Aggie Playbook for the SEC

THE E AGLE • AGGIESPORTS. COM • FALL 2012

Aggie Playbook For the

SEC

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INSIDE MEET THE RIVALS - NEW & OLD • ROAD TO THE SEC BOARD GAME • LOW DOWN ON CONFERENCE TOWNS

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3

Welcome to the SEC,

Aggieland

“Whoop!”

T

Contents

Pg 8 Meet the SEC coaches: They might surprise you 12 Time Capsule: A&M’s SEC bowl game history 18 West Division 34 East Division

48 Renewing Rivalries: A look at A&M vs. Arkansas

Coach Kevin Sumlin

52 A&M vs. Louisiana State rivalry 56 What’s in a name?

Memorable player names of the SEC teams

Hello

, my n ame

Bubba Texas

Bean

is

A&M

57 Aggie legends talk SEC 58 Soundtrack for away games 60 Road to the SEC: The Board Game

aggiesports.com Jim Wilson, publisher Reporters Kelly Brown, editor Rosalee Getterman Joanne R. Patranella, display David Harris advertising manager Monica Nagy Jim Bob McKown, creative Brooke West services manager Dave McDermand, cover Robert Cessna, executive photo sports editor Rob Clark, projects editor Advertising: 979-731-4738 Claire Heathman, designer Sports: 979-731-4638 Kim White, board game Newsroom: 979-731-4656 designer On the cover: Ryan Swope, Christine Michael and Sean Porter

4

SEC Primer

exas A&M’s move to the Southeastern

By Robert Conference Cessna has challenged everyone to take their game to the next level, and we’re not just talking about the football players.

Sure, we’re all eager to see how the Aggies will match up against Alabama, Arkansas and LSU. We wonder how long will it take first-year head coach Kevin Sumlin to have a team that can compete for the SEC championship. Immediately?

Or will it take 2-3 years? Maybe more?

But what about everything else? Like it or not, we’ve all moved to the SEC, and to a certain extent we’re all going to be judged by how we match up to our SEC counterparts.

Aggies and Bryan-College Station have a chance to show the rest of the SEC that Kyle Field indeed is the best gameday experience, starting with the home opener Sept. 8 against Florida.

A&M has sold out every home game, so it’s a given that the game-day experience that fans from Florida, Arkansas, LSU and Missouri will experience is one of the very best they’ve been a part of, if not the best. But that’s only four hours. The challenge is that as soon as any SEC fan from another school enters Brazos County they have such a good time they’ll come back, no

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matter the cost, and that’s also assuming their team loses.

That’s challenging every worker at restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, gas stations, nightclubs, etc., to be putting their best foot and smile forward time after time, whether the fan is from Alabama or Vanderbilt.

The bar has been raised for all, even the media. A&M women’s basketball coach Gary Blair said after winning the national championship that everyone in town, from the ticket takers at Reed Arena to the folks who clean the lockers, should feel like national champions, because to a certain extent, they helped.

Now, the community faces its biggest challenge yet.

You can bet the folks in Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, LSU and Auburn know how to put their best foot forward. They’ve all won national championships since 1980 and have designs on winning more.

So does everyone around here. Businesses are putting up SEC banners, and fans have staked out SEC signs in their yards. Even College Station Mayor Nancy Berry flagged Florida head coach Will Muschamp for verbally piling on the city. The excitement is building as the season draws near.

Take this 64-page section that you’re about to read. Our See WELCOME page 6

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Tractor!!!

IN CAMO!

Payments of $124 per month on RTV 400 based on sales price of $7,399 at $0 down. 0% A.P.R. for 60 months. Financing available from Kubota Credit Corporation, USA. Subject to credit approval. Payments <do> include implements, set up, delivery, or local taxes where applicable. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 08/31/12. See dealership for details and other low rate options.

CUSTOMER INSTANT REBATE (C.I.R.) DISCLAIMER: New L2800/L3400/L3700SU/L3200/L3800 Tractors with LA463FI/LA463-1 or LA524/LA524FL Loaders, L4400 Tractors with LA/703/LA704A Loaders, L4600 Tractors with LA764 Loaders: Customer instant rebates (C.I.R.) of $500 are available on cash or finance purchases of eligible Kubota equipment through Kubota Tractor Corporation. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., subject to credit approval. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealer’s pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchase. Subject to dealership inventory. Sales to governmental agencies, indepedent rental centers, and dealer owned reantal fleets do not qualify. Some exceptions apply. Customer instant rebates are not available after completed sale. C.I.R. available ends 08/31/12.

CUSTOMER INSTANT REBATE (C.I.R.) DISCLAIMER: New Standard and Grand L Series; L39/L45TL/TLBS; MX4700, MX5000 MX5100; M40 SERIES ROPS models, including Speciality Utility; M59TL/TLBs; and M7040HDX-LTD & M9540HDC-LTD models: Customer instant rebates (C.I.R) of $1000 are available on cash or standard rate finance purchases of eligible Kubota equipment through Kubota Tractor Corporation. C.I.R. not available with 0% A.P.R., or low rate financing offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., subject to credit approval. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealer’s pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchases. Subject to dealership inventory. Sales to governmental agencies, indepedent rental centers,, and dealer owned rental fleets do not qualify. Some exceptions apply. Customer instant rebates are not available after completed sale. C.I.R. availability ends 08/31/12.

WELCOME: Your guide to the SEC

NORMANGEE TRACTOR & IMPLEMENT CO. • The only UTV with Factory Cab/AC/Heater • Gas A&M and BryanContinued from page 4 or Diesel Models Available • 1 & 2 Bench Seat Models College Station have • Hydraulic Bed Dump on Select Models the opportunity to goal was that it would be 48 pages, prove Kyle Field has chock-full of must-read facts about the one of the best game SEC. Our ad staff did such a good job, day experiences when We Guarantee and the response from theKubota advertisers RTV 400 4x4 with Auto Transmission NEW the Florida Gators to Beat Any was so overwhelming it grew to 64 come to town Sept. 8. $ Polaris ATV What a Deal at 7,399 pages.

Price in Texas, Cash Rebate -$400 That wouldn’t have happened if the EagleYou file photo Or We’ll Pay Aggies had remained in the Big 12, and $ $100 CASH!!!** Yours For Only that’s not a knock on the league A&M 0 DOWN • 0 % APR • FOR 6 MOS. ON ALL POLARIS UNITS has left.

NObOdy Leaving the Texas-based Southwest bEATs NORMANGEE TRACTOR! • Down Payment Voted “Best lawn & Farm Retailer” Conference allowed Texas A&M in the • 0% APR Best of the Brazos Valley to grow. The Aggies — and the Survey 2002-2003-2004-2005-2006-2007• $124/Mo. 60 Mo WAC* community — certainly did a good job 2008-2009-2010-2011 best conference unless everyone puts Oklahoma State and Oklahoma will of giving it their all in the 16 seasons their best foot forward. miss coming to Aggieland, especially as in the Big 12, so much so that towns That’s why we’re thinking they watch Texas A&M take its place in ! about 80 like Manhattan, Kan.; Ames, Iowa; pages for next year’s SEC magazine. the country’s best league.

Lawrence, Kan.; Stillwater, Okla.; and Polaris FOR THE LARGEST SELECTION & But for now, enjoy 64.

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$0 Down, 0% A.P.R. for 60 months on All Kubota & Lawn Equipment: $0 down, 0% A.P.R. financing for terms up to 60 months on purchases of select new Kubota equipment from available inventory at participating dealers through . Example: A 60-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 60 payments of $16.67 per $1,000 borrowed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Only Kubota and selected Kubota performance-matched Land Pride equipment is eligible. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. Not available for Rental, National Accounts or Governmental customers. 0% APR and low rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate (C.I.R.) offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 08/31/12. See us for details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information.

Customer instant rebates (C.I.R.) up to $1,500.00 are available on cash or standard rate finance purchases of eligible Kubota equipment through Kubota Tractor Corporation. C.I.R. not available with 0% A.P.R, or low rate financeing offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, subject to credit approval. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealer’s pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchases. Subject to dealership inventory. Sales to government agencies, independent rental centers and dealer owned rental fleets do not qualify. Some exceptions apply. Customer instant rebates are not available after completed sale. CIR availability ends 08/31/12.

$0 Down, 0% A.P.R. for 36 months on all new Kubota equipment: $0 down, 0% A.P.R. financing for terms up to 36 months on purchases of new Kubota equipment from available in inventory at participating dealers through 08/31/12. Example: A 36-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 36 payments of $27.78 per $1,000 borrowed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is changed. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Only Kubota and select Kubota performance-matched Land Pride equipment is eligible. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. Not available for Rental, National Accounts or Governmental customers. 0% APR and low rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate (CIR) offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 08/31/12. See us for details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information.

Payments of $124 per month on RTV 400 based on sales price of $7,399 at $0 down. 0% A.P.R. for 60 months. Financing available from Kubota Credit Corporation, USA. Subject to credit approval. Payments <do> include implements, set up, delivery, or local taxes where applicable. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 08/31/12. See dealership for details and other low rate options.

CUSTOMER INSTANT REBATE (C.I.R.) DISCLAIMER: New L2800/L3400/L3700SU/L3200/L3800 Tractors with LA463FI/LA463-1 or LA524/LA524FL Loaders, L4400 Tractors with LA/703/LA704A Loaders, L4600 Tractors with LA764 Loaders: Customer instant rebates (C.I.R.) of $500 are available on cash or finance purchases of eligible Kubota equipment through Kubota Tractor Corporation. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., subject to credit approval. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealer’s pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchase. Subject to dealership inventory. Sales to governmental agencies, indepedent rental centers, and dealer owned reantal fleets do not qualify. Some exceptions apply. Customer instant rebates are not available after completed sale. C.I.R. available ends 08/31/12.

CUSTOMER INSTANT REBATE (C.I.R.) DISCLAIMER: New Standard and Grand L Series; L39/L45TL/TLBS; MX4700, MX5000 MX5100; M40 SERIES ROPS models, including Speciality Utility; M59TL/TLBs; and M7040HDX-LTD & M9540HDC-LTD models: Customer instant rebates (C.I.R) of $1000 are available on cash or standard rate finance purchases of eligible Kubota equipment through Kubota Tractor Corporation. C.I.R. not available with 0% A.P.R., or low rate financing offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., subject to credit approval. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealer’s pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchases. Subject to dealership inventory. Sales to governmental agencies, indepedent rental centers,, and dealer owned rental fleets do not qualify. Some exceptions apply. Customer instant rebates are not available after completed sale. C.I.R. availability ends 08/31/12.

Offers good on new and unregistered units purchased between 7/31/12-8/31/12. *On select models. See your dealer for details. ** Rates as low as 3.99% for 36 months. Offers only available at participating Polaris® dealers. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. Other fi nancing offers are available. Applies to the purchase of all new ATV and RANGER models made on the Polaris Installment Program from 7/31/12 - 8/31/12. Fixed APR of 3.99%, 7.99%, or 10.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Examples of monthly payments over a 36 month term at 3.99% APR: $29.52 per $1,000 fi nanced and at 10.99% APR: $32.73 per $1,000 fi nanced. Warning: The Polaris RANGER and RANGER RZR are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old and tall enough to grasp the hand holds and plant feet fi rmly on the fl oor. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts. Always use cab nets. Be particularly careful on diffi cult terrain. Never drive on public roads or paved surfaces. Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Check local laws before riding on trails. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. Polaris adult models are for riders 16 and older. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and be sure to take a safety training course. For safety and training information in the U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887. You may also contact your Polaris dealer or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764. ©2012 Polaris Industries Inc.

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*Rebates vary by model. Please see dealer for details. **Offer is subject to credit approval, applies to purchases of new Polaris off road vehicles sold by 08/31/12. Terms up to 60 months available for purchases based on credit approval criteria. Fixed APR of 5.99%, 9.99% or 11.99% will apply. an example of monthly payments required on a 60 month term at 5.99% APR is $19.33 per $1000 financed. See Normangee Tractor For Details.

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Free products only available Normangee Tractor. *Polaristar Payment Protection provided by cynoSure Financial, Inc. Must purchase and take delivery by 08/31/12. Other restrictions apply. See Normangee Offersgood good on new andand unregistered units purchased between 7/31/12-8/31/12. *OnOffers select models.

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9.99% APRfrom and7/31/12 the following payments are effective if yourwill account is kept $59 forcriteria. purchases financed RANGER models made onReduced the Polaris Rate Installment Program - 8/31/12. Fixed APR of 3.99%, 7.99%, or 10.99% be assigned basedcurrent: on credit approval Examples of monthlyup to $5,000 (ATV only). Specified payments may be increased due to debt-cancellation fees or any late fees (if applicable). After the promotional period, the standard minimum payment Standard Rate APR will apply.

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Warning: The Polaris RANGER RANGER RZRthe are Default not intended for 21.99% APR and standard monthly payments will apply. Paying only the amount advertised will not pay off the purchase during the promotional period. Minimum Finance Certain rules apply the allocation of payments Finance Charges on purchase if you more than on-road charge: use. Driver$1. must be at least 16 years oldto with a valid driver’s license to operate.and Passengers must be at least 12your yearspromotional old and tall enough to grasp the handmake holds and plant feet fione rmlypurchase on your Polaris StarCard. Call 1-888-367-4310 or review your cardholder agreement for information. Warning: ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, avoid operating Polaris ATVs of RANGERs on paved surfaces or public roads. Riders and passengers should always wear helmet, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belt on RANGER vehicles. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Polaris adult ATV models are for riders aged 16 and older. 90cc ATV models and TE on the fl oor. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, protective clothing, and seat belts. Always use cab nets. Be particularly careful on diffi cult terrain. Never drive on ABSolU RANGER RZR® 170 models are intended for riders aged 12 and over, and 50cc ATV models are only intended for riders aged 6 and over. Drivers of RANGER vehicles must be at least 16 years old with valid driver’s license. All ATV riders should take a safety training course. For ATV safety and training information in the public roads or paved surfaces. Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Check local laws before riding on trails. ATVs can GUArANTEED U.S., call the SVIA at (800) 887-2887, see your dealer, or call Polaris at (800) 342-3764. Vehicle is shown with optional equipment. ©2010 Polaris Industries Inc. be hazardous to operate. Polaris adult models are for riders 16 and older. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and be sure to take a safety training !

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SEC Primer er Pow ing! er

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Coaches’ Corner • “You think I make the schedule?

If I made the schedule, Georgia would be playing LSU and we’d be playing Ole Miss.”

— a smiling South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier on playing Top 10 teams LSU and Arkansas from the West, while Georgia gets Ole Miss and Auburn, which drew lots of laughs.

• “I think the Aggies bring a very, very capable team, [in a] very lucrative recruiting area. They bring the experience of a real quality conference.

I think they’ll step in and be able to compete on a very even basis very quickly. I think we look forward to them. I think it really makes the conference stronger. I think it’s a greater national appeal. Our viewing audience, if you will, goes now to Texas.”

— LSU’s Les Miles • “Missouri and Texas A&M aren’t coming into the SEC with their hat in the hand saying, ‘Thank you for letting me be here.’ They’re coming in here to compete and play their tail off on the football field. You can bank on that one.”

— Auburn’s Gene Chizik • “Well, certainly. Do I look stupid?

Don’t answer that question.”

— Arkansas interim head coach John L. Smith if he wants to coach more than one season.

• “Yeah, I know, I was told a couple times.”

— Florida’s Will Muschamp with a smile when told Florida hasn’t had a losing season since 1979.

8

SEC Primer

Here are some of the best quotes from the league’s head coaches at the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days from July 17-19 in Hoover, Ala.

• “I really thought that Mike the Tiger stole the show. We didn’t get along on the set. He was kind of working the camera. It was really a difficult time. It’s interesting.

We had a lot of fun with it. I can’t tell you the number of people that walk by me, and he goes, ‘Like a son to me, a Tiger son.’ People I don’t know. My 13-year-old Ben says to me, ‘Dad, I just saw the commercial.’ ‘What did you think, Ben?’ ‘You’ve talked a lot to me like that, you really have.’”

— a smiling LSU head coach Les Miles about filming a commercial with EA Sports for NCAA Football 2013 • “The sky’s the limit with us. I truly believe that. I think for the right kid from the right family, we can beat anybody. If you have a son, which I don’t know if you do or not, he’s a Division I player, he’s coming to Vanderbilt. We have too much to sell. If you truly respect a world class education, there’s very few schools that can compete with us.”

— Vanderbilt’s James Franklin • “You get a lot of, ‘We’re playing in the SEC now, this great league.’ I’ve got a place down in Florida — I go down there sometimes — people act like we’ve been playing a bunch of high school teams. We’ve played in a pretty big league.”

— Missouri’s Gary Pinkel on leaving the Big 12 for the SEC • “Right now what makes the

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Southeastern Conference to me different is the depth of quality teams that are in this league. You have got to play every play, every game for 60 minutes, sometimes beyond that. The margin for error is so small between winning and losing in this league, that if you slip for one second, that will be the difference between winning and losing that game. It’s not just in one game, not just in two games, it’s the overall, every single game you play.”

— Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen • “You look at what [Texas A&M’s] Kevin [Sumlin] and Kliff [Kingsbury] See QUOTES, page 10

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QUOTES: Coaches look to new season Continued from page 8

did at Houston.

They put up video game numbers as far as offense is concerned.”

— Florida’s Will Muschamp • “I’m not sitting down right now, so there’s nothing hot. I don’t have time to listen to that stuff. All we have time to think about is doing all the productive things in our program that we need to get it back to the level that we want.”

— Kentucky’s Joker Phillips on whether he’s on the hot seat.

• “I guess there’s something in there

10

SEC Primer

that says life is an adventure and let’s make sure we take advantage of that adventure and don’t miss anything. I keep looking back in my history. My granddad came to this country when he was a kid of 12 years old. His folks put him on a boat and said, ‘Go to America.’ What kind of an adventure is that? Maybe it comes from that. I don’t know. But I’ve never been one to turn away from an open door, an adventure to go do something. I think life is like that.”

— Arkansas interim head coach John L. Smith on inheriting a Top 10 team after Bobby Petrino was forced out for hiding an inappropriate relationship with a female employee.

• “I’d like to take this opportunity to

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start out to thank so many people for their outpouring of love and prayers and emails and phone calls to the Auburn family since that tragic night, June 9th, when three young men were shot and killed, two of them being former Auburn football players. I do want to say thank you. I don’t think it would be right of me to stand up here in my first opportunity publicly and not do that.”

— Auburn’s Gene Chizik • “It’s been a tough four years in Tennessee. I know, of course, the SEC has enjoyed taking advantage of our tough times. But there’s a nice mood on our team right now that you’re not going to have Tennessee to kick around anymore.”

— Tennessee’s Derek Dooley

• “Well, if I was calling the shots, I would have eight teams go play.

We got six BCS conferences right now. If you can win your conference championship, one of these BCS conferences, you ought to have a chance to play for it all. Then you take two at-large teams.”

— South Carolina Steve Spurrier on how he’d alter the four-team playoff for the national championship.

• “I think playing a great opponent like Michigan the first game of the season really enhances your players’ sort of work ethic and preparation in the off-season because they know they’re going to play a top-notch team right off the bat, and that’s very challenging.”

— Alabama’s Nick Saban

• “You know, we all think that discipline is punishment, how are we going to punish someone. What I always try to think of is, you know, what do we want the outcome to be. If there’s some kind of way that we could create a win-win, and I don’t really know what that is, I just threw out a tax on every ticket at every athletic event and donate all the money to organizations that prevent child abuse, would be more of a win-win than worrying about punishing someone.”

— Alabama’s Nick Saban on what the NCAA could have done following the Penn State scandal.

• “When they make mistakes, you need to discipline them in such a way that hopefully they’ll become better men down

the road. That’s what we do at Georgia. To say that issues aren’t happening around the country isn’t really realistic.”

— Georgia’s Mark Richt • “Well, have you ever been there?

I’m sure you have. I could start and go for days. I’m glad you asked that. I also saw Newsweek ranked Oxford as the number one college town in America.

Sports Illustrated said we’re the number one tailgate in the nation. Recruits, when they come there, they see a group of people that are very happy, that don’t want to leave there.”

— Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze

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11

A&M’s Bowl Game History Texas A&M has played in 33 bowl games, exactly a third of them against Southeastern Conference teams. A&M went 4-7 in those games, losing the last four.

Here’s a capsule look at each contest:

1942 Cotton Bowl

Alabama 29, A&M 21 Alabama won, though it had only one first down, 59 yards rushing, 16 yards passing and punted 16 times. That’s because A&M had 12 turnovers — seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries.

Alabama’s Jimmy Nelson had a Cotton Bowl-record 72-yard punt return for a touchdown. Nelson also had two interceptions.

1944 Orange Bowl

LSU 19, A&M 14 LSU’s Steve Van Buren rushed for 172 yards, including a pair of firsthalf scores, kicked off, and punted

as the Tigers beat the Aggies for the second time in the season (28-13 at LSU). A&M’s team was known as the “Kiddie Corps” because most of the school’s upperclassmen were serving in the military in World War II. A&M players went to Miami by train and automobiles. They returned in 18 used cars, and most of them ran out of fuel stamps. It was the last game for A&M head coach Homer Norton, who led the Aggies to the national championship in 1939.

1950 Presidential Cup

A&M 40, Georgia 20 The inaugural bowl in Byrd Stadium on the University of Maryland campus, which opened two months earlier, also was its last. A&M’s Bob Smith returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Smith added 160 yards rushing, including an 81yard touchdown run. The lopsided victory capped the three-year reign of

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SEC Primer

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A&M head coach Harry Stiteler, who went 7-4 that season, but 1-17-2 the previous two years.

1957 Gator Bowl

Tennessee 3, A&M 0 Sammy Burklow’s first field goal of the year, a 17-yarder in the fourth quarter with 5 minutes, 30 seconds left, was the lone score on a muddy field. Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow (right) rushed for 46 yards on 14 carries for A&M to earn MVP honors. It was the last game at A&M for coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who went to Alabama. Bryant ended his time at A&M with three straight losses after the Aggies had been ranked No. 1.

Continued on page 14

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13

Bowl games: 1968-2000 Continued from page 12

1968 Cotton Bowl

A&M 20, Alabama 16 Pupil topped the teacher as Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant (right) lifted up A&M head coach Gene Stallings moments after the Aggies upset the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide. Bryant was facing the Aggies for the first time since he left after the 1957 season. Stallings was one of the Junction Boys, one of the players who survived Bryant’s 10-day training camp of 1954 in Junction.

A&M quarterback Edd Hargett passed for 143 yards and two scores overshadowing Alabama quarterback Ken Stabler. A&M turned a pair of Alabama turnovers into a 13-10 halftime lead.

14

SEC Primer

1977 Sun Bowl

A&M 37, Florida 14 A&M’s George Woodard rushed for 124 yards on 25 carries with two scores and the 255-pound fullback added four catches for 25 yards and another score. Aggie quarterback David Walker completed 11 of 18 passes for 122 yards, but the MVP was A&M’s Tony Franklin who kicked three field goals, including a bowl-record 62-yarder.

1986 Cotton Bowl A&M 36, Auburn 16 A&M quarterback Kevin Murray passed for 292 yards, which at the time was a Cotton Bowl record. But he had to share the spotlight with A&M’s defense, which held on first-and-goal from the Aggie 6, stopping Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson four straight times with A&M holding a 21-16 fourth-quarter lead. A&M had to hold Jackson again on the next series on fourth down before the Aggies pulled

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away to win the 50th Cotton Bowl.

2000 Independence Bowl

Mississippi State 43, A&M 41 (OT) A rare snowstorm in Shreveport, La., made it almost impossible to see the yard lines, but it was a picturesque setting.

A&M running back Ja’Mar Toombs had 35 carries for 193 yards rushing and three scores, but MSU’s Dontae Walker answered with 143 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

A&M had leads of 14-0 and 35-21, but MSU, coached by former A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill, rallied to force overtime.

Toombs scored in overtime, but the extra-point try was blocked and returned by MSU for two points. MSU quarterback Wayne Madkin then spoiled the rest of the Aggies’ New Year’s Eve with a game-winning 6-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs the victory.

Continued on page 16

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15

Bowl games: 2005-2011 Continued from page 14

Texas A&M’s Ja’Mar Toombs rumbles through the snow against Mississippi State in the 2000 Independence Bowl.

2005 Cotton Bowl

Tennessee 38, A&M 7 Rick Clausen, who opened the season as Tennessee’s third-string quarterback, threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns. A&M, which turned the ball over a season-high five times, fell behind 28-0 in the first half.

Eagle file photo

2009 Independence Bowl

Georgia 44, A&M 20 Georgia basically scored 24 points thanks to special teams as it blocked two kicks and the Aggies snapped the ball over the punter’s head with Georgia recovering at the A&M 2.

Georgia’s Brandon Boykin had an 81yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

A&M’s Jerrod Johnson completed 29 of 58 for 362 yards with two touchdowns.

2011 Cotton Bowl

LSU 41, A&M 24 LSU wide receiver Terrance Tolliver

tied a Cotton Bowl record with three touchdown receptions, but the Tigers also had a pair of 100-yard rushers in Stevan Ridley and Spencer Ware.

A&M, which had a six-game winning streak snapped, took a 10-0 lead before losing senior linebacker

Michael Hodges to an injury. A&M had four turnovers. LSU freshman cornerback Tyrann Mathieu was the defensive player of the game in the 75th Cotton Bowl with eight tackles, a sack, an interception and two forced fumbles.

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SEC Primer

17

University of Alabama • Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Founded 1831 • 31,747 students in fall 2011 • Colors: crimson & white

FOOTBALL HiSTORy

National Championships Alabama’s impressive history includes 14 national championships: 1925, ’26, ’30, ’34, ’41, ’61, ’64, ’65, ’73, ’78, ’79, ’92, 2009, ’12. (Other universities claim titles from larger polls in 1930, ’34 and ’41.)

Heisman Trophy Remarkably, there is just one Heisman winner in Alabama’s illustrious history.

Running back Mark Ingram won it in 2009.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Jay Barker, Greg McElroy, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Bart Starr • Running backs: Shaun Alexander, Harry Gilmer, Bobby Humphrey, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson • Wide receivers/tight ends: D.J. Hall, Don Hutson, Julio Jones, Ozzie Newsome • Linebackers: Cornelius Bennett, Lee Roy Jordan, DeMeco Ryans, Derrick Thomas • Offensive linemen: Sylvester Croom, John Hannah, Dwight Stephenson • Defensive ends: John Copeland, Eric Curry • Defensive backs: Mark Barron, Roman Harper, Dre Kirkpatrick, Antonio Langham, George Teague

Alabama leads the series, 3-1.

Last game — Dec. 1, 1988: Alabama beat A&M 30-10 in College Station.

AGGiE CONNECTiONS

OTHER SPORTS

Paul “Bear” Bryant: The Alabama grad led the Aggies from 1954 to 1957, including a memorable 9-0-1 season in ’56, and John David Crow’s Heisman year in ’57. He left to coach his alma mater in 1958, eventually winning six national championships there.

Gene Stallings: One of the Junction Boys under Bryant at A&M, Stallings served as an assistant at Alabama from 1958 to 1964, then coached the Aggies from 1965 to 1971. He then served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, then head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

He took over at Alabama in 1990 and won a national championship in 1992.

Dennis Franchione: Franchione was known for turning TCU around, and took over at Alabama in 2001, leading 18

SEC Primer

Photos courtesy of The Birmingham News Joe Namath (center) played on the 1962-1964 teams under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant (far right).

Alabama won the national title in 1964.

the Tide to a 10-3 record in 2002. When A&M coach R.C. Slocum was fired that same year, the Aggies snatched Franchione away from Alabama. Franchione went 32-28 in five years at A&M, and resigned after a controversy over a secret newsletter to boosters.

HiSTORy AGAiNST A&M

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Frank Lary, Dave Magadan, Andy Phillips • Basketball: Robert Horry, Buck Johnson, Antonio McDyess, Latrell Sprewell • Golf: Steve Lowery, Jerry Pate • Track: Pauline Davis-Thompson, Emmit King, Lillie Leatherwood, Calvin Smith National Championships • Softball: 2012

RANDOM NOTES

The most famous Alabama student may be a fictional one: Forrest Gump.

Alabama grad Winston Groom wrote the 1986 novel, featuring Gump’s adventures, which included playing

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football for the Crimson Tide. The 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks featured a scene in which Gump runs for a touchdown, with an actor portraying Bear Bryant on the sidelines.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Mel Allen, announcer for the New York Yankees, host of This Week in Baseball • Norbert Leo Butz, Tony Awardwinning stage actor (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Wicked, Rent) • Tom Cherones, producer/director (Seinfeld, Ellen, NewsRadio) • Rece Davis, ESPN host • Timothy Leary, psychologist and psychedelic drug advocate • Harper Lee, author (To Kill a Mockingbird) • Jim Nabors, actor (The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle: USMC) • Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe • Kathryn Stockett, author (The Help) • Sela Ward, actress (The Fugitive, Sisters, House M.D)

The Crimson Tide • No. 31 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Big Al, a costumed elephant

Q&A with Don Kausler Jr. Reporter, The Birmingham News/

“Roll Tide!”

Tuscaloosa Bureau

Game-day atmosphere?

Kausler: It’s electric for an average game. For a big one (Auburn, LSU, Tennessee), it’s extraordinary. Football isn’t a mere game in Tuscaloosa. It’s a spectacle.

What’s the football program like?

Kausler: Proud. Powerful.

Professional. That’s not to say Alabama players are paid. It’s to say that Nick Saban runs the program as if it’s an NFL team. He refers to the program as “the organization.”

Game-day traditions?

Kausler: As at many of the schools in the SEC, many students from fraternities and sororities dress up for the game (coat and tie for the male; sundress for the female).

The Million Dollar Band performs an “Elephant Stomp” on the library steps at the quad two hours before the game.

The team buses a few blocks

Bryant-Denny Stadium’s official capacity is 101,821.

from its hotel to the stadium, then strolls through a crowded plaza outside the stadium through the gate and into the locker room. This is called the “Walk of Champions.” You’ll hear “Roll Tide!” screamed throughout the day, particularly before each kickoff. At the end of a victory, the band leads fans in a chorus of the Rammer Jammer victory song.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Kausler: Alabama fans are civil and even polite to most other fans. The exceptions are Auburn, Tennessee and LSU fans.

Where are the best places

to tailgate?

Kausler: The quad. But tents in the prime spots must be reserved. Refer to uagame day.com for information.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Kausler: The quad is tailgating to the extreme. Satellite dishes and big, flat-screen televisions can be found in many of the tents.

Where is the party district?

Kausler: “The Strip” on University Boulevard can’t be missed. It’s one block from the plaza on the north end of Bryant-Denny Stadium and a couple of blocks from Denny Chimes in the heart

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If you only eat one thing...

Kausler: The ribs at Dreamland. There are two locations. We recommend the original.

If you only go to one bar...

Kausler: The Houndstooth on The Strip is the popular attraction near the stadium.

Other tips for Aggies: Kausler: Try breakfast at the Waysider, a small place on Greensboro Avenue not quite walking distance to the stadium.

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19

The University of Arkansas • Fayetteville, Ark. • Founded 1871 • 23,199 students in fall 2011 • Colors: Cardinal red & white

FOOTBALL History

National Championships 1964: Coach Frank Broyles led the Razorbacks to an undefeated season.

Arkansas had five straight shutouts during the season and defeated Nebraska, 10-7, in the Cotton Bowl.

Heisman Trophy No Razorbacks have won the Heisman. Darren McFadden came in second in 2006 and 2007.

Notable Players

Photos courtesy of University of Arkansas Athletics Department Running back Darren McFadden was the Heisman runner-up in 2006 and 2007.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

Pat Summerall

• Quarterbacks: Joe Ferguson, Quinn Grovey, Matt Jones, Ryan Mallett • Running backs: Lance Alworth, Barry Foster, Felix Jones, Darren McFadden • Wide receivers/tight ends: Joe Adams, Jason Peters, D.J. Williams • Offensive linemen: Shawn Andrews, DeMarcus Love, Jonathan Luigis, Loyd Phillips, Tony Ugoh • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Quinton Caver, Dan Hampton, Billy Ray Smith Jr. and Sr., Pat Summerall • Defensive backs: Steve Atwater, Ken Hamlin, Ken Hatfield, Chris Houston

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Arkansas was a Southwest Conference foe from 1915 until 1992, when the Razorbacks joined the SEC. A&M women’s basketball coach Gary Blair served in the same role at Arkansas from 1993 to 2003. He is one of three women’s basketball coaches to take two different schools to the Final Four. He led the Aggies to the 2011 national championship.

20

SEC Primer

Arkansas leads the series, 41-24-3.

Last meeting — Oct. 1, 2011: Arkansas beat A&M, 42-38, at Cowboys Stadium.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Craig Gentry, Eric Hinske, Cliff Lee • Basketball: Todd Day, Joe Johnson, Joe Kleine, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller, Sidney Moncrief, Alvin Robertson, Darrell Walker, Corliss Williamson • Golf: John Daly, Stacy Lewis • Track: Veronica Campbell, Mike Conley, Calvin Davis, Tyson Gay National Championships • Basketball: 1994 • Men’s indoor track: 1984-1995, 1997-2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 • Men’s outdoor track: 1985, 1992-99, 2003 • Men’s cross country: 1984, 1986-87, 1990-93, 1995, 1998-2000

Random Notes

Two linemen on Arkansas’ 1964 national championship football team would go on to team up for an NFL dynasty in the ’90s. Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989.

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He quickly dismissed legendary coach Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson away from Miami, where he had won the 1987 national championship. The Cowboys won Super Bowls in 1993 and ‘94. Johnson left after the second Super Bowl win and was replaced by Barry Switzer, who had coached the Oklahoma Sooners to three national titles and was also a former Arkansas player.

President Bill Clinton taught at the university’s law school in 1973, as did his soon-to-be wife, Hillary Rodham.

Clinton’s presidential library is located in Little Rock, as part of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Charles Portis, author (True Grit) • Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys • Jimmy Johnson, NFL analyst, former Cowboys, Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes coach • T.J. Holmes, former CNN anchor • Ed Wilson, media executive • Admiral Vern E. Clark, former chief of naval operations • J. William Fulbright, U.S. senator, founder of Fulbright fellowship program • Ricardo Martinelli, president of Panama

Razorbacks

• No. 65 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 public school rankings

“Woo, Pig, Sooie!”

Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium capacity is 72,000. Below: Besides the Russian boar, Tusk IV, Arkansas has three costumed mascots (Big Red, Sue E. and Pork Chop) and one inflatable (Boss Hog).

Q&A with Chip Souza, Sports Editor at Northwest Arkansas Newspapers Game-day atmosphere?

Souza: 70,000 fans wearing hog hats and hog snouts will fill Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It took a little while for the Razorbacks fans to learn the traditions of the SEC, but after almost 20 years, the atmosphere in both Fayetteville and Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium (where the Razorbacks play two games each year) will be as rabid as any SEC venue.

What is the football program like?

Souza: On the rise. The key to maintaining what has been accomplished in the last couple of years will be the permanent coach that is hired after this season to replace John L. Smith, who is signed to just a 10-month contract.

Game-day traditions?

Souza: The UA band will form a giant ‘A’ on the field, and the players and coaches run through the ‘A’ before each game.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Souza: Oh it’s rowdy. Opposing fans seem to be treated cordially, until the game starts.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Souza: The stretch along Razorback Road from Baum Stadium, past Razorback Stadium are the prime Tusk IV, the mascot tailgating areas.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Souza: Typical of most college venues.

It’s not as storied as The Grove at Ole Miss, but typical. There is also a large RV lot near Baum Stadium where most visiting fans tailgate. Get there early, stay late and have a great time. And don’t say, “In the Big 12, we did this, or we did that.” The SEC does not care what the Big 12 does other than losing in the national championship game. So forget everything about the Big 12 and immerse yourself in the greatest football conference in America.

Where is the party district?

Souza: Dickson Street in Fayetteville is the place to be. Think Sixth Street in Austin, only on a smaller scale. Live music, great places to sip cold beverages. It is Fayetteville’s mecca for college students and young adults.

If you only eat one thing...

Souza: Catfish Hole is a staple, but you also can’t go wrong with a trip to Hugo’s on the square. If catfish is not your thing and you don’t want to squeeze into Hugo’s, there is the legendary Herman’s on College Avenue.

If you only go to one bar...

Souza: George’s Majestic Lounge Other tips for Aggies?

Souza: Just sit back and soak in every SEC venue that you will visit. They are all unique and bursting with pride for the SEC. The fans will want to practice their S-E-C, S-E-C chant that fans of SEC teams yell at the end of every game against a non-SEC opponent (usually the SEC team wins those).

Every great tailgate starts at

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21

Auburn University

• Auburn, Ala. • Founded 1856 • 25,469 students in fall 2011 • Colors: orange & blue

FOOTBALL History

National Championships 1957: Auburn went 10-0 and earned the AP’s nod as champs, though the Tigers were not eligible for a bowl because of NCAA violations.

2010: Coach Gene Chizik won his first national championship, thanks in large part to Cam Newton.

Heisman Trophy Winners • Pat Sullivan, 1971: Threw for 2,012 total yards and 20 touchdown passes.

• Bo Jackson, 1985: Rushed for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns.

• Cam Newton, 2010: Threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Jason Campbell, Dameyune Craig, Cam Newton, Pat Sullivan, Stan White • Running backs: James Brooks, Ronnie Brown, Joe Cribbs, Stephen Davis, Bo Jackson, Rudi Johnson, Carnell Williams • Wide receivers: Karsten Bailey, Ronney Daniels, Courtney Taylor, Frank Sanders • Offensive linemen: Ben Grubbs, Wayne Gandy, Marcus McNeill, Zeke Smith • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Aundray Bruce, Karlos Dansby, Nick Fairley, Kevin Greene, Quentin Groves, Tracy Rocker, Takeo Spikes • Defensive backs: Brian Robinson, Carlos Rogers

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

A&M leads the series, 2-0.

Last game — Jan. 1, 1986: A&M beat Auburn, 36-16, in the Cotton Bowl.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Bo Jackson, Tim Hudson, Frank Thomas • Basketball: Charles Barkley, Chuck Person, Wesley Person • Swimming: Kirsty Coventry, Rowdy Gaines, Margaret Hoelzer, Per Johansson • Golf: Jason Dufner 22

SEC Primer

Photo courtesy of Cliff Williams, Opelika-Auburn News Students toilet paper two oak trees in Toomer’s Corner after the Auburn Tigers win a game.

Photos courtesy of Todd Van Ernst, Auburn University Heisman trophy winners Pat Sullivan (left), Bo Jackson and Cam Newton.

National Championships • Men’s swimming/diving: 1997, 1999, 2003-2007, 2009 • Women’s swimming/diving: 200204, 2006-07 • Women’s outdoor track and field: 2006

RANDOM NOTES

Toomer’s Corner, an area of Auburn’s campus where students would blanket two live oak trees with toilet paper after an Auburn win, made headlines in 2010. An Alabama fan claimed to have poisoned the trees with herbicide. News reports from May say the trees are again showing signs of the poison’s effect.

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NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Taylor Hicks, winner of American Idol, season five • Ken Mattingly, astronaut on Apollo 16 and rear admiral in the Navy • Gen. Carl Mundy Jr., former commandant of the Marine Corps • Michael O’Neill, actor (The West Wing) • Selena Roberts, sportswriter (Sports Illustrated, The New York Times) • Elmo Shropshire, of Elmo and Patsy (Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer) • Octavia Spencer: Oscar-winning actress (The Help) • Toni Tennille, singer (The Captain and Tennille) • Jimmy Wales, Cofounder of Wikipedia

The Tigers • No. 36 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Aubie, a costumed tiger

Q&A with Mike Szvetitz Sports editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Game-day atmosphere?

Svetitz: People really show up about 18 to 24 hours before kickoff to reserve their spots. RV fields get filled up

by Tuesdays and Wednesdays if it’s a big game. It’s really a whole week of festivities leading up to the game, kind of like walking through a city and looking at all the big buildings.

What’s the football program like?

Svetitz: Pride and tradition.

Game day traditions?

Svetitz: The first one that comes to mind is the rolling of Toomer’s on Toomer’s Corner on South College

Aubie

“War Eagle!”

Photo courtesy of Auburn University Jordan-Hare Stadium has a capacity of 87,451.

Street and Magnolia Avenue.

There are two 100-year-old oak trees. After Auburn wins, the fans take toilet paper and roll paper all over the trees. They shut the street down and everybody from senior adults to toddlers go down there. They really do that for all the sports. It just looks like it snowed on that spot.

The other tradition is that they fly the eagle 10 to 15 minutes before kickoff. It will fly around the stadium and then land in the middle of the 50-yard line.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Svetitz: One of things you hear a lot of is that opposing schools say how welcome they feel after they come here. We constantly get letters to the editor of how accommodating everyone is. For game days they are loud and pretty intense. They are very passionate about the game. There are 87,451 seats, and for the big games they are sold out. It gets loud. The student section is very loud and passionate.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Svetitz: There are RV

parks a couple of blocks away from the stadium. On campus everybody has their own traditional spot. People have tailgated at the same spots for years and years.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Svetitz: Get there early. Be prepared to stay late. Take time to walk around and talk to some people. The cool thing about every school in the SEC is that each has its own traditions.

Where is the party district?

Svetitz: Downtown Auburn. It’s South College Street. It’s right where Toomer’s Corner is.

If you only eat one thing …

Svetitz: Probably some sort of barbecue. Barbecue is an art — you understand that in Texas — and it is here as well.

If you only go to one bar …

Svetitz: The War Eagle Supper Club.

Other tips for Aggies?

Svetitz: Head up to Toomer’s Corner; there is a drug store called Toomer’s Drugs, and they have world famous lemonade.

Your First Stop for

Football

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Louisiana State University • Baton Rouge, La. • Founded 1853 • 28,985 students in fall 2011 • Colors: purple & gold • Mike VI, a live tiger

FOOTBALL HISTORY

National Championships 1958: Running back Billy Cannon led the way for Paul Dietzel’s team, which went 11-0.

2003: Coach Nick Saban got his first national title after only losing one game.

2007: Quarterback Matt Flynn and defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey led Les Miles’ Tigers to a 12-2 season.

Heisman Trophy Winner Billy Cannon, 1959 (right): The running back gained 598 yards, scored seven touchdowns and even punted for an average of 40.3 yards.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Tommy Hodson, Bert Jones, Jamarcus Russell, Y.A. Tittle • Running backs: Joseph Addai, Billy Cannon, Kevin Faulk, Jim Taylor • Wide receivers: Dwayne Bowe, Wendell Davis, Josh Reed, Steve Van Buren • Offensive line: Alan Faneca, Marvin Stewart • Defensive line: Glenn Dorsey, Anthony McFarland, Marcus Spears • Linebackers: Warren Capone, Bradie James • Defensive backs: Morris Claiborne, Laron Landry, Patrick Peterson, Corey Webster

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Texas A&M track coach Pat Henry had a remarkable run during his days at LSU (1988-2004), winning 27 national championships. He then took over A&M and has quickly turned the Aggie teams into champs. The men’s and women’s teams won national championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

LSU leads series, 27-20-3.

Last matchup — Jan. 7, 2010: LSU beat A&M, 41-24, in the Cotton Bowl.

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SEC Primer

Photos courtesy of LSU Athletics Defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey won the Lombardi, Outland, Nagurski and Lott Trophies as a senior in 2007.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Players • Baseball: Albert Belle, Ben McDonald, Ryan Theriot, Todd Walker, Brian Wilson • Basketball: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Glen Davis, Pete Maravich, Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Pettit, Stanley Roberts • Golf: David Toms • Track: Glenn Hardin, Esther Jones, Lolo Jones, Muna Lee, Richard Thompson National Championships • Men’s basketball: 1935 • Baseball: 1991, 1993, 1996-97, 2000, 2009 • Boxing: 1949 • Men’s golf: 1940, 1942, 1947, 1955 • Men’s indoor track: 2001, 2004 • Women’s indoor track: 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993-1997, 2002-04 • Men’s outdoor track: 1933, 1989-90, 2002 • Women’s outdoor track: 1987-97, 2000, 2003, 2008, 2012

RANDOM NOTES

LSU fans shook the Earth in a 1988 home game against Auburn. Fans naturally went bonkers when Tommy Hodson found Eddie Fuller for a game-winning touchdown pass in the

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fourth quarter. But researchers with the school’s seismic program later noticed movement on a seismogram at the same moment, leading them to conclude the stadium eruption caused it, according to LSU university relations. The game is now known as “The Earthquake Game.”

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Stephen Ambrose, author and historian (Band of Brothers)) • Dr. James Andrews, founder of American Sports Medicine Institute • Donna Brazile, political strategist • James Carville, political strategist • Bill Conti, Oscar-winning composer (The Right Stuff, Rocky) • Carlos Roberto Flores, former president of Honduras • Kevin Griffin, lead singer of Better Than Ezra • Hubert Humphrey, 38th U.S. vice president • Mary Landrieu, U.S. senator, Louisiana • Rex Reed, film critic • Rebecca Wells, author (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) • Joanne Woodward, Oscar-winning actress (The Three Faces of Eve, The Long, Hot Summer) • Will Wright, designer of videogame The Sims

The Tigers • No. 63 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 public school rankings

“Tiger Bait!”

“Geaux Tigers!”

Tiger Stadium’s capacity is 92,542.

Below: Mike VI prowls his habitat on campus.

Q&A with

Scott Rabalias, The Baton Rouge Advocate Game-day atmosphere?

Rabalias: The overwhelming smell is of cigars and bourbon. There’s an extra special edge at night, the fans are louder, the lights gleam off the gold helmets (OK, yellow helmets). It’s as though the night sky holds in the sound a little more.

And it doesn’t hurt that the fans have had all day to “marinate” before kickoff.

What is the football program like?

Rabalias: A national power over the last decade to match the passion of its fans.

Game-day traditions?

Rabalias: About two hours before kickoff, the LSU band marches down Victory Hill and Mike VI, LSU’s Bengal tiger mascot, is hustled into his traveling cage and driven into the stadium. When the band marches onto the field, it plays Hold That Tiger, the first four notes of which an LSU fan can instantly recognize.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Rabalias: Some would equate a visit to Tiger Stadium with a British soccer game. Others will leave with a belly full of jambalaya shared by tailgating fans and feel like they’ve found new friends.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Rabalias: The most coveted spots are under the huge live oak trees along Nicholson, North and South Stadium drives. Another nice spot is the Parade Grounds about a half-mile east of the stadium, which is bordered on the south end by the LSU student union.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Rabalias: Fans start arriving in their

RVs Friday afternoon. They cook up barbecue, jambalaya, gumbo, and yes, the occasional alligator, especially when Florida is in town.

Check out the online fan guide for restrictions at lsusports.net.

Where’s the party district?

Rabalias: Baton Rouge’s downtown area is a couple of miles north of campus, north of the I-10 bridge. Close to campus, the best place is the North Gate area along Highland Road.

If you only eat one thing…

Rabalias: It’s got to be the seafood, right? You can’t go wrong with one of the crabmeat-topped fish dishes at Mike Anderson’s south of the campus on West Lee Drive near Nicholson.

If you only go to one bar…

Rabalias: I want to say The Chimes, which is at the North Gate. For more of a sports bar feel, head to Walk-On’s on Burbank Drive, off Nicholson. It’s within walking distance of Tiger Stadium, has good food, indoor and outdoor seating, and tons of TVs. Other tips for Aggies?

Rabalias: Don’t take too much offense if someone yells “Tiger bait!” at you. They do this to everyone.

Mike VI

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Mississippi State University • Starkville, Miss. • Founded 1878 • 20,424 students in fall 2011 • Colors: Maroon & white

FOOTBALL History

Mississippi State has neither national championships nor Heisman Trophy winners.

Notable players • Quarterbacks: Kevin Fant, Tyson Lee, Wayne Madkin, Tommy Pharr • Running backs: Anthony Dixon, Jerious Norwood • Wide receivers/tight ends: Donald Lee, Mardye McDole, Eric Moulds • Offensive line: Wayne Harris, Derek Sherrod, Pork Chop Womack • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Fletcher Cox, Joe Fortunato, Mario Haggan, Tommy Kelly, D.D. Lewis • Defensive backs: Walt Harris, Fred Smoot

Photos courtesy of MSU Media Relations As of 2010, the SEC allowed MSU to carry on its cowbell tradition during football games.

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

1. Colors: Both schools use maroon and white. This would come into play in a 2000 bowl game (see No. 3) 2. Jackie Sherrill: The coaching legend led A&M to an impressive run in the ’80s, and did the same for the Bulldogs from 1991 to 2003. He is fourth on A&M’s coaching list with 52 wins, and first on Mississippi State’s with 75 wins.

3. The Snow Bowl: The 2000 Independence Bowl lined up the Aggies against Sherrill’s Bulldogs. The teams’ similar color schemes were an issue, so Mississippi State adopted white helmets for the game. The game was an overtime thriller in a snowstorm on New Year’s Eve, which the Bulldogs won, 43-41. As the Aggies join the Bulldogs in the SEC West, the latter will wear white helmets in the Nov. 3 game to honor the Snow Bowl team.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

Mississippi State leads the series, 3-2.

Last meeting — Dec. 31, 2000: Mississippi State beat A&M, 43-41, in the 2000 Independence Bowl.

OTHER SPORTS STARS

• Baseball: Jeff Brantley, Will Clark, Mitch Moreland, Rafael Palmeiro, Jonathan Papelbon, Buck Showalter, Bobby Thigpen 26

SEC Primer

Linebacker D.D. Lewis (left), defensive back Fred Smoot and wide receiver Eric Moulds.

• Basketball: Erick Dampier, Bailey Howell, Jeff Malone • Track and field: Arthur Davis, Marrissa Harris, Tiffany McWilliams, Falilatu Ogunkoya

RANDOM NOTES

The Man in Black had an eventful night at Mississippi State in 1965. The story goes that Johnny Cash performed a concert on campus and was later arrested for public drunkenness. He wrote a song called Starkville

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City Jail on his At San Quentin album, though he claims in the song that he was arrested for picking flowers. In 2007, Starkville hosted the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival, during which the late country star was pardoned.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Eugene Butler, cofounder of Southern Living magazine • Jerry Clower, comedian • John Grisham, author (The Firm, A Time to Kill, The Pelican Brief) • E.B. McCool, cofounder of Holiday Inn • U.S. Rep. G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery, who led the expansion of the G.I. Bill law • Brad Watson, author (The Heaven of Mercury, Last Days of the Dog-Men)

The Bulldogs

• No. 83 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Bully, an English bulldog

Q&A with

“Hey, Go State!”

Adam Minichino Sports editor, The Dispatch (Columbus)

Game-day atmosphere?

Minichino: The atmosphere is solid. Given the size of the stadium is smaller than most in the SEC, MSU fans still make a lot of noise.

They come decked out in maroon and white and love to ring their cowbells.

What is the football program like?

Minichino: MSU is a program with a new energy under coach Dan Mullen. It is one proud of its success against the University of Mississippi. It also is one that has aspirations to climb into the upper part of the SEC and to remain there on a consistent basis.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Minichino: It is loud, especially when the Jumbotron is going and MSU has just scored or made a big play.

The crowd is welcoming to

Davis Wade Stadium seating capacity is 55,082. Below: MSU has a live canine mascot that goes by the same name as its costumed counterpart.

opposing teams.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Minichino: In the area behind the Jumbotron. It is a grassy area with plenty of shade and a lot of room for people to move around and have fun. People also tailgate along the side of the road leading to the stadium.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Minichino: Get there early because MSU fans pack every open square inch.

Where is the party district?

Minichino: The Cotton

District is right off campus and includes several establishments fans can go to relive the game or drown their sorrows in an adult beverage — or two — and get plenty of good things to eat.

If you only eat one thing…

Minichino: The Veranda (moderately priced restaurant), Old Venice Pizza Company, C.J.’s Pizza, Lenny’s (subs), Bulldog Deli, Mugshots (burgers, Abner’s (chicken fingers), and Umi Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. If you only go to one bar…

Minichino: Any place in

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the Cotton District if you want more of a campus feel and a college atmosphere.

Downtown Starkville, which is just a few minutes away, also has plenty of great places to drink and to eat.

Other tips for Aggies?

Minichino: Come and have a good time. MSU fans will provide a great welcome for the newest members of the SEC. I bet some will even be ready to trade a few barbecue tips. If you don’t like cowbells, though, you might want to bring earplugs, or watch where you’re sitting.

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University of Mississippi • Oxford, Miss. • Founded 1844 • 20,844 students in fall 2011 • Colors: red & blue • Mascot: Rebel Black Bear

FOOTBALL HISTORY National Championships Ole Miss claims three football national championships — 1959, 1960 and 1962 — because of assorted poll rankings. But the teams were not ranked first in the more widely regarded polls (like AP and UPI), and therefore are generally not recognized as champions for those years.

Heisman Trophy Winners No Ole Miss player has won the Heisman, although Jake Gibbs (1960) and Eli Manning (2003) were voted third. Archie Manning was nominated twice, 1969 (fourth) and 1970 (third).

Carley Connerly was fourth in 1947.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Jake Gibbs, Archie Manning, Eli Manning, Jevan Snead • Running backs: Charlie Flowers, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Deuce McAllister, Dexter McCluster • Wide receivers/tight ends: Shay Hodge, Kris Mangum, Mike Wallace • Offensive linemen: Gene Hickerson, Frank “Bruiser” Kinard, Terrence Metcalf, Michael Oher • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Derrick Burgess, Freddie Joe Nunn, Wesley Walls, Patrick Willis • Defensive backs: Glenn Cannon, Ken Lucas

AGGIE CONNECTION Former A&M women’s basketball coach Peggie Gillom-Granderson (1998-2003) was a star player at Ole Miss. She’s the school’s all time leading scorer with 2,486 points, and is a member of the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame.

The Gillom Sports Center Complex on the Ole Miss campus is named for her and her sister Jennifer, the second-leading scorer in Ole Miss history.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M A&M leads the series, 4-0.

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SEC Primer

Photos courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics Department Above: The Grove. Below: Notable players Archie Manning (left), Eli Manning and Michael Oher.

Last game — Sept. 6, 1980: A&M won, 23-20, in Jackson, Miss.

OTHER SPORTS STARS • Baseball: Chris Coghlan, David Dellucci, Don Kessinger • Basketball: Gerald Glass, Bonnie Graham, Ansu Sesay • Golf: Cary Middlecoff, Jonathan Randolph • Track and field: Tony Dees • Tennis: Mahesh Bhupathi

RANDOM NOTES Science fiction has played an odd role at Ole Miss. Case in point: Dr. Leonard McCoy, the character also known as “Bones” on the original Star Trek, is portrayed as an alum. He’s listed on startrek.com as having attended as an undergrad and med student from the years 2245 to 2253.

Not to be outdone, Star Wars invaded the Ole Miss campus when the school changed mascots in 2010 from Colonel Reb, the goateed Southern character. Stu-

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dents created an odd but funny campaign to replace him with Admiral Ackbar — a crustacean-esque, fish-eyed character known for barking “It’s a trap!” in Return of the Jedi. Lucasfilm even chimed in with this statement: “The last time we checked in with Admiral Ackbar he was leading the Rebel Alliance Fleet on a critical mission so it will be difficult for him to show up for the games!” The school eventually chose a black bear named Rebel instead.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS • Glen Ballard, Grammy-winning music producer (Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill) • Haley Barbour, former Miss. governor • William Faulkner, Nobel Prize-winning author (The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying) • Ron Franklin, former ESPN play-byplay announcer • John Grisham, author (The Firm, A Time to Kill) • Kate Jackson, actress (Charlie’s Angels, Scarecrow and Mrs. King)

The Rebels • No. 73 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 public school rankings

“Hotty Toddy, gosh almighty!”

VaughtHemingway Stadium’s capacity is 60,580.

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Q&A with

Hugh Kellenberger, The Clarion Ledger Game-day atmosphere?

Kellenberger: There’s a phrase at Ole Miss: “We may not always win the game, but we always win the party.” They take it very seriously here, as does most of the SEC. The game-day atmosphere is very festive and stretches from campus to the Square (essentially, downtown Oxford).

What is the football program like?

Kellenberger Rebuilding, but hopeful of a brighter future.

Game-day traditions?

Kellenberger: You’ll hear the Hotty Toddy chant throughout a game, including right before a kickoff when a celebrity appears on the jumbotron to ask fans, “Are you ready?” They reply “Hell yes” and go into the chant. There’s a host of other unofficial traditions, some of which have gone away as the school tries to move on from some of its past.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Kellenberger: Rowdy, yes. But relatively tame as compared to most of the SEC, at least with the program in its current form. Yes, opposing fans are quite welcome (excluding Mississippi State, the main rivals).

Rebel Where are the Black best places to Bear tailgate?

Kellenberger: Go to the Grove. Fans pick out their spots the night before, but

even if you don’t have a tent there you can walk around and mingle. You’ll see coeds in frilly dresses, guys in khakis and bowties, chandeliers and bigscreen TVs. It’s a scene, and distinctly Ole Miss.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Kellenberger: It’s a party that tries to be as elegant as possible when you’re in a tent in a field in the middle of campus. ... Prepare some Southern specialties, bring red Solo cups and don’t be afraid to dress up a bit.

Where is the party district?

Kellenberger: The Square is where all the restaurants and bars are, and should be where you frequent. You can walk around once you park, and it’s a big crowd on game weekends.

If you only eat one thing …

Kellenberger: In my opinion, the shrimp and grits at either City Grocery or Boure (which are owned by the same chef, but are distinctly different dishes). Most locals will also suggest Ajax, which is a favorite of the Mannings (and features a sandwich with country streak and butter beans that Eli ate before every game).

If you only go to one bar…

Kellenberger: City Grocery. Upstairs of the restaurant is a small-ish bar that feels like history is all around you.

Other tips for Aggies?

Kellenberger: Big Bad Breakfast for brunch. Nothing holds a candle to it, and it’ll fix whatever ails you.

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Texas A&M University

• College Station, Texas • Founded 1876 • 50,004 students in fall 2011 • Colors: maroon & white

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Linebacker Von Miller played for the Aggies from 2007 to 2010. He was drafted second in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos in 2011.

National Championships Coach Homer Norton led Texas A&M to an 11-0 record and the 1939 national championship. The Aggies also claim the 1919 national title (sort of ), when Dana X. Bible led the team to a 10-0 record.

Harvard is generally recognized for that year’s title, but the A&M media guide lists the Aggies as national champions.

The championship years displayed at Kyle Field only lists the ’39 team.

Heisman Trophy Winner John David Crow, 1957: The running back rushed for 562 yards, intercepted five passes and was responsible for 11 touchdowns (six rushing, five throwing).

Other Aggies who received Heisman votes: John Kimbrough (second, 1940), Darren Lewis (ninth, 1990) and Bucky Richardson (10th, 1991).

Notable players • Quarterbacks: Edd Hargett, Jerrod Johnson, Gary Kubiak, Stephen McGee, Reggie McNeal, Kevin Murray, Corey Pullig, Bucky Richardson, Ryan Tannehill • Running backs: Bubba Bean, John David Crow, Curtis Dickey, Cyrus Gray, Dante Hall, Greg Hill, John Kimbrough, Darren Lewis, Leeland McElroy, Rodney Thomas, Robert Wilson, George Woodard, Roger Vick • Wide receivers/tight ends: Rod Bernstine, Jason Carter, Albert Connell, Robert Ferguson, Jeff Fuller, Tony Harrison, Bethel Johnson, Ken McLean, Terrence Murphy, Jamaar Taylor • Offensive line: Calvin Collins, Hunter Goodwin, Geoff Hangartner, Seth McKinney, Joe Routt, Rex Tucker, Richmond Webb • Defensive line: Sam Adams, Rocky Bernard, Ray Childress, Jacob Green, Charlie Krueger, Brandon Mitchell, Ty Warren • Linebackers: Antonio Armstrong, Jason Atkinson, Reggie Brown, Marcus Buckley, Quentin Coryatt, Johnny Holland, Robert Jackson, Von Miller, Keith Mitchell, Dat Nguyen, John 30

SEC Primer

Eagle file photo by Stuart Villanueva

Roper, Ed Simonini, Garth Ten Naple, William Thomas, Aaron Wallace • Defensive backs: Patrick Bates, Domingo Bryant, Sammy Davis, Dave Elmendorf, Aaron Glenn, Lester Hayes, Ray Mickens, Kevin Smith, Pat Thomas, Jason Webster • Kickers: Randy Bullock, Tony Franklin, Shane Lechler

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Chad Allen, John Byington, Casey Fossum, Jeff Granger, Daylan Holt, Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Livingstone, Cliff Pennington, Ryan Rupe, John Scheschuk, Mark Thurmond, Jason Tyner • Men’s basketball: Winston Crite, Josh Carter, Bryan Davis, David Edwards, Damon Johnson, Joseph Jones, Bernard King, Dominique Kirk, Acie Law IV, Vernon Smith, Joe Wilbert, Antoine Wright • Women’s basketball: Danielle Adams, Morenike Atunrase, Lisa Branch, Sydney Carter, Sydney Colson, Takia Starks, Toccara Williams • Men’s golf: Shane Bertsch, Jeff Maggert, Ryan Palmer • Women’s golf: Julia Boland, Shirley Furlong, Ashley Knoll • Men’s track & field: Randy Barnes, Floyd Heard, Randy Matson, Gerald Phiri, Larry Wade • Women’s track & field: Jessica Beard, Simone Facey, Porscha Lucas, Gabby Mayo, Jeneba Tarmoh

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AP photo Sophomore Breeja Larson was the first Aggie to win Olympic gold for the recent 2012 games.

• Men’s swimming & diving: Omar Enriquez, Balazs Makany, Grant Nel • Women’s swimming & diving: Cammile Adams, Breeja Larson, Caroline McElhany, Jaele Patrick • Softball: Shawn Andaya-Pulliam, Megan Gibson, Sharonda McDonald, Lori Stoll • Soccer: Bryn Blalack, Kristen Koop, Ashlee Pistorius, Kati Jo Spisak • Men’s tennis: Jeff Dadamo, Austin Krajicek, Shuon Madden • Women’s tennis: Jessica Roland, Anna Lubinsky, Kim Labuschagne • Volleyball: Laura Jones, Kristie Smedsrud, Stacy Sykora National Championships • Women’s basketball: 2011 • Men’s outdoor track & field: 2009, 2010, 2011 • Women’s outdoor track & field: 2009, 2010, 2011 • Equestrian: 2002, 2012 • Men’s golf: 2009 • Softball: 1983, 1987

The Aggies

• No. 19 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Reveille, a collie

• For the 2012 season, A&M is partnering with Tailgate Guys, the official event management group for Auburn and South Carolina’s athletics. Fans can set up at Simpson and Duncan Drill Fields. For more maps and tailgating-specific rules, go to tailgating.tamu.edu.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Harvey Bright, former owner of Dallas Cowboys • Henry Cisneros, former San Antonio mayor and U.S. secretary of housing and urban development • Mike Fossum, astronaut (first Aggie in space) • Steven Gould, author (Jumper series) • Robert Earl Keen, singer-songwriter • Mavis Kelsey, founding partner of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic • Edward F. Knipling, entomoligist, 1992 World Food Prize recipient • Kandace Krueger, Miss USA 2001 • Lyle Lovett, Grammy-winning singersongwriter and actor • Roland Martin, journalist, columnist and author (The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House) • Rick Perry, governor of Texas • Jorge F. Quiroga, former president of Bolivia • Gen. James Earl Rudder, Texas A&M president, WWII veteran • Todd Staples, current Texas agriculture commissioner • Rip Torn, stage and screen actor (The Larry Sanders Show, Men in Black) • Martha Wells, science-fiction author (City of Bones, The Element of Fire)

Eagle file photos

• Reveille VIII is the highest-ranking member in the Corps of Cadets.

She is the fourth canine mascot in the SEC and the eighth live mascot.

• As it was in the Big 12, A&M is the only university to have yell leaders instead of cheerleaders.

“Hullabaloo, caneck caneck!”

• Aggies began waving white “12th Man” towels during the 1980s when Jackie Sherrill’s 12th Man kickoff team, comprised of all walk-ons, took the field.

In recent years, one walk-on football player is part of the kickoff squad and wears the number 12. Coach Kevin Sumlin is continuing that tradition.

• Kyle Field’s seating capacity is 82,600.

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University of Florida • Gainesville, Fla. • Founded 1853 • 49,589 students in fall 2011 • Colors: orange & blue • Albert & Alberta

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Quarterback Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007.

National Championships 1996: Coach Steve Spurrier finally got his championship, and the Gators beat Florida State in the title game.

2006: Urban Meyer won his first title with the help of two quarterbacks: senior Chris Leak and freshman Tim Tebow.

2008: Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin led Florida, ranked No. 2, in a title game win over No. 1 Oklahoma. The team ended the year with a 13-1 record.

Heisman Trophy Winners • Steve Spurrier, 1966: Threw for 2,012 yards and 16 touchdowns.

• Danny Wuerffel, 1996: Threw for 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns.

• Tim Tebow, 2007: Threw for 3,286 yards and had 32 touchdowns.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Kerwin Bell, Rex Grossman, Chris Leak, Shane Matthews, Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel • Running backs: Neal Anderson, Errict Rhett, Emmitt Smith (above), Fred Taylor, John L. Williams • Wide receivers: Wes Chandler, Cris Collinsworth, Jabar Gaffney, Percy Harvin • Offensive linemen: Lomas Brown, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Alex Brown, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Wilber Marshall, Brandon Spikes, Jack Youngblood • Defensive backs: Joe Haden, Reggie Nelson, Louis Oliver, Lito Sheppard

HISTORY AGAINST A&M Series is tied, 1-1.

34

SEC Primer

Photo courtesy of The Gainesville Sun

Last game — Jan. 2, 1977: A&M beat Florida, 37-14, in the Sun Bowl.

OTHER SPORTS Notable Athletes • Baseball: David Eckstein, Matt LaPorta, Brad Wilkerson • Basketball: Udonis Haslem, Al Horford, David Lee, Mike Miller, Joakim Noah • Golf: Tommy Aaron, Mark Calcavecchia, Chris DiMarco, Andy North • Soccer: Abby Wambach • Swimming: Tracy Caulkins, Nicole Haislett, Dara Torres National Championships • Men’s basketball: 2006, 2007 • Men’s golf: 1968, 1973, 1993, 2001 • Women’s golf: 1985, 1986 • Women’s swimming: 1979, 1982, 2010 • Men’s swimming: 1983, 1984 • Women’s track: 1992 • Women’s tennis: 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2011, 2012 • Soccer: 1998 • Men’s indoor track and field: 2010, 2011 • Men’s outdoor track and field: 2012

RANDOM NOTES Gatorade was born on the Florida campus. Dr. J. Robert Cade researched

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how much football players would sweat during games, and their electrolyte balance, which eventually led to the creation of Gatorade. Royalties from the sports drink help fund Florida research projects.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS • Erin Andrews, Fox sports reporter • Michael Connolly, author (Blood Work, The Lincoln Lawyer) • Kate DiCamillo, author (Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux) • Faye Dunaway, actress (Chinatown, Network, Bonnie and Clyde) • Jonathan Demme, Oscar-winning director (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia) • Bob Graham, former senator and Florida governor • Darrell Hammond, actor/comedian (Saturday Night Live) • Carl Hiassen, journalist and author (Hoot, Skinny Dip, Strip Tease) • Stephen Root, actor (Office Space, Dodgeball, O Brother Where Art Thou?)

• Marco Rubio, U.S. senator, Florida • Forrest Sawyer, TV journalist • Wendy Thomas, daughter of Dave Thomas of Wendy’s fame (yes, she’s the redheaded logo girl) • Mel Tillis, country singer-songwriter • Bob Vila, TV personality (This Old House)

The Gators

“We are the boys from old Florida ...!”

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, aka “The Swamp,” has a seating capacity of 88,548. Below: Albert and Alberta Gator are the only male and female paired mascots in the SEC.

Q&A with

Pat Dooley, sports columnist at The Gainesville Sun Game-day atmosphere?

Dooley: Very loud and very intense inside, very loud and very laid back outside. Game day is as much a gettogether for the Gator Nation as anything.

What is the football program like?

Dooley: Sleeping giant that was jarred awake by Steve Spurrier and should be in the SEC hunt every year.

Game-day traditions?

Dooley: Singing We Are the Boys, rocking back and forth at the end of the third quarter. The Chomp and the Gator Walk.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Dooley: Very rowdy. Sometimes it goes over the top. They booed Spurrier when he came back as South Carolina coach.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Dooley: Reitz Union, unless you get one of the premier parking passes near the stadium.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Dooley: Get there early. One thing about Gainesville is the tailgating is all over the place. Everyone has their

favorite places.

Where is the party district?

Dooley: Across from the stadium is one. Downtown is the other.

If you only eat one thing…

Dooley: Barbecue from Adam’s Rib Co. If you only go to one bar…

Dooley: The Salty Dog. Other tips for Aggies?

Dooley: Don’t take anything personally. And have fun.

Albert & Alberta

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University of Georgia • Athens, Ga. • Founded 1785 • 34,765 students in fall 2011 • Colors: red, black & gray

FOOTBALL HISTORY

National Championships 1942: The Bulldogs beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl to complete an 11-1 season.

1980: Vince Dooley’s team featured freshman running back Herschel Walker, who led the Bulldogs to a 12-0 season.

Heisman Trophy Winners • Frank Sinkwich, 1942 (right): The halfback/quarterback was the first SEC player to win the Heisman. He rushed for 795 yards and 17 touchdowns, and threw for 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns.

• Herschel Walker, 1982: The junior rushed for 1,752 yards and 16 touchdowns Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Ray Goff, Matthew Stafford, Fran Tarkenton, Eric Zeier • Running backs: Terrell Davis, Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Knowshon Moreno, Frank Sinkwich, Charley Trippi, Herschel Walker • Wide receivers/tight ends: Harry Babcock, A.J. Green, Randy McMichael, Hines Ward • Offensive linemen: Pat Dye, Jon Stinchcomb, Matt Stinchcomb • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Boss Bailey, Bill Goldberg, Jimmy Payne, David Pollack, Richard Seymour, Bill Stanfill • Defensive backs: Champ Bailey, Terry Hoage, Jake Scott • Kickers: Kevin Butler, John Kasay

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Phil Gramm: The Georgia grad taught economics at A&M from 1967 to 1978, and served as a Texas congressman and U.S. senator. He announced his candidacy for president in 1995 on the A&M campus.

Robert McTeer: The Georgia grad, economist and former president of the Reserve Bank of Dallas also served as chancellor of the Texas A&M System 36

SEC Primer

Photos courtesy of University of Georgia sports communications Running back Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy in 1982.

from 2004 to 2006.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

A&M leads the series, 3-2 Last game — Dec. 28, 2009: Georgia won, 44-20, in the Independence Bowl

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Gordon Beckham, Mitchell Boggs, Spud Chandler, Derek Lilliquist • Basketball: Willie Anderson, Teresa Edwards, Vern Fleming, Jarvis Hayes, Katrina McClain, Dominique Wilkins • Track: Debbie Ferguson, Hyleas Fountain, Gwen Torrence, Forrest Towns • Golf: Chip Beck, Bubba Watson National Championships • Baseball: 1990 • Men’s tennis: 1985, ’87, ’99, 2001, ’07-’08 • Women’s tennis: 1994, 2000, ’08 • Men’s golf: 1999, 2005 • Women’s golf: 2001 • Women’s swimming/diving: 1999, 2000-’01, ’05 • Women’s equestrian: 2003, ’04, ’08

RANDOM NOTES

Athens has a legendary music scene.

Members of the Grammy-winning rock group R.E.M. — Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill

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Berry — met and started performing while attending Georgia. The group lent its song Oh My Heart for a Georgia commercial in 2011. Bands including The B-52’s and Widespread Panic have Athens roots as well. Grammy-winning producer Brian Burton (a.k.a. Danger Mouse) was a DJ for the school radio station, then went on to star in Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green, and has produced artists including Beck, Gorillaz, Norah Jones and the Black Keys.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Bill Anderson, singer-songwriter • Alton Brown, chef and TV host (Iron Chef America) • Saxby Chambliss, U.S. senator, Georgia • Kyle Chandler, actor (Friday Night Lights, Super 8) • Bill Goldberg, actor, pro wrestling champion • Lewis Grizzard, writer and humorist • Josh Holloway, actor (Lost) • Ernie Johnson, TNT basketball host • Wayne Knight, actor (Seinfeld, Jurassic Park) • Deborah Norville, TV host (Inside Edition) • Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition • James Michael Tyler, actor (“Gunther” on Friends)

The Bulldogs

• No. 23 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Uga, an English bulldog

Q&A with Rachel Bowers, The Athens

“G-E-O-R-G-I-A!”

Banner-Herald

Game-day atmosphere?

Bowers: Game days in Athens bring everyone together. People are very much roaming campus, catching up with friends and family and eating lots of delicious food. It’s like a mini-reunion every Saturday.

What is the football program like?

Bowers: Tradition. Passion. Timeless.

Game-day traditions?

Bowers: If there is a timeout, the northside of the stadium will chant “Georgia” and the southside will respond with “Bulldogs.” That sound carries throughout the downtown area and almost all of campus. Just before kickoff, a senior trumpet player in the Red Coat Band plays what we call the Battle Hymn. He or she walks to the upper deck on the south side of the stadium and everyone in the stadium points

Sanford Stadium’s capacity is 92,746. When Uga VIII (below) died February 2011, a bulldog named Russ took over as interim mascot, as he had for his halfbrother Uga VII. Uga IX is tentatively scheduled to be introduced at Georgia’s first home game. The costumed counterpart is named Hairy Dawg.

to the trumpet player as he/ she begins to play. It’s an intro to a highlight reel that plays on the big screen before every game.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Bowers: Very rowdy. Not so welcoming, but not rude either.

Where are the best places to tailgate?

Bowers: Anywhere on campus is up for grabs as far as tailgating spots are concerned, it is just a matter of how early you are willing to

wake up to get a spot.

What’s the tailgating scene like?

Bowers: Tailgating is serious. People bring generators, full-on grills, huge spreads of food and large coolers of beer. Corn hole is played, and beer pong, too, in certain spots. People are always tossing a football or something.

TVs are everywhere now, too, playing College Gameday or what have you.

Where’s the party district?

Bowers: Downtown there are a lot of bars. “A lot” is

probably an understatement.

And for people who enjoy nightlife, downtown is luckily about a five- to 10-minute walk from the stadium.

If you only eat one thing …

Bowers: Athens has so many wonderful local eateries that it’s hard to choose just one. For a nice meal you want to remember, I would say The National. For a late-night snack, I would say The Grill.

If you only go to one bar: Bowers: Allgood. It’s on Clayton Street right in the heart of downtown. It’s typically packed on game days, but it’s worth it.

Other tips for Aggies?

Bowers: Bring headache medicine, and prepare not to sleep. Bulldogs like to have a good time.

Uga VIII

Follow the Aggieland Outfitters Road Trip this fall.

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University of Kentucky • Lexington, Ky. • Founded 1865 • 28,098 students in fall 2011 • Colors: blue & white

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Quarterback Tim Couch finished fourth in Heisman voting in 1998. Below: Babe Parilli (left) came in third for the Heisman in 1951. Dermontti Dawson was an second-round NFL draft pick, playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1988 to 2000.

National Championships Kentucky claims the 1950 national championship, after an 11-1 season under Paul “Bear” Bryant, though AP and UPI awarded it to Oklahoma. Kentucky beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, and both ended the year with a loss.

Heisman Trophy Winners Kentucky does not have a Heisman winner, though Babe Parilli came in third in 1951, and Tim Couch came in fourth in 1998.

Photos courtesy of UK Athletics Department

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Babe Parilli, George Blanda, Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen • Running backs: Sonny Collins, Artose Pinner, Moe Williams • Wide receivers/tight ends: Randall Cobb, James Whalen, Jacob Tamme, Craig Yeast • Offensive linemen: Dermontti Dawson, Doug Moseley, Lou Michaels • Defensive linemen: Dewayne Robertson, Bob Gain, Jeff Van Note • Defensive backs: Darryl Bishop, Jerry Claiborne

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Paul “Bear” Bryant: The Bear led Kentucky from 1946 to 1953, including an 11-1 record in 1950. He left Lexington to take over at A&M in 1954.

Billy Gillispie: The A&M basketball coach took the Aggies to new heights from 2004 to 2007, including a trip to the Sweet 16. Gillispie left Aggieland to take over at Kentucky, where he coached until 2009.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

The series is tied, 1-1.

Last game — Sept. 19, 1953: A&M won, 7-6, at Lexington.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Joe Blanton, Jim Leyritz, Ryan Strieby, Brandon Webb 38

SEC Primer

• Basketball: Sam Bowie, Rex Chapman, Anthony Davis, Tony Delk, Dan Issel, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jamal Mashburn, Ron Mercer, Tayshaun Prince, Pat Riley, Rajon Rondo, Antoine Walker, John Wall • Tennis: Bruno Agostinelli, Cedrick Kauffman, Jesse Witten • Swimming: Rachel Komisarz • Track: Jim Green, Tim Harden National Championships • Basketball: 1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98, 2012 • Women’s cross country: 1988

RANDOM NOTES

Lexington honors Kentucky grad Harry Dean Stanton with the appropriately titled Harry Dean Stanton Fest, which began in 2011.

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The versatile actor has had memorable roles in dramas (The Green Mile), action flicks (Red Dawn), science fiction (Alien), romantic comedies (Pretty in Pink) and television shows (as the super-creepy Roman Grant on HBO’s Big Love).

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Albert “Happy” Chandler, former U.S. senator, commissioner of Major League Baseball • Wendell Berry, author (Hannah Coulter, The Mad Farmer Poems) • Ashley Judd, actress (Heat, Kiss the Girls) • Tom Hammond, sportscaster • Mitch McConnell, U.S. senator, Kentucky • John T. Scopes, the center of the evolution controversy, a.k.a. “the Scopes Trial”

The Wildcats

• No. 59 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 public school rankings Commonwealth Stadium’s seating capacity is 67,942.

Below: UK has three official mascots. The Wildcat and child-friendly Scratch are costumed.

Blue is a live bobcat who lives at the Salato Wildlife Education Center, according to the UK atheltics website.

“On, on U of K, we are right for the fight today ... !”

Q&A with

Mark Story & Jennifer Smith, Lexington Herald-Leader

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The Wildcat

Story/Smith: It’s a good tailgating scene. There is a whole lot of it, and it’s well done. In fact, if you happen to walk through the parking lots during games, you’ll find some fans enjoy tailgating so much that they never make it inside the stadium.

Where is the party district?

Story/Smith: If you are collegeaged, the party scene is concentrated near campus, largely on Limestone Street or Euclid Avenue. If you are an adult, the “happening” area in Lexington is downtown around Short Street and Limestone where a number of new eateries and nightspots are.

If you only eat one thing ...

Story/Smith: A Kentucky “Hot Brown” at Ramsey’s or the fried chicken at Merrick Inn. For late night food runs, check out the chili-cheese fries at the Tolly-Ho. If you only go to one bar ...

Story/Smith: For the collegeaged, the Tin Roof seems to be the “hot spot” presently. For adults, you probably ought to look downtown, maybe Cheapside Bar and Grill or the Parley Social Club.

Other tips for Aggies?

Story/Smith: Do everything you can to get the SEC to send you here in October. That way, you might have a chance to do the “double,” which is taking in the horse races at posh Keeneland Race Course in the afternoon followed by football under the lights in Commonwealth Stadium at night.

Y HW

Game-day atmosphere?

Story/Smith: Unless you are Tennessee or Louisville, the game-day atmosphere for opposing fans in Commonwealth Stadium is usually quite civilized.

What is the football program like?

Story/Smith: Sisyphus-like. Kentucky has spent the past six decades trying to push a boulder up a giant SEC football mountain.

Game-day traditions: Story/Smith: Before games, there is a Cat-Walk in which the fans gather to encourage the team on its way into the stadium. The playing of the state song, Stephen Foster’s My Old Kentucky Home, is a poignant moment before games.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Story/Smith: Pretty welcoming unless you are Tennessee or Louisville.

However, old-time Kentucky fans may not have forgiven Texas A&M for stealing Bear Bryant away from UK. Best place to tailgate: Story/Smith: Commonwealth Stadium has ample parking all around the stadium, making it one of the best tailgating setups in college football.

The one catch is you need a parking pass to get into those lots.

What is the tailgating scene like?

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University of Missouri • Columbia, Mo. • Founded 1839 • 33,762 students in fall 2011 • Colors: black & gold

FOOTBALL HISTORY

National Championships Missouri has not won a national championship title.

Heisman Trophy Winners No Missouri players have a Heisman.

Paul Christman came in third in 1939, Danny LaRose came in eighth in 1960 and Chase Daniel finished fourth in 2007.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Paul Christman, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, Corby Jones, Brad Smith • Running backs: Devin West, James Wilder • Wide receivers/tight ends: Danario Alexander, Justin Gage, Mel Gray, Danny LaRose, Jeremy Maclin, Martin Rucker, Kellen Winslow • Offensive linemen: Conrad Goode, Darold Jenkins • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Ziggy Hood, Aldon Smith, Brian Smith, Justin Smith • Defensive backs: Roger Wehrli, Eric Wright

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Missouri grad Tom Berenger portrayed A&M coach Paul “Bear” Bryant in the ESPN film The Junction Boys, based on Jim Dent’s book about the Aggies’ brutal 1954 summer camp.

Missouri and A&M were conference foes in the Big 12 from 1996 to 2012 and now join the SEC at the same time.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

A&M leads the series, 7-5.

Last game — Oct. 29, 2011: Missouri beat A&M at Kyle Field, 38-31, in overtime.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Phil Bradley, David Freese, Ian Kinsler, Max Scherzer, Dave Silvestri • Basketball: Keyon Dooling, Larry Drew, Anthony Peeler, Kareem Rush, Doug Smith 40

SEC Primer

Above: Truman the tiger, Mizzou’s mascot, was named after President Harry S. Truman, a Missouri native. Left: Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. Daniel was fourth in Heisman voting in 2007.

Photos courtesy of Mizzou Athletics

National Championships • Baseball: 1954 • Men’s indoor track and field: 1965

RANDOM NOTES

Missouri’s journalism program has produced many notable alumni, including news anchors and hosts (Jim Lehrer, Elizabeth Vargas, Chuck Roberts, Jon Scott), reporters (Major Garrett, Seth Wickersham), editors (Gerald M. Boyd, Ken Paulson), columnists (James J. Kilpatrick), TV personalities (Juliet Huddy), sports anchors (John Anderson, Matt Winer) and play-by-play announcers (Skip Caray, Joel Meyers). Oscarnominated actor Brad Pitt famously left the program just two credits shy of graduation, when he packed up and moved to Los Angeles. “I just felt I was done; I was done with it,” Pitt said in a 2011 interview on NPR’s Fresh Air. “I knew where I wanted to go. I had a direction. I always liked those moments of epiphany when you have the next destination.”

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Emily Newell Blair, co-founder of League of Women Voters • Brent Briscoe, actor (A Simple Plan,

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The Green Mile) • Kate Capshaw, actress (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) • Lloyd Carr, former Michigan football coach • Chris Cooper, Oscar-winning actor (Adaptation, American Beauty) • Sheryl Crow, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter • Carl Edwards, NASCAR driver • Linda Godwin, astronaut • Jon Hamm, actor (Mad Men, Bridesmaids) • David Koechner, actor (Saturday Night Live, Anchorman) • Robert Loggia, actor (Big, Independence Day) • Richard Matheson, author (I Am Legend) • Bill McCartney, former Colorado football coach • Jonathan Murray, co-creator of MTV’s The Real World • George C. Scott, actor (Patton, Dr. Strangelove) • Mort Walker, comic creator (Beetle Bailey) • Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart • Tennessee Williams, playwright (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof)

The Tigers

• No. 39 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Truman, a costumed tiger

Q&A with Joe Walljasper

“Fight, Tiger, fight for old Mizzou ...”

Sports editor,

Memorial Stadium/ Faurot Field capacity is 71,004.

The Columbia Daily Tribune

Game-day atmosphere?

Walljasper: The atmosphere at Missouri football games is festive, but not quite as passionate as you’ll find at places where the football team has been strong for generations. ... Missouri sells out for big games but tapers off against bad opponents and during mediocre seasons.

What is the football program like?

Walljasper: Better than you might think.

Game-day traditions?

Walljasper: After big victories, the goalposts are torn down and carried downtown to Harpo’s, where they are sawed into souvenirs.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Walljasper: Nebraska and Kansas fans sometimes

complained that they were mistreated, but generally speaking, Missouri isn’t known as being especially hostile (or friendly) to opposing fans.

Best places to tailgate?

Walljasper: For opposing fans without a parking pass, the best bet for tailgating is to pay one of the fraternity brothers flagging down cars on Providence Road and park in the frat’s yard. The other public parking areas are garages not conducive to tailgating.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Walljasper: Tailgating is big. Fans used to leave at halftime and go back to the parking lots, and they are disappointed about the SEC’s no pass-out policy [game attendees cannot leave the stadium, then return using the same ticket].

Where is the party district?

Walljasper: Downtown, just north of campus.

If you only eat one thing …

Walljasper: Take your pick: A cheeseburger at Booche’s (an ancient pool hall that serves its burgers on wax paper) or Shakespeare’s Pizza.

They are a couple blocks apart

downtown on Ninth Street.

If you only go to one bar…

Walljasper: On football weekends, check out Harpo’s, if you can get in the door.

Other tips for Aggies?

Walljasper: If you want to mix in a little fitness, Columbia has numerous trails for walking, jogging and biking. The MKT Trail starts at Flat Branch Park downtown on Fourth Street. From there you can connect to the Katy Trail, which follows the path of the old Katy Railroad almost all the way across the state.

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41

University of South Carolina • Columbia, S.C. • Founded 1801 • 30,721 students in fall 2011 • Colors: Garnet & black

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Running back George Rogers (left) won the Heisman Trophy in 1980.

Below: Notable players Sterling Sharpe (left) and Eric Norwood.

National Championships South Carolina does not have a national title.

Heisman Trophy Winner George Rogers, 1980: The running back rushed for 1,894 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Photos courtesy of University of South Carolina Athletics

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Todd Ellis, Jeff Grantz, Dan Reeves, Steve Taneyhill, Anthony Wright • Running backs: Harold Green, Troy Hambrick, George Rogers, Duce Staley • Wide receivers/tight ends: Robert Brooks, Alshon Jeffrey, Sidney Rice, Jay Saldi, Sterling Sharpe, Troy Williamson • Offensive linemen: Leon Cunningham, Sam DeLuca • Defensive linemen/linebackers: John Abraham, Kalimba Edwards, Melvin Ingram, Eric Norwood • Defensive backs: Sheldon Brown, Stephon Gilmore, Dick Harris, Jonathan Joseph, Ko Simpson

AGGIE CONNECTIONS

Andrew Card: The South Carolina grad is the former White House chief of staff and secretary of transportation, and is now the acting dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at A&M. David F. Houston: Houston graduated from South Carolina in 1897 and served as A&M president from 1902 to 1905.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

A&M and South Carolina have never played in football,but are scheduled to be cross-divisional rivals starting in 2013, so the teams will play each year.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: Kip Bouknight, Adam Everett, Justin Smoak, Mookie Wilson • Basketball: Mike Dunleavy, Alex English, Jo Jo English, B.J. McKie, Brent Price, Tom Owens • Men’s track: Otis Harris, McIver 42

SEC Primer

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

Riley, Terrence Trammell • Women’s track: Aleen Bailey, Miki Barber, Dawn Ellerbe • Women’s golf: Siew Ai Lim, Kristy McPherson National Championships • Baseball: 2010, 2011 • Women’s equestrian: 2005-07 • Women’s track and field: 2002

RANDOM NOTES

Texas A&M plucked its new athletic director from Columbia. Eric Hyman served as the Gamecocks’ AD from 2005 to 2012. Hyman previously served at TCU from 1997 to 2005.

Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal named him national athletics director of the year in 2004.

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• Lee Atwater, political adviser • Rita Cosby, TV news personality • Charles Frazier, author (Cold Mountain) • Maj. Gen. Kathryn Frost, highestranking woman in the Army when she retired in 2005 • Leeza Gibbons, talk show host • Lindsey Graham, U.S. senator, South Carolina • Jasper Johns, painter • Amos Lee, singer-songwriter • Robert McNair, Houston Texans owner • Gary Parsons, founder of XM Satellite Radio • Melvin Purvis, FBI agent known for hunting John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd • Darius Rucker, singer-songwriter (Hootie and the Blowfish)

Gamecocks • No. 54 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 public school rankings

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Williams-Brice Stadium’s official capacity is 80,250. The upper-east deck sways, much like the upper decks and press box at Kyle Field. Below: Besides Cocky, the costumed mascot, the Gamecocks also have a live one: a rooster named Sir Big Spur.

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Q&A with Anne-Kathryn Flanagan, news assistant at The State Game-day atmosphere: Flanagan: Game day is busy and crowded, people arrive to tailgate hours and hours before the game.

Describe the football program: Flanagan: Committed to the fans, and a flagship of tradition.

Game-day traditions: Flanagan: Before the players run out of the tunnel, 2001 is played and Cocky appears from what would appear to be an empty cage as the smoke rises and the players run out to cheering fans.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Flanagan: It’s rowdy because they run out as 2001 is just ending, so everyone is pumped for their Gamecocks and it builds and continues as they see the opponents rushing the field.

Best places to tailgate: Flanagan: The Rocket, which is located on the Fairgrounds, is a traditional spot. The Cock-a-booses are very popular, and we love to tailgate at the Armory!

What is the tailgating scene like?

Flanagan: People move from tailgate to tailgate to see people they know.

There are vendors set up along Bluff Road with Gamecock gear and T-shirts.

The majority of people have tables and grills with delicious food cooking, and you can always see several games of corn hole being played.

Where is the party district?

Flanagan: Five Points is the party district for most college students, which

TAILGATING

is complete with bars and restaurants.

The Vista is another party district that has a lot of nice restaurants and upscale stores that are open during the day.

If you only eat one thing…

Flanagan: Pimento cheeseburgers and pimento cheese fries at Rockaways and mustard-based barbecue at Doc’s or Hudson’s.

If you only go to one bar…

Flanagan: Wild Wing or Ale House in the Vista.

Other tips for Aggies?

Flanagan: Walk the riverfront pass on the Congaree River, which is 2 miles from the stadium.

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43

University of Tennessee • Knoxville, Tenn. • Founded 1794 • 30,312 students in fall 2011 • Colors: orange & white

FOOTBALL HISTORY

National Championships Tennessee has two consensus national championships: 1951 and 1998. The school also claims titles from lesser polls in 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1967.

Heisman Trophy Winners No Tennessee player has won the Heisman, but four have finished second: Peyton Manning in 1997, Heath Shuler in 1993, Johnny Majors in 1956 and Hank Lauricella in 1951.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Erik Ainge, Peyton Manning, Tee Martin, Heath Shuler • Running backs: Reggie Cobb, Arian Foster, Charlie Garner, Travis Henry, Hank Lauricella, Jamal Lewis, Johnny Majors • Wide receivers/tight ends: Willie Gault, Alvin Harper, Robert Meachem, Carl Pickens, Peerless Price, Jason Witten • Offensive linemen: Harry Galbreath, Chip Kell, Bob Suffridge • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Shaun Ellis, Albert Haynesworth, John Henderson, Leonard Little, Reggie White • Defensive backs: Bill Bates, Eric Berry, Dale Carter, Deon Grant

AGGIE CONNECTION

The legendary Gen. Robert Neyland, who coached Tennessee from 1926 to 1952, spent a year at Texas A&M before getting an appointment to West Point in 1912. While at A&M, he played football for coach Charley Moran, a former Tennessee student.

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

Tennessee leads the series, 2-0.

Last meeting — Jan. 1, 2005: Tennessee beat A&M, 38-7, in the Cotton Bowl.

OTHER SPORTS

Notable Athletes • Baseball: J.P. Arencibia, R.A. Dickey, Phil Garner, Chase Headley, Todd Helton, Luke Hochevar • Basketball: Dale Ellis, Ernie Grunfeld, Allan Houston, Bernard King • Women’s basketball: Tamika Catch44

SEC Primer

Peyton Manning (above) was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1997.

Johnny Majors (far left) also finished second in 1956.

Reggie White also starred for the Vols.

Photos courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

ings, Chamique Holdsclaw, Alexis Hornbuckle, Nikki McCray, Candace Parker • Swimming/diving: Tracy Bonner, Nicole DeMan, Jeremy Linn, Christine Magnuson, Kathy Pesek National Championships • Women’s basketball: 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997-’98, 2007-’08 • Men’s outdoor track and field: 1974, 1991, 2001 • Men’s indoor track and field: 2002 • Men’s cross country: 1972 • Women’s outdoor track and field: 1981 • Women’s indoor track and field: 2005, 2009 • Men’s swimming and diving: 1978

RANDOM NOTES

Tennessee’s Forensic Anthropology Center has a slightly less formal nickname: “the body farm.” The bodies of dead humans are donated to the center, to “permit systematic study of human decomposition,” according to its website.

“The skeletal collections provide unparalleled opportunities to study modern human skeletal variation, pathology and

| T h e E a g l e | w w w . t h e e a g l e . c o m | A ggie S ports . com

trauma.” The crime-forensics benefits attracted author Patricia Cornwell, who named her 1994 novel The Body Farm.

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Howard Baker, former U.S. senator (Tennessee) • Clarence Brown, film director (Anna Karenina, National Velvet, The Yearling) • Deana Carter, singer-songwriter • Dixie Carter, actress (Designing Women, Desperate Housewives) • Henry Cho, comedian • John Cullum, actor (The Day After, Northern Exposure) • Lowell Cunningham, comic author (Men in Black) • James Denton, actor (Desperate Housewives) • David Keith, actor (An Officer and a Gentleman) • Cormac McCarthy, author (No Country for Old Men, All the Pretty Horses) • Dave Ramsey, author and financial adviser • Pam Tillis, singer-songwriter • Kurt Vonnegut, author (Slaughterhouse Five) • Gene Wojciechowski, sportswriter

The Volunteers • No. 46 in U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 public school rankings • Mascot: Smokey IX, a bluetick hound

Q&A with Mike Griffith Multimedia analyst, Knoxville News Sentinel

Game day atmosphere?

Griffith: The stadium sits on the banks of the Tennessee River, so there’s a common practice of people taking their boats to the game.

Folks tailgate on their boats.

The seating has a steep, vertical incline. It’s a beautiful stadium. The results [of the games] haven’t been very beautiful the last few years, though. It’s orange in your eyes and Rocky Top in your ears.

What is the football program like?

Griffith: Tennessee is a traditional powerhouse looking to regain its perch. Not too unlike Texas A&M. Tennessee is the last to repeat as the SEC championship winner.

Game day traditions?

Griffith: Some traditions are the Vol Navy, Rocky Top, Tennessee Walking Horse on homecoming and the bluetick

“Rocky top, you’ll always be home sweet home to me...”

Neyland Stadium seating capacity is 102,455. Below: The live mascot has a costumed counterpart that goes by the same name.

hound named Smokey. The band comes out and forms a T. The bottom opens to a tunnel and the team runs out.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Griffith: It’s a comfortable environment, as comfortable as you can feel with 100,000 people in another color. It’s a comfortable place to live.

People come here and they never leave. This season in particular is going to be one of the louder places. Folks are hungry for success.

Best places to tailgate?

Griffith: A lot of parking garages and tents are set up on campus. There are a lot of motor home lots. You pitch

a canopy where you can, mingle outside the stadium, along the river. It takes over the whole campus, really.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Griffith: You’ll see orange and white in every potential capacity. ... The girls wearing skirts and boots and nice blouses. ... white-collared shirts with the “Power T” emblem.

Where is the party district?

Griffith: There’s a couple: On campus it’s The Strip.

There’s also The Old City, a little bit more adult there — for when you’re ready to go and let it all hang out. The new place is Market Square.

It’s a little more commercialized. The out-of-towners would want to go to there.

If you only eat one thing…

Griffith: Gotta go to Calhoun’s on the river. Close to the stadium. Upper-scale barbecue place. Dress up and sit down and look out on the Tennessee River.

If you only go to one bar…

Griffith: I would say Latitude 35. It’s a nice restaurant, a classy place in Market Square. Dancing downstairs, nice restaurant upstairs, nice menu. This is the place where I would send my friends if they came to town.

Other tips for Aggies?

Griffith: Plan flights carefully. Knoxville is served by the Delta hub. If you go Southwest, you have to drive from Memphis which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive.

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45

Vanderbilt University • Nashville, Tenn. • Founded 1873 • 12,859 students in fall 2011 • Colors: black & gold

FOOTBALL HISTORY

Vanderbilt has neither national championships nor Heisman Trophy winners.

Notable Players • Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler, Greg Zolman • Running backs: Charley Horton, Jermaine Johnson, Frank Mordica • Wide receivers/tight ends: Earl Bennett, Keith Edwards, Boo Mitchell • Offensive linemen: Justin Geisinger • Defensive linemen/linebackers: Jonathan Goff, Shelton Quarles, Jamie Winborn • Defensive backs: Corey Chavous, Leonard Coleman, D.J. Moore, Fred Vinson

OTHER SPORTS STARS

• Baseball: Pedro Alvarez, Hunter Bledsoe, Joey Cora, Mike Minor, David Price, Jeremy Sowers • Basketball: Charles Davis, Festus Ezeli, Shan Foster, John Jenkins, Clyde Lee, Billy McCaffrey, Will Perdue, Jeff Taylor • Women’s basketball: Chantelle Anderson, Heidi Gillingham, Sheri Sam • Men’s golf: Brandt Snedeker • Women’s golf: Peggy Harmon Brady, Nicki Cutler

Notable Vanderbilt players Earl Bennett (above), D.J. Moore (far left) and Jay Cutler are all currently on the Chicago Bears’ active roster.

Photos courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

HISTORY AGAINST A&M

Vanderbilt has never played A&M in football.

RANDOM NOTES

The private university produced many notable sports reporters and personalities. A sampling: Mark Bechtel, Lee Jenkins and Bill Trocchi of Sports Illustrated, Tyler Kepner of The New York Times, Buster Olney and Skip Bayless of ESPN. Legendary reporter Grantland Rice was also a Commodore. His name may be more familiar now as the namesake of grantland.com, the sports writing website led by ESPN’s Bill Simmons.

46

SEC Primer

NOTABLE FORMER STUDENTS

• Lamar Alexander, U.S. senator, Tennessee • Dierks Bentley, singer-songwriter • John Bloom (a.k.a. Joe Bob Briggs), writer and actor • Rosanne Cash, singer-songwriter • James Dickey, poet and author (Deliverance) • John Nance Garner, 32nd U.S. vice president (1933-1941) • Willie Geist, host of MSNBC’s Way Too Early

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• Al Gore, 45th U.S. vice president (1993-2001) • Amy Grant, singer-songwriter • Delbert Mann, Oscar-winning director (Marty) • Tom Schulman, Oscar-winning screenwriter (Dead Poets Society) • Dinah Shore, talk show host (The Dinah Shore Show) • Molly Sims, model/actress • Robert Penn Warren, Pulitzer Prizewinning author and poet (All the King’s Men)

The Commodores • No. 17 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 national university

“Go, ’Dores!”

Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field has a seating capacity of 40,500. It is the smallest football stadium in the SEC. Below: Mr. Commodore is a take on founder Cornelius Vanderbilt’s nickname.

Q&A Bradley T. Keen, assistant director of sales & marketing, Vanderbilt Athletics Game-day atmosphere?

Keen: Our stadium is much smaller than most of our conference members, but the atmosphere is just as electric. I would describe our stadium as intimate; it feels like our fans are sitting right on top of the players. We expect the atmosphere to improve with the addition of our new video board and hill seating in the north end zone.

What is the football program like?

Keen: Authentic, traditional [and] unique.

Game-day traditions?

Keen: First there’s Dore Alley: The team walks through Vandyville, where fans tailgate, two hours prior to kickoff.

Then about an hour later the team walks from the locker room to the stadium for Star Walk. The anchor presentation is when an honorary “12th Fan” brings the Gold Anchor onto the field before the game. Every time the Commodores score, The Admiral, an old Naval horn situated on top of the press box, is sounded. After Vanderbilt wins, the Victory Flag is raised above the press box.

Is the crowd rowdy and/or welcoming?

Keen: Our stadium is both rowdy and welcoming…

Best places to tailgate?

Keen: Vandyville – our tailgating

village.

What is the tailgating scene like?

Keen: Scene is small but rowdy; you’ll find welcoming fans and lots of events surrounding our set-up.

Where is the party district?

Keen: Broadway, which is downtown.

If you only eat one thing …

Keen: Bolton’s hot chicken.

If you only go to one bar …

Keen: The Stage on Broadway.

Other tips for Aggies?

Keen: Come to Nashville and enjoy yourselves!

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47

Renewing the Rivalry: A&M vs A r k a n s a s Texas A&M has played Arkansas 68 timesm, with the Razorbacks holding a 41-24-3 edge. The games from 1934 to 91 were in Southwest Conference play, with 24 of the last 25 games played in November, often giving the meeting extra meaning. The lone exception during that time was the game in 1975 that was played on Dec. 6. The two decided to renew the series in 2009 by signing a 10-year agreement to play in Cowboys Stadium, calling it the Southwest Classic. Three games were played, with Arkansas winning all of them.

Here are some of the series’ more memorable games:

1957: A&M 7, at No. 6 Arkansas 6

Top-ranked A&M trailed for the first time in the season after allowing only 19 points in the first six games. But the Aggies rallied behind running back John David Crow, who rushed for 116 yards on 21 carries, including a game-tying 15yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Lloyd Taylor added the extra point.

No. 11 Arkansas had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter but missed a 12-yard field goal. Crow also added an interception to disappoint the Razorbacks’ homecoming crowd.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson (left) is to lead the Razorbacks against A&M Sept. 29 at Kyle Field. Arkansas has won more than half of the games between the Aggies and Razorbacks.

1958: Arkansas 21, at A&M 8

First-year Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles won his first game. Broyles had lost his first six, and the Razorbacks had lost eight straight league games.

1971: A&M 17, at Arkansas 9

The Aggies, who had lost five of their last six games, shocked the eighth-ranked Razorbacks as sophomore Mark Green rushed for 102 yards on 27 carries. A&M scored all its points off turnovers as the frustrated Razorbacks ran 83 plays with quarterback Joe Ferguson completing 31 of 51 passes for 345 yards, but no touch-

You’re More THAN A NUMBER.

AP photo

downs. The A&M players hoisted head coach Gene Stallings on their shoulders and carried him to midfield afterward for the customary handshake with Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles.

1975: At Arkansas 31, A&M 6

Arkansas’ Teddy Barnes caught a See ARKANSAS, page 50

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SEC Primer

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Arkansas: Pre-SEC Rival

Continued from page 48 28-yard touchdown pass from Scott Bull before halftime to break a scoreless tie.

It was a horrible night for the 10-0, second-ranked Aggies, who lost six of nine fumbles and completed one of seven passes with one interception. A&M’s wishbone lost 71 yards rushing against a stout defense for No. 18 Arkansas.

1977: Arkansas 26, at A&M 20

No. 11 A&M scored 10 unanswered points to tie the game, but No. 8 Arkansas answered with a 58-yard touchdown pass by Ron Calcagni to a streaking Robert Ferrell with 1 minute, 41 seconds left. A&M completed four straight passes to reach the Arkansas 45 with 31 seconds left, but even though the Aggies had two timeouts, they took 25 seconds to run the next play: a pass interference call against Arkansas at its own 6. Aggie quarterback David Walker scrambled to his left and tried to throw back to running back David Brothers in the end zone, but the pass was intercepted by Patrick Martin,

who had been called for the interference.

1981: Arkansas 10, at A&M 7

Arkansas defensive end Billy Ray Smith stopped the Aggies twice on fourth-and-1 plays, capping his game by forcing Aggie quarterback Gary Kubiak to fumble.

Arkansas’ running back Jesse Clark scored on fourth-and-1 with 7 minutes, 57 seconds left, barely getting in from the 1 for the 16th-ranked Razorbacks.

1985: A&M 10, Arkansas 6 A&M junior free safety Kip Corrington stopped Arkansas’ Bobby Joe Edmond on fourth-and-1 from the Aggie 20, topping off a tremendous Aggie defensive effort. Corrington also added an interception as No. 9 Arkansas was 3-of-9 passing for only 47 yards with two interceptions.

The victory helped the Aggies win the first of three Southwest Conference championships under Jackie Sherrill.

1988: Arkansas 25, A&M 20

Four turnovers cost the Aggies a

chance to go unbeaten in league play.

A&M was on probation and ineligible for the Cotton Bowl, but Patrick Williams returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown to help the No. 11 Razorbacks win the SWC title, the school’s first since 1975. “They talked from Monday until the end of the game,” Williams said. “I don’t think they are saying much now.” A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill, who would coach the Aggies only three more games, went in the Arkansas locker room afterward and congratulated the Razorbacks.

1989: Arkansas 23, at A&M 22 A fourth-down interference call on A&M’s Larry Horton kept alive a gamewinning 70-yard drive. The call was made by line judge Ron Underwood, who played for Arkansas in the 1950s and, at the time, lived in Little Rock. No. 14 Arkansas won the SWC that year, and the No. 10 Aggies finished a game back after having their 19-game home winning streak in SWC play snapped.

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51

Renewing the Rivalry: A&M vs LSU A&M has played LSU 50 times, with the Tigers holding a 27-20-3 edge.

There have been a few oddities in the series. The first meeting was in College Station in 1899, but 24 of 25 meetings from 1944 to ’86 were played in Baton Rouge, with the game in 1955 played in Dallas. They’ve also had regularseason games in New Orleans (1908), Houston (1913), Galveston (1916) and San Antonio (1917), and met twice in bowl games (Orange in 1943 and Cotton in 2010).

Former Texas A&M player Curley Hallman was LSU’s head coach from 1991 to ’94, going 0-4 against the Aggies.

A&M has won the last five regularseason meetings (1991-95).

Here are some of the more memorable regular-season meetings:

1917: A&M 27, LSU 0 in San Antonio

Dana Bible was A&M’s head coach.

He had coached LSU for the final three

52

SEC Primer

A&M and LSU last faced each other at the 2011 Cotton Bowl. Defensive back Coryell Judie returned the opening kickoff for 69 yards.

Ultimately, the Tigers won 41-24.

Eagle file photo

games in 1916.

1955: A&M 28, LSU 0 in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl

John David Crow, A&M’s lone Heisman Trophy winner, had a 78yard touchdown run in the final regular-season game between the two not played on campus. Crow, who is

| T h e E a g l e | w w w . t h e e a g l e . c o m | A ggie S ports . com

from Springhill, La., signed conference letters-of-intent with LSU, Oklahoma and A&M before deciding on the Aggies. Jack Pardee, though, was the leading rusher in the game with eight carries for 94 yards and two scores as the Aggies had a 386-78 edge in See LSU, page 54

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LSU: Pre-SEC Rival Continued from page 52

rushing yards over the No. 16 Tigers.

1960: At LSU 9, A&M 0

Jerry Stovall, who would become an LSU great, made his debut with 22 yards rushing, a 40.9-yard average on 11 punts, and made a touchdownsaving tackle on an A&M punt return.

1970: A&M 20, at LSU 18

The Aggies scored with 19 seconds left in the season opener on a 79-yard pass from Lex James to Hugh McElroy to upend the 12th-ranked Tigers just days after LSU junior quarterback Butch Duhe died from a brain hemorrhage. A&M had minus 42 yards rushing, but LSU had six turnovers.

1974: A&M 21, at LSU 14

All three running backs in A&M’s wishbone — Skip Walker, Bubba Bean and Bucky Sams — topped 100 yards for the 14th-ranked Aggies in upsetting the No. 7 Tigers.

1986: At LSU 35, A&M 17

Redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Hodson completed 15 of 21 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in his first game to lead 14th-ranked LSU over the seventh-ranked Aggies.

1989: At A&M 28, LSU 16

A&M’s Larry Horton returned the opening kickoff 92 yards as the unranked Aggies upended the seventhranked Tigers in what started a sixseason losing streak.

1991: At A&M 45, LSU 7

A&M redshirt freshman Greg Hill ran for 212 yards to spoil the return of LSU head coach Curley Hallman.

1995: At A&M 33, LSU 17

The third-ranked Aggies rolled to their third-straight victory in the series, which had two games left in a contract that LSU opted to buy out of for $100,000.

Eagle file photo Running back Cyrus Gray and the Aggies battled LSU in the 2011 Cotton Bowl. The next A&M-LSU matchup is Oct. 20 at Kyle Field.

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55

Names for the record books

By ROB CLARK rob.clark@theeagle.com Scouring the SEC record books helped reveal a bounty of great names. Some are nicknames and some are official, but all are memorable. Here’s a sample: • Nacho Albergamo (LSU) • Moose Barbish (Tennessee) • Ephesians Bartley (Florida) • Bubba Bean (Texas A&M) • Dan Bland (Mississippi State) • Tim Bobo (Georgia) • Joe Boring (Texas A&M) • Chief Brown (Ole Miss) • Dick Bumpas (Arkansas) • Tommy Casanova (LSU) • Eagle Day (Ole Miss) • Mike Dingle (South Carolina) • Beattie Feathers (Tennessee) • Fergie Ferguson (Florida) • Dickie Flourney (Auburn) • Floppy Forquer (Kentucky) • Bob Foxx (Kentucky) • Monk Gafford (Auburn) • Zain Gilmore (Missouri)

• Dixie Howell (Alabama) • Harry Ice (Missouri) • Hootie Ingram (Alabama) • Fob James (Auburn) • Johnny Jolly (Texas A&M) • Shipwreck Kelly (Kentucky) • Wycliffe Lovelace (Georgia) • Booger McFarland (LSU) • Boo Mitchell (Vanderbilt) • Zippy Morocco (Georgia) • Buster Morrison (Florida) • Jim Nabers (Mississippi State) • Ulysses Norris (Georgia) • Moses Osemwegie (Vanderbilt) • Sirr Parker (Texas A&M) • Pig Prather (Mississippi State) • Peerless Price (Tennessee) • Charlie Royalty (Texas A&M) • Chris Smelley (South Carolina) • Mack Strong (Georgia) • Zealand Thigpen (Vanderbilt) • Clyde Van Sickle (Arkansas) • Alfred H. Von Kolnitz (South Carolina) • Pork Chop Womack (Mississippi State) • Andrew Zow (Alabama)

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What Aggie Legends Say About the SEC Move “I

look at that as where would we be today if we hadn’t [allowed women into A&M]? Probably we would be nowhere. I don’t Online think we’d even have a university. If Check out a list it was, it would be of all the SEC a very, very small Heisman winners university. So I look at aggiesports. at it as another way com. for us to move on.

We’ve got another chapter.”

— Running back John David Crow (1954-1957, Heisman winner)

Tigers in their den. Arkansas struggled to get to the top when they first went to the SEC, so patience is needed. The only negative is not getting to play t.u.

— their choice not ours.”

— Linebacker Ed Simonini (19721975)

“F

rom a dollars-and-cents point of view, it appears to be a good move. It’s going to be tough sledding for some time. I hope the faithful are very patient.”

— Running back Bubba Bean (1972-1975)

“T

he move to the SEC is a great decision. It’s the best conference in college football in regards to talent, stability, pageantry and tradition. Perfect fit for Texas A&M. The adjustment in all sports will not be easy, but we have the right leadership in place to be just fine.

The SEC is a big challenge, but to me, that’s what Aggies are all about, stepping up to the challenge and getting it done! I think our team will surprise some folks this year. The goal now is to recruit, create depth and competition on our team, and go play.”

— Quarterback Bucky Richardson (1987-1991)

“I

wasn’t a big fan at first, but I’m excited to see the Aggies compete against the best teams in the country.

It will be a great evaluator of where our program is. I think Coach Sumlin has some great players and will continue to do a great job on the recruiting trail to help us get the depth we need to win week in and week out.”

— Quarterback Stephen McGee (2005-2008)

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57

Conference Audio: Mix tape of the SEC

By ROB CLARK rob.clark@theeagle.com Warm up for SEC football with a mix tape. Here are songs for each school.

They’re not actually connected to the school, of course — just try to picture an Ole Miss-David Bowie partnership — but good tunes nonetheless.

LSU

Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin: Here’s hoping the Aggies don’t feel like this after next year’s game at Tiger Stadium.

Lyrics: “Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train/And I was feeling near as faded as my jeans.”

Alabama

Deacon Blues by Steely Dan: Yes, Sweet Home Alabama is the quintessential state song. But a random reference by Steely Dan is just interesting enough to make this list.

Lyrics: “They got a name for the

winners in the world/I want a name when I lose/They call Alabama the Crimson Tide/Call me Deacon Blues.”

Texas A&M

The Front Porch Song (or This Old Porch) by Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen: A nostalgic slice of life from the old friends’ A&M days.

Lyrics: “This old porch is like a steamin’ greasy plate of enchiladas/With lots of cheese and onions and a guacamole salad/ You can get ’em down at the LaSalle Hotel in old downtown/With ice tea and a waitress and she will smile every time.”

Arkansas

including this tune about a mighty ship with a curious shape.

Lyrics: “Yes the ship was shaped like Arkansas/And the hull was formed without a flaw/Every detail had been reproduced on a scale of one-to-one.”

Auburn

Lovett

Feed the Tree by Belly: A sweet ’90s gem, in honor of Auburn’s efforts to restore the beloved Toomer’s Corner trees.

Lyrics: “This old man I’ve talked about broke his own heart, poured it in the ground/Big red tree grew up and out/Throws up its leaves, spins round and round/I know all this and more/So take your hat off when you’re talking to me and be there when I feed the tree.”

Mississippi State

Keen

Arkansas by John Linnell: The brainy singer-songwriter from They Might Be Giants made an album called State Songs,

Hey Bulldog by The Beatles: Because we have a thing for Beatles songs that imitate dogs.

Lyrics: “Hey, bulldog ... What do you say?/I say, ruff!/You know any more?/ [howling noise]”

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Ole Miss

Rebel Rebel by David Bowie: It’s a huge stretch to connect Bowie’s glam anthem with the Ole Miss Rebels. But we like huge stretches, and we love this song.

Lyrics: “Rebel, rebel, you’ve torn your dress/Rebel, rebel, your face is a mess.”

Florida

Alligator by Tegan and Sara: Another stretch. And another great song.

Lyrics: “Sensitive, it’s true/Alligator tears cried over you.”

Georgia

Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight & the Pips: Here’s a terribly tough call over Ray Charles’ Georgia on My Mind. Chalk this up to our longtime dream to be one of the Pips.

Lyrics: “I’ll be with him [I know you will] on that midnight train to Georgia [leavin’ on that midnight train to Georgia … woo woo!] I’d rather live in his world than live without him in mine.”

Tennessee

Tennessee by Arrested Development: A still-wonderful hit from the spiritual hip-hop crew.

Lyrics: “But Lord I ask you to be my guiding force of truth/For some strange reason it had to be/He guided me to Tennessee.”

Kentucky

Kentucky Rain by Elvis Presley: Elvis at his most lovesick and forlorn.

It’s even raining in his shoes, so remember that blue suede is not appropriate inclement weather attire.

Lyrics: “Kentucky rain keeps pouring down/And up ahead’s another town that I’ll go walking through/With the rain in my shoes/Searching for you in the cold Kentucky rain.”

Missouri

Stu’s Song by Ed Helms: Tigers rule this piano ditty from The Hangover.

Lyrics: “What do tigers dream

Sheetrock Cracks?

House Shifting?

AQUALIFT CONTROLLER

MOISTURE SYSTEM

W

Washington on the Brazos State Park Association salutes Texas A&M’s entrance to the SEC! 8 Aggies with 27 other famous Texans participated in last year’s fundraiser to celebrate Texas’ 175th anniversary of independence from Mexico.

Books and prints signed by these Texas Aggies available at loveoftexas175.com.

GO AGGIES

Vanderbilt

Anything by the Commodores: Any excuse to play the soul-funk group is a good one. Brick House is the obvious choice, but we prefer Sail On. Lyrics: “I’ve thrown away the blues, I’m tired of being used/I want everyone to know I’m looking for a good time.”

o m e t o th elc

AQUALIFT HOSES

e

Participants include R. C. Slocum, John David Crow, Randy Matson, Dr. Nancy Dickey, Dr. Red Duke, Ed Kruse, Scott Kleberg and Governor Rick Perry

of when they take a little tiger snooze?/Do they dream of mauling zebras or Halle Berry in her Catwoman suit?/Don’t you worry your pretty striped head/We’re gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed.”

South Carolina

Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor: We’re aware he’s referring to North Carolina, but he doesn’t mention it specifically, and every mix tape needs a technicality.

Lyrics: “In my mind I’m going to Carolina/Can’t you see the sunshine, can’t you just feel the moonshine/Ain’t it just like a friend of mine to hit me from behind/Yes, I’m going to Carolina in my mind.”

AQUALIFT of Central Texas Cliff Rampy ‘77

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DeLoss Dod d A&M rivalr s makes it clear the Te soon. Also, y won’t continue any xastim h many leath e announces that he e apartment er-bound books and has smells of ri h ch mahoga is ny.

Move u p 4 spa ces

A&M whups Baylor, 55-28. Ken Starr pounds his badly bruised right hand on his desk and cries “blorfious splinterference!” Dan Beebe can’t find the definition of the term.

A A& mid a d M foo the SE i C She sappo tball t excit rma intin eam eme bet n ge g 7-6 end nt, th Mo ter ne ts fired seas s up w e xt y . B on. ith ve ba ear, r ut it’l Mike ig l ck 1 s ht? be pa ce

The Big 12 natural ge adds the West Virgin ographic rival briefs the M ia, and quickly ountaineers how to pro on p the Suprem erly genuflect before e Comman der of Western He misphere. the Move u p 3 spa ces

Move up 3 spaces

Texas A&M has finally reached its destination, like Lewis and Clark’s travels West, Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor or Harold and Kumar’s epic trek to White Castle.

A&M’s voyage to the mighty Southeastern Conference had legal threats (howdy, Ken Starr), arrogant posturing (looking at you, DeLoss Dodds) and Three Stooges-like bumbling (former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe).

So we present the board game of the road to the SEC. No dice required, just follow along. Because the rollercoaster ride was filled with absurd moments, some of the details here have been exaggerated, or completely fabricated. Also, please note that the simultaneous playing of Yakety Sax enhances the game experience.

Rtooad the

SEC RT STAts flirting wsistihng

, pa star A&M C in 2010 -no” note g E r n S o the eck-yes ll. Blushi a “ch study ha ensues. g g durin d gigglin ces spa an 3 p eu Mov

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Story by Rob Clark • Design by Kim White

eased ats are ges its e r h t d it Lawsu lahoma ple ig 12. k B after O ment to the n Loftin e it comm esident Bow ike Slive r M A&M p C commish joy” from and SE e dance of s.” That’s do “th ct Stranger Perfect “Perfe , we said it: ers. right kin’ Strang Frea e up Mov aces 5 sp

Aggies start wearing “SECede” T-shirts on campus. Gov. Rick Perry kicks his chair over, jumps on his desk and hollers, “I knew it! Seceding IS a good idea!”

De Texa Lon Loss D s ath Smile awkwardly and gh od let move up 5 spaces ann in Ja orn N ds an ic dire to l ounc nuar etwo noun ctor ook es t y 2 rk w ces T i h h 0 Mo im in at no 11. Als th ESP he the one o, h N ve ey is e ba ck es an allow 1 s ymo ed re pa ce .

s the ure a am t c i p cre on he ters t gies s in en , and Ag audience l m u S ch io Kevin A&M coa e the stud Bell.” new oo!” lik By the r o ed lf fo ce, “Woo “Sav urse eferen es o y r c Slap g that 3 spa n e up i w kno d mov an the of ent, on O F m e C art utz” t he . , th c dep a “p wha ame e l n i o t is r f To hle in nde ous the Jef M at t Loft ite, u nym out A& tha an s ano nting e. ts f an oi m ce pos A&M was ists p st na spa a an ught res ’s l k 1 n O tho Lofti CF bac e ov M

Oklahoma president David Boren stirs it up by speculating that the Sooners could also make a move, causing Dan Beebe to tinkle in his pants.

Move up 3 spaces

The Aggies finish their “let’s change everything” campaign by hiring South Carolina AD Eric Hyman, unveiling new uniforms and discussing major renovations to Kyle Field.

Celebrate by streaking through campus ... or just move up 2 spaces

FINISH

(Thank you for not streaking.) The journey ends, and the Aggies’ first season in the SEC begins. But six words linger in the air, like so much Kyle Field guano: Be careful what you wish for. Especially as you play the past six national champions.

rk ause p etwo ames c holy-cra N n hor otball g full-on he will r of ong he L chool fo go into ounces mande T r to s fo h s ann Com Plan how hig ywhere ds also preme r d s e S o v to ies e ss D as “ u ally A&M offici tion Agg e. DeLo rred to phere.” n te e s d in f i s e o it m be re Hem declares EC. Baylor pac S e th now Western ck 1 s to p to jum Starr pounds his ba the ve sident Ken n his desk and re p o o M right hand us interference!” cries “tortio e runs to look up Dan Beeb the dictionary. that term in ces p 4 spa Move u

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TOYOTA TUNDRA TRUCKING TO THE SEC.

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