Texas College Station (AP) The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry has seen its fair share of outstanding teams, players, games, close calls, and blowouts throughout the course of more than a century.
Fans of the Longhorns and Aggies will anticipate many more games now that the rival clubs have reunited after a 12-year separation and both are in the SEC.
And the reunion on Saturday night offers still another opportunity for an instant classic: the No. 20 Aggies (8-3, 6-2) or the No. 3 Longhorns (10-1, 7-1) will earn their first trip to the SEC championship game.
Additionally, Texas is attempting to maintain its standing as one of the top College Football Playoff seeds.
Some of the most significant matches and events in the rivalry’s long history.
1920: Texas 7-3
In front of an estimated 20,000 spectators, the greatest crowd to attend a game in state history at the time, two dominant teams squared off in what would become the rivalry. Bill Berry’s reverse pass to Tom Dennis, which the Longhorns only utilized once this season, set up Texas for the game-winning score. Francis Dominguez of Texas rushed in for the touchdown on the following play, the first points the Aggies had given up in two years.
1956: Texas A&M 34-21
The Aggies had one of their best players, while Texas had one of its worst teams ever. John David Crow, the 1957 Heisman Trophy winner, scored a touchdown to help Texas A&M defeat the Longhorns and coach Ed Price, who had already announced his resignation. This was Texas A&M’s first victory in Texas Memorial Stadium. The following season, Texas was dominated by Darrell Royal, and the Longhorns won 17 of their next 18 games.
1963: Texas 15-13
Unbeaten Six days after President Kennedy was slain, Texas struggled at muddy Kyle Field despite winning its first national championship that season. After UT Regent Frank Erwin issued a statement saying, “The state of the playing field is a disgrace and a reflection on A&M,” Texas was down at halftime in the slop. No institution would allow any scenario to exist if it claimed to have a significant sporting program. Earl Rudder, the president of Texas A&M, expressed regret but pointed out that the field had been further damaged when someone, undoubtedly a Longhorns supporter, had burned the Longhorns mascot’s name, “Bevo,” into the grass. In the last two minutes, Texas marched 80 yards for Duke Carlisle’s game-winning score, with some assistance when an apparent A&M interception was declared out of bounds.
1998: Texas 26-24
The Longhorns With a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and 259 yards for the day, Ricky Williams secured the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA career rushing record. Before Texas won it on a field goal by Kris Stockton, the Aggies, who had already secured the Big 12 South title, stormed back from a 23-7 deficit to take the lead.
1999: Texas A&M 20-16
The teams eventually hit the field eight days after Texas A&M’s customary pregame bonfire collapsed, killing twelve people and injuring scores more. On their helmets, Aggies players displayed commemorative bonfire patches. With five minutes remaining, Randy McCown’s touchdown pass to Matt Bumgardner gave A&M the victory after Texas had taken a 16–6 lead. Chris Valletta, an offensive lineman for the Aggies, stated after the game, “Every single play, we had the thought and memory of those 12 in our hearts and minds.”
2011: Texas 27-25
COLLEGE STATION, TX – NOVEMBER 24: On November 24, 2011, in College Station, Texas, Patrick Lewis #61 of the Texas A&M Aggies gets ready to snap the ball during the second half of a game against the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field. (Darren Car took the picture.)
Texas A&M had previously declared that it was switching from the Big 12 to the SEC. The programs accused one another of being responsible for the impending split that would destroy a century of custom. The last two minutes saw Texas A&M take a 25–24 lead. In front of a surprised Aggies home crowd, Texas quarterback Case McCoy, who had been benched earlier in the season, scampered 25 yards to set up Justin Tucker’s game-winning field goal as time ran out.
“I had to flee. McCoy remarked, “It split like the Red Sea.” “Fortunately, everything went smoothly. I have no idea what life would have been like without it.
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