than the Cowboys and Sooners in order to win the tiebreaker for first place in the Big 12 South.

The Longhorns grabbed an early 7-0 lead when Garrett Gilbert threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter but Gray broke away for an 84-yard score in the second to make it 7-7 at the half.

Tannehill’s touchdown pass to Jeff Fuller and a 48-yard scoring burst from Gray helped make it 24-14 after three quarters but Texas kicked a field goal in the fourth and had the ball with a chance to tie and under three minutes remaining. Gilbert drove the Longhorns into the red zone but had his pass tipped and intercepted by Von Miller to seal it.

The Longhorns (5-7, 2-6), who played in the BCS Championship Game last season, will not be bowl eligible.