STILL SAWING ‘EM OFF THE RIVALRY BEYOND THE GRIDIRON
CONTENT
CONTRIBUTORS
Editors
Zoe May, Editor in Chief
Sydnei Miles, Managing Editor
Hudson Elkjer, Art Director
Laura McClintock, Photo Director
Sydney Hale, Social Media Manager
Photographers
Jackson Stanley, Connor May
Writers
Candace Obi, Ayla Francis, Maryhelen
Guerrero, Ian Curtis
Business and Distribution
Hayden Arevalo
Hamsini Mahedevan
Logan Russell
Cover
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Photo by Jackson Stanley, The Battalion Photographer
Photo by Laura McClintock, Photo Director
PROUDEST MONKEY
Proudest Monkey is a punk-rock style eatery in Bryan, known for its fiery food and smash-style speedy cocktails. The location started off in 2012 as a dive bar but grew their menu to include food options, namely burgers and tacos. The menu is playfully titled “Monkey Eat,” seemingly in honor of the consistent monkey imagery. Prices are fairly cheap with tacos priced at $6, and burgers and drinks under $13.
“We have a variety of styles of burgers, including a chorizo-style burger that references the Mexican-American community we have here in Bryan,” general manager of Proudest Monkey Jose Cantrell said. “Our breakfast burger features a fried egg and soft-flour tacos, and we also offer chicken tacos —
whatever you like.”
Upon walking in, employees greet the customer and ask where they’d like to be seated — either in the bar or the dining tables. The open floor plan makes the ordering process quick and efficient as employees are walking back and forth to take care of each guest.
“It’s a fun environment, so the biggest thing for us is to hire people with good personalities,” Cantrell said. “Being open to talking to people is key, especially because the more conversation we have with people, the better.”
Proudest Monkey might be a daunting restaurant at first sight, but it's feisty and playful charm makes it a wonderful addition to the Bryan area.
DIRTY MARTIN'S
Dirty Martin’s is a classic burger joint on Guadalupe Street in Austin that started out in 1926, the name reminiscent of the joint’s once “dirty floors” that added to its historical charm. The consistency of keeping tradition is present as the place continues to serve its grilled Texas style burgers — rich, salty and perfectly savory in taste. Other menu options include layered sandwiches like the “Dirty” chicken sandwich. There is also a drink selection, their most popular being their dirty cocktails and tallboy beer cans.
The food is not a standalone experience when visiting Dirty Martin’s. The place
itself is an old wooden building, but with plenty of personality. The notorious burnt orange color fills the aesthetic of the room accompanied by the open-kitchen concept where customers can order, eat and watch their food being made in front of them. Food is typically served on checkered napkins and paired with fries, onion rings or fried pickle slices, committing to the Southern charm that never left, a notion approved by food critic Niccolai Mccray of The Infatuation. Dirty Martin’s is a spot full of history. It’s straightforward: freshly-made burgers are an Austin staple for enjoyers of a nostalgic dining experience with some damn good food.
Photo by Connor May, The Battalion Photographer
Photo by Connor May, The Battalion Photographer
*This content is sponsored by Destination Bryan Story by Candace Obi
HUSH AND WHISPER
Hush and Whisper Distilling Co., a distillery opened earlier this year, is redefining the local drinking scene with its premium selection of grain-to-glass spirits, including expertly-aged bourbons and handcrafted cocktails that rival those found in major cities.
The ambiance of Hush and Whisper is distinctive, the interior featuring a modern design with rustic elements that’s relaxed, yet sophisticated.
The staff goes above and beyond to ensure the guests are well taken care of, greeting patrons with warm smiles and unmatched hospitality.
“I work to curate the guest experience and ensure our patrons are having a good time
Station,” Bogost said. “It has its own community and charm that deserves recognition.”
As the city continues to develop its identity, Hush and Whisper stands out as a unique destination for premium quality spirits, showcasing the rich, untapped potential of Bryan.
SIXTH STREET
If you’re familiar with Austin, then you’re familiar with Sixth Street. Sixth Street lives up to Austin’s title as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” with its lively nightlife, historical sights and constant flow of live music. The area stretches across downtown and is divided up into three sections: Dirty Sixth, West Sixth and East Sixth.
Dirty Sixth is iconic for its packed-up lines of bars, clubs, restaurants and music venues. It’s
young professionals and locals looking to unwind without quite the same intensity as Dirty Sixth. There are rooftop lounges, cocktail bars and restaurants marked by the price of their artisan cocktails.
ST. VINCENCT DE PAUL
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is a local thrift shop of Bryan that is Catholic, but serves all denominations. The shop has been in the area for 30 long years, consistently supporting the homeless and underprivileged members of Bryan.
East Sixth gears towards the artsier crowd of Austin, known for its eclectic mix of bars, food trucks, vintage shops and local hangouts. Some of Austin’s best live music venues live here.
“Our mission is to serve the poor of the community, and we do that by providing clothing vouchers and essential items,” intake and volunteer manager Terrie Lipscomb said.
St. Vincent de Paul offers a wide range of merchandise, including an impressive selection of Aggie gear.
“We have a lot of fun vintage clothes that attract the college kids,” Lipscomb said. “We also have a lot of retro items like wedding gowns, prom dresses. We have a good turn around of those items here.”
Sixth Street offers a unique nightlife that is centered in a “choose-your-own” experience.
Photo by Laura McClintock, Photo Director
Photo by Connor May, The Battalion Photographer
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
Photo by Laura McClintock, Photo Director
How Aggies are revving up for game day
Story by Ayla Francis, Staff Writer
The air is electric and alive at Texas A&M with the advent of the Lone Star Showdown against the University of Texas. As the tension grows, adrenaline beats through campus like a steady pulse. The pressure is on for Aggies to rally as the university’s storied rivalry makes its long-awaited return.
Organizations across campus have banded together to commemorate the upcoming farmers’ fight. From tailgates to merchandise to big events, Aggies have ensured there won’t be a dull moment on the big weekend.
On game day, alumni and family tailgates will flood campus from Reed Arena to Aggie Park. Student groups and Greek Life will host cookouts and parties to celebrate the day. Old Army, or “Ol’ Ags,” a gentlemen’s society for service and leadership, will be cooking turkeys on their smokers in honor of the Thanksgiving showdown.
A barbecue cookoff open to 10 student teams and 10 public teams will feature celebrity judges in the name of the “13v0 Burn” legend. The old story goes that sneaky Aggie Cadets branded the score (13v0) of a shutout victory against t.u. onto the, at the time, unnamed Longhorn mascot. The numbers were then converted into ‘BVO,’ giving the mascot its current name: Bevo. What better way to honor a classic Texan rivalry than with our shared culinary culture?
Some A&M students will strive to connect with their fellow Longhorn guests on game day. Zeta Tau Alpha president Victoria Burkett, who is also a supply chain management senior, is proud to host her Zeta sisters from t.u. in a joint tailgate. Burkett and the president of the t.u. chapter are good friends from the same hometown.
“We thought it would be fun if we could do something before the game,” Burkett said. “It’s just more of a hangout and getting to know the other chapter pretty well.
“With their intentional camaraderie, our Zeta chapter leads out in upholding A&M’s core value of respect,” Burkett said. “We have a lot of friendship crossover with our chapter and their chapter, so I’m really excited.”
Texas Zeta President Julianna Ribarits said they’ve planned an eventful day ahead.
“We’re planning a breakfast at the Aggie Zeta house with pictures and gameday pin-making, and our girls are super excited to say the very least,” Ribarits said. “We can’t wait to share the gameday love with our fellow Zistas!”
If tailgates aren’t your style, the game weekend will still be buzzing with activity. The Friday night festivities will kick off at Kyle Field with a Midnight Yell to remember, starring the football team, coach Mike Elko and a dazzling firework show. Afterward, the rivalry revival will come alive at the Lone Star Showdown Concert in Reed Arena with special guests to electrify Aggie Spirit.
Before diving into these festivities, Aggie students have geared up to arrive in style. Organizations and students have instilled creativity and pride into their upcoming merchandise. Kappa Alpha Theta, Chi Omega and Aggie Southern Darlings are making their unique mark on this day with their group’s own spin on the showdown shirts.
Let’s not forget that proudly pinning on a button is a gameday must, and never will students be prouder than against the villain of their fight song. Endless student-designed rivalry buttons will flaunt Aggie pride across the stadium.
One student organization that stands out from the rest is Maroon Out with their widely recognized T-shirts.
“Yes, we’re the T-shirt,” public health senior and public relations director of Maroon Out Sofia Colunga said. “All our proceeds from the T-shirts go right back to A&M, specifically A&M traditions. We truly value the importance of what it means to be an Aggie and all the traditions that surround it.
“There was not a lot of school spirit, so Kyle Valentine led an approach to maroon out the stadium,” Colugna said. “He ended up selling 31,000 T-shirts his first year. That led to a nation-wide shortage of maroon T-shirts, which I still think is super cool. Since its inception in 1998, it truly has expanded every year.”
Isabella Grogman, sport management junior and executive director of Maroon Out, said Aggies must stand out for the rivalry game.
“We’re going against that orange school, and a shared color we have is white. Our people cannot be in white, like … we have to be different,” Grogman said.
Tradition runs through the veins of A&M culture. Bonfire was a long-standing tradition typically celebrating the upcoming game against t.u. Although the university no longer hosts this event following its horrific collapse, in the spirit of a Corps-led event to unite against the old rivalry, another tradition will be making its return. Lt. Col. Robert S. Washington, A&M Corps of Cadets operations planner, speaks on the “Ruck across the Brazos.”
“We had a unit in the Corps that would take the ball from College Station to Austin whenever we had the away game,” Washington said. “They would run, hike, move the ball the whole way.”
This ruck, or military hike with equipment and packs, will honor this tradition while also taking inspiration from the Alabama vs. Auburn “Iron Ruck” that raises awareness of veteran suicides.
“We’re going to have cadets and veterans from both universities participating in this ruck,” Washington said. “This year Texas is planning the majority of this, coming here. Next year, the idea is that then, A&M Corps of Cadets as well as the Student Veterans Association would take the lead.”
Starting from t.u.’s Veterans Memorial Plaza, they will hike the long distance, then bus the rest of the way before “the whole group will march onto campus to Kyle Field, where then the ball will be handed off to A&M officials by Friday around 5 [p.m.], because on Friday at 5:30 [p.m.] we’re having yell practice in Kyle Field,” Washington said.
“Even though we are competitors, we’re still united through shared values of selfless service and leadership transcending that athletic competition,” Washington said. “The new tradition will become a powerful symbol of our rival unity.”
The military honor won’t end there.
“We have the Navy leapfrog team that then will be handed the game ball,” Washington said. “Which the next day, as part of the pre-game activities, they’re going to jump into Kyle Field with the ball and deliver it at that point … Core Values are what we want to demonstrate from both schools, especially A&M, since it is a school that is heavily rooted in military tradition.”
From fierce rivalry events to moving displays of unity, the A&M community is fully prepared to welcome the Lone Star Showdown in Aggie style.
From Timpson to the top of college football
Story by Sydnei Miles, Managing Editor
He’s No. 11 on the field and a projected first round NFL Draft pick. You know him as the player who pancakes every offensive lineman on his way to the quarterback, but the person behind the shoulder pads and cleats is one many don’t intimately know.
The little boy from Timpson, Texas would have never predicted his life would turn out this way. Junior defensive lineman Nic Scourton never questioned his love for football.
“Growing up, I always wanted to play football,” Scourton said. “But I [have] a summer birthday, so I was always really young, and I was overweight. So I didn’t get to play for real until the seventh, eighth grade, but I’ve always loved football. I started taking it seriously around COVID time, sophomore year, during that period. Junior year is when I really quit all my other sports and just played football.”
The journey to where he is now has not come without its challenges. Scourton’s dad took the risk of moving their family to College Station once out of prison, but during his fifth grade year his parents made the decision to split.
“My mom moved to Bryan, my dad stayed in College Station,” Scourton said. “I stayed with my dad for two years, and I went with my mom in the seventh grade. Things just weren’t going the right way over there, and I had a better opportunity to just be a kid and play football, get my grades up [and] just move in with my principal. I really [was] just locking in to football, school and my faith and things like that. It really is [what] got me to where I am.”
Scourton’s adoptive dad and principal of Bryan High School Lane Buban said the idea to have Scourton stay with them was initiated by his son, Andrew, who was adamant about helping in any way possible.
“I told him, I said ‘One night, and that’s it we got to figure something else out,’ Lane said. “And so that one night turned into three years … Initially I never knew that they were friends. They were friends through junior high, and I had no idea about that at all. Over the course of the time that they were together at the house, they basically became brothers, and that’s kind of how they see themselves. They’re brothers, and they take care of each other. They’re pretty thick.”
Cindy Buban, Scourton’s adoptive mother and Lane’s wife, was supportive of the proposition and wanted to ensure she helped to the best of her ability.
“I was very supportive of the whole thing, but I didn’t learn all the things about what was going on with Nic until later,” Cindy said. “It’s a sensitive subject, and I don’t want to get in the middle of somebody’s family situation. His mom was like, ‘I need help. Can you guys help me?’ and signed over his guardianship to us … Initially, it was just being a good friend to a friend of my son, and then it ended up being an extended thing, and he’s always been welcome at our house, and we’re happy to have him. He’s a great kid, and he became a part of our family.”
Although Scourton is a part of the Buban family, he is supported by both his biological parents and said his dad is like his best friend.
With his family’s love and guidance, Scourton was able to peacefully make the decision to transfer from Purdue to A&M, trusting it was a part of the path and plan for his life.
“Thinking back on it, it was a very easy decision, but it was very hard,” Scourton said. “I didn’t really think too much about it to be honest. My parents, we sat in that room [with] Elko, and I had four other visits, and they were like ‘We feel like this is the place.’ And I was a little nervous, but I committed, and A&M just made me feel welcome. From the players to the staff it just made me feel like I was supposed to be here. It’s the best decision I could have made. Every other team that I had in my top five are not doing better than us.”
In preparation for game days, Scourton does his best to stay relaxed and get composed for the weekend ahead.
“I try to prepare a lot early on in the week and later in the week kind of mellow out,” Scourton said. “Like Thursday, I’m gonna go back and I’m gonna watch a game, and then I’ll just chill my parents and my brother and try to get my mind off it for a little bit so I don’t get too anxious and get too amped up because I still got two days left to play. The night before the game I like to hydrate a lot, get to bed early. I’m pretty regular. I pray a lot.”
Contrary to what many believe, Scourton is just like you and me. When he steps off the yard line, he too is just a 20-year-old who enjoys the simple things.
“A lot of people think that I’m some serious dude,” Scourton
said. “I’m really a goofball. I just like to chill, play games, listen to music, watch anime. I really just be chilling. I ain’t overly interesting. I don’t know, I like to have fun, too.”
Scourton’s passion stems from his humility and desire to be there for those closest to him.
“I got a little brother who lives with me,” Scourton said. “I wake up every morning, I get out and get to practice, see my little brother sleeping, comfortable. He don’t got no problems, I can take care of him, I’ve taken care of my parents. Really that’s what makes me go so hard. That’s really why I just get up and do it. Obviously I love football, but that’s the cherry on top. When I’m having a bad day, I can just think about how many people I’m providing for and helping.”
The relationship between Cindy and Scourton is a special one.
“Nick is very charismatic and charming,” Cindy said. “He’s always been very warm and open, and he’s very honest. Like an hour every day after school, he would get a snack, and he would come in [my office] and just tell me all the things. He told somebody one time that I was like his therapist … I tried to really not ask him about football because everybody knows him for football. That’s not my relationship with him. I don’t love him because he’s a football player, I love him for who he is.”
Lane said one of his favorite aspects about having Scourton a part of their family is creating new experiences and traveling.
“We used to stay at a cabin in Boone, North Carolina,” Lane said. “The first trip that we took he wanted us to wake him up every time we went to a new state. So when we crossed into Louisiana, we woke him up and said ‘Hey here’s Louisiana, here’s Alabama, here’s Georgia, here’s Florida.’ Just getting the gift of being able to watch him experience all that was probably one of my best memories, and watching him experience things that he’d never had the opportunity to experience before. He’ll tell you, the best trip that we’ve taken was to Bend, Oregon or to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.”
Scourton sees his story and life as a chance to impact those younger than him. To the kids who feel like certain dreams might not be in the cards for them, Scourton is proof that you can do anything.
“I want to go play in the NFL, and I want to be really good,” Scourton said. “Really, just get everything I can, opportunities, not only for me, but for my family. To get into business, be really good at football, meet a lot of people, come back and make an impact on my communities. Just be that leader and try to create change for the kids in Bryan, kids in East Texas, like [that] they can do it, because I can.”
As for the Aggie-Longhorn showdown, Scourton’s mindset on the field remains the same: “Destroy the person in front of me, and have fun while doing it,” Scourton said.
Ditching burnt orange for maroon
In a city synonymous with Longhorn pride, an increasing number of students are trading burnt orange for maroon, choosing Texas A&M over the University of Texas.
With tensions rising ahead of the highly anticipated football game, players will face off on the field for the first time since 2011. Students raised in Austin or from a family of proud Longhorns are making the unconventional decision to become Aggies. A&M undergraduates share personal stories, motives and experiences that led them to embrace the Aggie Spirit. Longhorn legacies are breaking the pattern and welcoming something new.
First-generation Aggie Miguel Loredo chose A&M after discovering the community and traditions. Having visited t.u. during middle school, he found the campus lacked the charm and excitement he sought. In contrast, his first visit to A&M revealed a college town atmosphere, where he says that A&M defines College Station. The political science junior was one of three students that came to A&M. With his involvement in organizations like Fish Camp, a first-year student experience, he was able to form friendships.
“Nothing caught my attention about UT, I knew I wanted to go somewhere else,” Loredo said. “The first time coming to campus, I ended up liking it so much more because overall, how A&M is built really is a college town and you can see where campus ends unlike UT where half of it is downtown.”
When choosing to decide between the two universities, Loredo also considered the best financial option as a first-generation college student. He is a Regent Scholar and highlights the best resources A&M offers, including scholarships, safe transportation and housing. Loredo said most of his friends from t.u. had to live with their families because living near campus is costly.
“If you hop on the Austin metro bus, you will most likely be sitting next to strangers who also live downtown,” Loredo said.
Despite a family legacy at t.u., including a father who was a professor, ag leadership & development junior Mia Broyles chose A&M after experiencing
Story by Maryhelen Guerrero, Staff Writer
its welcoming environment. She felt A&M’s slower pace and stronger sense of community
“Life is a lot faster [at t.u.] whereas at A&M everything is centered on its culture and there’s more time to soak in and appreciate [the college town],” Broyles said.
Broyles, a leadership and development major, wasn’t familiar with A&M traditions initially, until she joined communities such as Fish Camp and a Freshman Leadership Organization called FAST, Freshman Aggies Spreading Tradition. Her connections there led to friendships, connections and current roommate arrangements.
“I was in Houston the other day wearing an A&M shirt and three people stopped me and were like ‘Do you go to A&M?’ and they were all older, and I said ‘yes’ and they talked about how much they loved the university,” Broyles said.
Now that both schools are in the SEC, she finds the rivalry even more exciting.
Senior Ben Scott chose A&M despite growing up as a Longhorn. With a passion for engineering and a desire for a new experience from Austin, he was drawn to A&M’s larger campus and community. Financial considerations also played a role as the university offered lower tuition. While
his family has deep roots at t.u., he felt no animosity in his decision and said his family respects A&M as a reputable institution, despite the friendly rivalry and jokes at family gatherings.
“There’s a lot on the line coming in November, but it’s all friendly banter,” Scott said.
Scott appreciates that A&M accepts more students and the scale of its academic programs which provide diverse opportunities.
“Having an engineering program that has 25,000 students is crazy,” Scott said. “But at the same time, they do make you feel like a student in your major which is impressive to do with so many students.”
Scott believes the loyalty of the 12th Man where nearly half the stadium is filled with students that create a strong sense of community among fans who show up to support the university.
“The environment is based on how the team is playing [at t.u.], but the environment [here] is not based on how the Aggies are doing, it’s based on how much we love our team no matter how they are doing and that’s been so apparent,” Scott said.
Although Loredo, Broyles and Scott come from different families, they all agree on one thing: we must BTHO t.u.
Photo by Jackson Stanley, The Battalion Photographer
Saturday, Nov. 23
11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Legends Event Center
$5 admission
Thursday, Dec. 5
5:30 – 9 p.m.
Sue Haswell Memorial Park
Saturday, Dec. 7
Noon – 3 p.m.
Travis Fields in Travis Bryan Midtown Park
Thursday, Dec. 12
5 – 9 p.m., parade starts at 7 p.m.
Historic Downtown Bryan
OFF STILL SAWING 'EM
The rivalry beyond the gridiron
Story by Ian Curtis, The Battalion Features Editor
When Texas A&M and Texas take to the gridiron at Kyle Field on Nov. 30, it will mark the return of one of the nation’s biggest football rivalries — and one that this year has major playoff and Southeastern Conference implications.
But it will not mark the return of the rivalry in all of its forms. In the 13 years since Justin Tucker’s 40-yard field goal and A&M’s move to the SEC marked the end of the annual football series, the intensity has only grown with each meeting between the two schools.
Especially in just about every non-NCAA competition you can imagine — from the rugby pitch, to soccer fields and even the racetrack.
“The other team wants to kill you just as much as you want to kill them,”environmental design senior and men’s rugby player Rodrigo Munoz-Ledo said. “The rivalry is 100% there. They understand that we're there to put on the show, and they're there to switch up the role … When you play UT, it’s a whole nother animal.”
As a senior, Munoz-Ledo has played against the Longhorns four times and not lost once — something he puts on his list of his proudest moments as an athlete.
“I've had the fortune of being able to play rugby all over the world,” Munoz-Ledo said. “I’ve been able to play in Spain and New Zealand … but I can say that one of my biggest achievements is not losing to UT, because that’s one thing we’ve always been proud of. We always put our heads together and we always put on a little magic for the UT game, because we know how much it matters to our fans.”
For club sports like the men’s rugby and men’s soccer, the crowds at Penberthy Rec Sports Complex may not match the size of other venues — but both can count on the Texas game to be a fun environment, no matter what.
“Whether it's a home game where we play at A&M or it's away where we play in Austin, it's an incredible environment,” supply chain management senior and men’s soccer captain Cedric Van Der Donckt said. “That's also the game where we get the most fans out of all our games. There's over 100 people on the sidelines. It just means a lot, and a lot more to us for that game specifically.”
And it's those fans — the ones who may not be familiar with the different clubs sports programs but will show up to see the Aggies face the Longhorns in just about anything — that make the games special.
“That was one of the biggest crowds we've ever had, just in terms of people just showing up and just being absolutely rowdy about it,” Munoz-Ledo said. “People really came out
because they saw we were playing against UT. And I mean, all of them said the same thing at the end. It was like, ‘Oh my goodness, thank you for telling me about this.’”
That rivalry sets the tone of the year for the men’s soccer program, Van Der Donckt said.
“Our ability to beat Texas, I feel like that defines our season,” Van Der Donckt said. “If we lose to them, we often see our season as a failure. But if we're able to win, it's a great achievement for us as a club.”
The intensity between the two schools stretches far beyond the confines of Penberthy and into the academic world as well. Just look at A&M’s chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
A&M SAE competes in several competitions that involve designing, building and driving their own vehicles, from single-seater formula cars to baja buggies. As one of the state’s leading programs along with Texas, the opportunity to compete for an engineering crown is a challenge the organization is eager to take on.
“It's one thing with athletics, but [SAE] gives the whole school almost dominance in every aspect,” mechanical engineering senior and A&M SAE president Phillip Bertschy said. “ … When it comes to our project and the academics and the engineering involved with that, we're building a better car. We're building the faster car. I think it puts us on the map, and it shows that, engineering wise, we're doing something right.”
Bertschy says the A&M program operates with less resources than their Texas competition — which makes the victories over the Longhorns all the more sweeter.
“We shouldn't be beating them,” Bertschy said. “They operate on higher budgets than us. They have more people on their teams, they have bigger shop spaces, they have some better shop times and whatnot. They have a lot more resources than us, and we’re still beating them. Sometimes that gets lost because we’re so dominant.”
And as the football game returns to College Station this season, Bertschy hopes that the tone SAE and other programs have set over the decade-plus hiatus extends to the gridiron.
“I hope that our success on the engineering side of things can hopefully push over into the athletic side of things,” Bertschy said. “That goes back to the sense of ‘I believe we’re the better school entirely.’ I have a lot of pride. I love A&M and it’s good to see us winning and beating them because they do get a lot of recognition when I feel like we should be the ones getting recognized.”
Photo by Laura McClintock, Photo Director
Longhorn Nation is excited to renew our storied rivalry, now in the SEC!
We look forward to a great game!
HOOK ’EM!
The Biggest Rivalry In The State Is Back
To mark the occasion, Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin are hosting a friendly giving challenge leading up to the big game. Make a gift to the school of your choice before Saturday, November 30. The university with the most gifts before midnight Central on Friday, November 29 wins the challenge!
No matter which side you support, every dollar donated is making a difference. Gifts made as part of this challenge will go to directly to help support the respective schools. And after you give, follow along at Rivalry-Challenge.com to see who comes out on top!
An overview of notorious, famed Texas A&M Midnight Yell
By Ben Wells General Sports Reporter
When people hear the words “Texas A&M” or “Aggie,” the distinctiveness of the school’s culture is often what first comes to mind. Regardless of how a person feels about the team, no one can take away the uniqueness of their traditions and heritage. The famed Texas A&M Midnight Yell is a one-of-a-kind tradition found nowhere else in college athletics.
The Midnight Yell is arguably the most beloved and iconic tradition for the Aggie faithful. Every Friday night before a home football game on Saturday, over 25,000 Aggies head to the east grandstands of Kyle Field. There, at the direction of the Yell Leaders, Aggies practice yells, sing along to the Aggie War Hymn and listen to sto ries from the senior Yell Leaders who tell the people at the field how the team will defeat their opponent the next day.
No one knows who first started the tradition.
Much like the
story of Bevo and how he got his name, there are a series of rumors and myths about who created the Midnight Yell. One of the leading theories is that Peanut Owens, a cadet who lived in Puryear Hall on Texas A&M’s campus, created it. However, nobody truly knows if it was Owens’ idea, or if his dorm was simply the place where someone suggested that the freshmen line up on the steps of the YMCA building to practice yells at midnight. The yell moved to Kyle Field a few years later.
Now, the Midnight Yell is 93 years old. Yelling and yell practice was instituted back in 1913, but the Midnight Yell wasn’t born until 18 years later, in 1931.
Typically, after fans have all filed into the stadium, the ritual begins with a deafening cannon blast from Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Then, a Yell Leader, typically a senior, spends a few minutes giving some words of encouragement to the crowd. They’ll talk about their opponent and find ways to poke fun at them. Given the sheer size of the event, and the prestige of the Yell Leaders, this teasing is relatively light-hearted.
Then the true show begins. Led by the Yell Leaders, Aggie fans do their yells. Many of these yells are over a century old and have been performed at every Midnight Yell since it began.
To conclude this roughly 30-minute ceremony, the lights are dimmed for three to five seconds so the Aggies can kiss their dates.
A Yell Leader will wrap up with closing remarks, wishing the football team good fortune and farewell to the Aggie faithful.
courtesy of hannah harrison / the battalion
Students give their wildcat during Midnight Yell Practice in Kyle Field on Friday, August 31, 2024.
Former Texas holder Cade McCrary reflects on renewed Texas A&M rivalry
By Isa Almeida @atx_isa
A late night game in College Station said farewell to a century-long rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M in 2011. The Aggies were set to move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference the following year and wouldn’t face their in-state rivals for a then-unknown amount of time.
The Aggies led the game 25-24 with a little less than two minutes on the clock. Cade McCrary, a fifth-year holder for the Longhorns, stepped on the field with kicker Justin Tucker for the play that would decide the game.
“I was extremely nervous,” McCrary said. “I think we all kind of knew what that moment was. It was a 108-year-old rivalry, I believe, and that was going to be the last time we played for the foreseeable future. So we knew we wanted to go out with the wind, but I think we all knew what was riding on it.”
Kyle Field is known for being loud and energetic, but at that moment, it went silent.
“It was a small section of UT fans kind of stashed in the corner,” McCrary said. “But when that kick came off Justin’s foot and went through, it was very quiet, except for our team rushing the field.”
Texas won the game 27-25.
With A&M leading the game in the
before the winning kick, Aggie fans were excited.
“It’s a wild, very energetic, exciting atmosphere,” McCrary said. “I guess that was before they did the renovations, and it was crazy loud back then. I can’t imagine what it’s like now, especially in the, I don’t know which direction is the one end zone that has the triple decks right there … if you’re down on that side of the field, it’s extremely loud, luckily for that last kick it wasn’t.”
McCrary is a good example of someone who grew up in a split family. Though he played for the Longhorns and his family moved to Austin after his dad Hardee McCrary took a job as the program’s defensive ends coach in 1998, a big part of his family wore maroon and white on Thanksgiving weekend.
If the game was in Austin, his house was crowded. If it was in College Station, he would take the two-hour trip and stay with some family.
“It was a big family event for us,” McCrary said. “And obviously, half the family was gonna be disappointed, and I was gonna be super happy.”
Not every Texas fan has a background so closely related to the rivalry. Many students are coming from other states or even countries and are just now growing this strong connection with the Longhorns.
When asked to describe the rivalry to someone who didn’t grow up wearing burnt orange, McCrary said “fierce.”
“It’s similar to Texas-OU, but in the same breath, they’re both teams from Texas,” McCrary said. “It’s like you’re battling to be the premier team of Texas…It’s very much like the OU game. As far as you know, both teams usually have pretty good teams, and it’s a great rivalry, but it’s exciting. It’s very exciting.”
For 13 years, McCrary’s hands have been the last to touch the ball in the iconic rivalry.
episodes every week, October 18–December 13
about the origins of the rivalry, key players and predictions for the future as the teams play in the SEC. Expect banter, player analysis, divided households, southern game day spirit and adrenaline-pumped college traditions. Hosts from both schools will take players through the history, the challenges and achievements, the conferences, traditions, standout players and coaches, and what to expect looking ahead.
elisabeth dillon / the daily texan file
THE LAST GAME
By Miles Schuk Ehler @milesinmedia
On Nov. 24, 2011, Texas and Texas A&M faced off in a thrilling final matchup before the Aggies’ departure from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference. At Kyle Field, the Lone Star Showdown culminated in a narrow victory for the Longhorns over their rivals from College Station, with a final score of 27-25.
The Aggies, led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill and a roaring home crowd, struck quickly in the first quarter.
On their first drive, Tannehill threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Ben Malena, taking an early 7-0 lead. Shortly after, A&M extended their lead when kicker Randy Bullock drilled a 49yard field goal, making it 10-0 with 5:40 left in the first quarter. Another field goal drive put the Aggies up 13 in the second quarter.
In contrast to the Aggies’ early surge, the Longhorns struggled offensively. It wasn’t until midway through the second quarter that a quick spark came in the form of a trick play. Texas wide receiver Jaxon Shipley threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to tight end Blaine Irby, cutting the Aggies’ lead to 13-7 and making it a one-score game.
A&M responded before halftime with Bullock’s third field goal, a 29-yarder that increased their lead to 16-7.
The Longhorns struggled on their final drive of the half. Quarterback Case McCoy was sacked by defensive end Damontre Moore for a 6-yard loss. Then, compounding their troubles, a false start penalty on wide receiver Marquise Goodwin tacked on another 5 yards and a 10-second runoff, preventing the Longhorns from capitalizing on the time they had left before the break.
However, Texas quickly made up for their mistakes in the first half.
The Aggies’ opening drive was cut short by Longhorn cornerback Carrington Byndom. Intercepting Tannehill’s pass, Byndom returned for a 58-yard touchdown, bringing the Longhorns within two points at 16-14. Shortly after, Texas capitalized on a stalled A&M drive and kicker Justin Tucker nailed a 23-yard field goal, giving Texas its first lead at 17-16.
At the 6:53 mark in the third quarter, Tannehill threw his third interception, picked off by Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro for 24 yards. The drive was capped off by running back Cody Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown rush, putting Texas ahead 24-16.
The fourth quarter saw A&M fight back, with Bullock making his fourth field goal, a 32-yarder, and narrowing Texas’ lead to 24-19. Then, with 4:12
left, Tannehill led a clutch 68-yard drive, ending with a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeff Fuller. However, A&M’s two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Aggies ahead 25-24.
With under two minutes left, Texas responded with urgency. McCoy led the Longhorns on a determined final drive down the field. In seven plays, with the clock hitting zero, Tucker nailed a 40-yard field goal, clinching the 27-25 win and igniting jubilation amongst Longhorn fans in an unforgettable Lone Star Showdown.
Thirteen years after Tucker’s iconic 40-yard kick sealed the win, Texas still holds onto that last victory in the Lone Star Showdown. Now, as SEC rivals, the Longhorns and Aggies are set to reignite their storied battle, with Texas looking to extend the legacy Tucker’s kick preserved.
lawrence peart / the daily texan file
NOTES on the COACH
By Luke Lawhorn @ luke_lawhorn
After three straight seasons of finishing .500 or worse in the Souteastern Conference, Texas A&M decided to make a change. The Aggies replaced head coach Jimbo Fisher with former Aggies’ defensive coordinator Mike Elko last November.
Elko seemingly changed the program in one offseason. With A&M sitting on top of the SEC standings at 5–0, Elko wanted to let everyone know his team is different than years past.
“This is a real program,” Elko said following the Aggies 38-23 win over LSU on Oct. 26 “It’s not fake, it’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BS’ing everybody. This is a real program.”
Elko later clarified in his Monday press conference that the quote was not directed towards Fisher or any other former head coach, but instead how he sells the future of the program. Whether people believe it or not, there is no denying the 47-year-old coach
gets some leeway in his statements after a seven-game winning streak and being the only unbeaten team in the conference.
But how was he able to turn the program around in just one year?
His 24-year tenure in the sport was enough for A&M to hire Elko before the end of the 2023 season. After playing safety for the University of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 1998, he began his coaching career as a general assistant at Stony Brook before returning to his alma mater as a defensive backs coach in 2000.
From 2001 to 2008, Elko coached various defensive groups such as linebackers, defensive backs and special teams, and was a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Elko settled down at Bowling Green in 2009 as its defensive coordinator, staying in the program for five years.
Elko joined the Power Five level in 2014 when he took the defensive coordinator job at Wake Forest and stayed there for three seasons. He then got to learn from current LSU head coach Brian Kelly when the two were at No-
tre Dame in 2017 and finally moved to College Station to join Fisher’s staff as a defensive coordinator in 2018.
In his first four years with the Aggies, A&M finished 9–4, 8–5, 9–1 and 8–4, respectively, including three bowl wins and three seasons ranked in the College Football Playoff Poll. Elko then got his first head coaching position at Duke, a struggling program with a combined 10–25 record in the three years before Elko’s hiring. In just two years in Durham, Elko’s team went 9–4 and 8–5, respectively, and he won the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2022 before returning to the Aggies.
Elko will now get the full effect of being the Aggie head coach, as the Nov. 30 matchup between Texas and A&M is the first in 13 years. The two teams played every year between 1915 and 2011, but the annual rivalry game paused when the Aggies left the Big 12 Conference for the SEC.
The Longhorns won the last meeting, 27-25, and lead the all-time series 76–37–5.
courtesy of chris swann/the battalion and reproduced with permission
Texas students travel for Lone Star Showdown BIRTHDAY GIFTS, SENIOR TRIPS
By Lauren Hightower @llhightower
On Nov. 30, speech, language, and hearing science sophomore Sarah Gardner will celebrate her birthday in true Texas fan fashion by traveling to College Station to watch the first Lone Star Showdown in 13 years.
As a birthday gift, Gardner’s dad bought tickets for them to attend the game together.
“I told him to get them early because I was like ‘Dad, they’re just going to keep getting more expensive’ and he was like ‘No, the closer we get to the date, they’re going to go down,’” Gardner said. “And then I go home this weekend and he was like ‘Okay, I got the tickets, it hurt a little bit.’”
With both teams performing well in the Southeastern Conference and
the game marking the return of a rivalry, regular ticket prices have skyrocketed, reaching prices that are out of a typical student’s budget.
This means the majority of students must rely on getting a student ticket. While A&M students can fight for their tickets by camping overnight, Texas students are selected to get a ticket based on seniority and Longhorn Foundation status.
“I didn’t even try to get (a student ticket) because I knew I wasn’t going to,” Gardner said. “Even if we didn’t get tickets, I was probably going to go to College Station anyway because it’s so close and I have so many friends that go there.”
Gardner is from Montgomery, located around 45 minutes from College Station. Like many in-state students, Gardner has high school friends at Texas A&M who can provide her with a place to stay.
However, out-of-state students don’t usually have the same option.
“I’m from Chicago,” said journalism senior Seth Berger. “I don’t know a single soul that goes to A&M. My friends from Texas, their buddies go to A&M. But for me, I think I’m going to end up staying with a friend of a friend.”
After finding out that he was one of the few who received a student ticket, Berger switched his Thanksgiving plans, choosing to fly into Houston a few days earlier. Berger is an avid Texas football fan and has purchased the Big Ticket with Longhorn Foundation all four years of college.
“I know a lot about college football, (so) I respect the history and animosity,” Berger said. “But I’m really excited to experience it and its first game back in 13 years.”
Journalism senior Will Iger will also be traveling from out of state
to go to the game. Originally from Los Angeles, Iger switched up his Thanksgiving travel plans after learning he got a ticket to the game, planning to leave Friday night.
“It’s very special that I’ll be able to say that I went to the first game back in the SEC against A&M because of how much the rivalry means to this school and how much the football team has meant to my time here at the University of Texas,” Iger said.
As a senior, Iger has been cheering Texas football on since head coach Steve Sarkisian first arrived at the school. Although he saw a disappointing 5–7 season his freshman year, he also saw the team go to the College Football Playoff last year and reach the top spot in the polls this year.
“These moments, these games, are memories that I’ll never forget,” Iger said.
kennedy weatherby / the daily texan staff Texas student section during the first football game of the season against Colorado State on Aug. 31, 2024.
‘Aggie War Hymn’ and ‘Texas Fight’
The
songs heard across Texas
By Alistair Manliguez @alimanliguez
During collegiate sporting events for Texas and Texas A&M, students file into the stadium ready to sing their respective school’s fight songs. Both songs, “Texas Fight” and the “Aggie War Hymn,” mention the other school and the fierce rivalry.
The history of these two songs dates back to 1918, when, in the midst of World War I, Texas A&M student, James Vernon “Pinky” Wilson, wrote a song. Wilson was a member of the class of 1920 but enlisted in the Marines, finding himself writing the song while sitting in a trench during a battle in France,
according to Texas A&M Campus & Community.
“(Wilson) starts writing down some words for a song to cheer himself up and he’s remembering stuff he learned at A&M,” said Sue Owen, an A&M alumna and communications manager for the Association of Former Students, the school’s alumni organization.
When Wilson came back to finish his degree in 1920, he proposed it as a new song for the school and it was published in the student newspaper, according to Owen. The song was originally named “Goodbye to Texas University” before it eventually became the “Aggie War Hymn.”
“In 1921, our Aggie band director at the time helped him get the music down and the student body adopted it pretty much right away,” Owen said.
Two years later, the Longhorn Band debuted its song, “Texas Fight,” performing the piece at the 1923 football game versus the Aggies. “Texas Fight” is a song written by Colonel Walter S. Hunnicut and James E. King, with Longhorn Band director “Blondie” Pharr finalizing the lyrics, according to Texas Athletics.
“Texas Fight” was originally written in response to one of Texas A&M’s Aggie yells, “Farmer’s Fight.”
“The Aggies had one of the most effective and awe-inspiring songs used by any student
body anywhere, anytime,” Hunnicut wrote in a 1952 letter. “‘Farmers Fight’ at that time was their sacred college song. It occurred to me that an effective way to strike back at the Aggies was to write a ‘Texas Fight’ song in answer to their(s).”
Five years later in 1928, Wilson tried to make changes to his song. With criticism about the multiple mentions of the Longhorns in his song, Wilson wrote another verse. The new verse never caught on and while still a part of the official lyrics is not sung by the Aggies today.
“They have been trying to get us to sing these new words for nearly 100 years and we’re not taking it,” Owen said. “We
tend to hang on to our traditions around here.”
In comparison, the “Texas Fight” lyric “And it’s goodbye to A&M,” has gone under the radar.
“I don’t think most Aggies know that the lyrics of ‘Texas Fight’ refer to Texas A&M,” Owen said. “It’s a surprise to Aggies when they hear it.”
The two songs remain a tradition for both schools and after a 13-year hiatus of neither school playing each other, the two songs will finally be heard at the same football game.
“I think it will be interesting to see these two schools sing these songs that refer to each other, actually sing them at each other,” Owen said.
kennedy weatherby / the daily texan staff
A Longhorn Band member yells ahead of Texas’ game against Mississippi State on Sept. 28, 2024.
LONE STAR SHOWDOWN SINCE FOOTBALL RIVALRY ENDED
By Ansley Denison @ansleydenison
Although Texas A&M’s announced departure from the Big 12 in 2011 marked an end to their routine rivalry against Texas, other NCAA sports kept the in-state competition alive in ongoing postseason matchups.
In their first showdown in almost a decade, Texas soccer reunited with Texas A&M in the 2019 NCAA tournament opening round, falling to the Aggies in a 4-1 loss. The Longhorns claimed revenge after their defeat during the 2022 NCAA tournament, this time ending A&M’s season in a 3-1 victory.
On Sept. 29, 2024, the rivals met again under the lights of Mike A. Myers Stadium for their inaugural Southeastern Conference duel. Texas, doubling down on their previous rivalry victory, sent the Aggies back to College Station with a 2-0 defeat, keeping the Lone Star Showdown trophy safe on the Forty Acres.
Graduate defensive player Lauren Lapomarda felt the anticipation surrounding the game, specifically when defending the pride of her university.
“Being the first game in Texas Athletics (since joining the SEC) to rewrite the history books makes it even more special,” Lapomarda said.
On the field, Lapomarda and graduate midfielder Hannah Waesch faced old high school teammates in front of a record crowd of 3,140 people.
“If playing against your old club buddies didn’t (change the atmosphere), the crowd definitely did,” Waesch said. “Seriously, the amount of support we received was special. The environment was absolutely electric and it just goes to show that everyone buys into the rivalry.”
Texas volleyball faced the Aggies for the second time this season on Oct. 23, losing their 11-year win streak against their in-state rivals.
The Longhorns lost their footing in the fifth set through repeated attacking errors, falling to the Aggies with a 16-18 final score. Texas leads in overall wins, 65–24, since their first matchup in 1976.
For Texas softball, the Aggies never disappeared from their yearly play, with the two teams having matched up 14 times in competition play since 2011.
The Longhorns lead their extended series with a 26–23 win-loss record.
Their recent clash during the 2024 NCAA Austin Super Regional Championship on May 26 resulted in the Longhorns’ entry into the Women’s College World Series, where they earned runner-up against Oklahoma University.
“Not only was (the rivalry game) fun, but it helped bond our team together to
lean on each other when it got hard and fight for each other and our end goal,” said sophomore outfielder Kayden Henry. “It ultimately made us better for the World Series.”
The teams renewed their rivalry on Oct. 18 in College Station, with A&M setting the tone of their incoming spring season with a 12-6 victory. The teams face off again in 2025 for conference play.
“It’s an opportunity to prove ourselves against a strong opponent and to add another chapter to the Texas-A&M rivalry,” said junior pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez.
MONEY’S NO OBJECT FOR REVIVAL OF LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
By Nicholas Kingman General Sports Reporter
The animosity between the Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns has never truly fizzled out of the hearts and minds of the two Texas schools. Ending its 13-year hiatus, the state’s premier college football rivalry will make its grand return this Nov. 30 in College Station. So, what’s the price tag going to be to bear witness to a piece of Texas history? Well, it’s going to cost an arm, a leg and probably a couple of pints of plasma. Tickets to the 119th meeting and return of the Lone Star Showdown are the most expensive of any game this college football season.
According to SeatGeek, Texas A&M Athletics’ preferred ticketing partner, the lowest-priced ticket costs around $622 as of Oct. 14. The ticket is for a seat in section 411 at Kyle Field, the nosebleeds at the largest stadium in the Southeastern Conference.
For almost the price of a semester’s worth of tuition at the University of Texas, the best seat in the house is for sale
in the Legacy Club. Located right on the 50-yard line, this $3,292 ticket places you right in the center of the action and offers catered food.
These are no doubt eye-watering numbers. To put them into perspective, the cheapest ticket for the Nov. 2 matchup between No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State is a meager $203, with the most expensive ticket priced at $892.
But a ranked Lone Star Showdown doesn’t happen often. From 1970 to the most recent matchup in 2011, Texas and Texas A&M have only met as ranked teams eight times, with 1975 marking the only time both schools were in the top five.
With Texas primed to compete for one of the top spots this season and the Aggies on a steady rise every week in the AP poll, the occasion is projected to be one of the highest-ranked matchups in the series’ history.
This year also marks the first season of the new 12-team College Football Playoff, widening the playing field from just the top four teams. Both teams, having started their seasons well, are looking to have their shot at holding the National Championship trophy in January.
Like similar end-of-season rivalry games, the Lone Star Showdown has always proven to be a big deal regardless of the teams’ success during the season. The winner of the game
will not only get the right to claim instate supremacy, but there may also be implications for the SEC championship and a bid to the College Football Playoff.
tamir kalifa / the daily texan file
kennedy weatherby / the daily texan staff
ICONIC GAMES OF THE LONE STAR SHOWDOWN
By Sophia Sandoval @sophiasandovall
The last meeting between Texas and Texas A&M before the Aggies moved to the Southeastern Conference was an instant classic.
After a failed two-point conversion by the Aggies, the Longhorns trailed by just one point with under two minutes left in the game. The pressure was on quarterback Case McCoy to drive the ball downfield with limited time in a hostile environment. On the sixth play of the drive, McCoy ran for 25 yards into Aggie territory, but the Texas offense couldn’t execute on third down. The game was suddenly in the hands of kicker Justin Tucker. For the final play of the rivalry, Tucker drilled a 40-yard field goal to win the game. The excited Longhorns ran out onto the field while the home crowd stood in the stands in silence. Tucker became an instant legend, and the image of that final play
is etched into the minds of fans on both sides.
It was the last memory that both programs share of each other, but that will change on Nov. 30.
In honor of the return of the Lone Star Showdown, here is a look at the most iconic games from the historic rivalry.
1963: Texas 15, Texas A&M 13
Most of the games for that weekend’s college football slate were canceled due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy just six days prior. President Kennedy was scheduled to give a speech on the Forty Acres the night before the game, but the Longhorns and Aggies still played their annual game as the nation mourned. The stakes couldn’t have been higher for the Longhorns, who came into the matchup undefeated and the topranked team in the country.
Texas A&M led Texas 13-3 entering the fourth quarter. Just when it looked like the Aggies were about to pull off a legendary upset, a costly fumble gave
the Longhorns the momentum to score two consecutive touchdowns to win the game. Texas secured its first-ever national championship in program history with the victory.
1998: Texas 26, Texas A&M 24
In Mack Brown’s inaugural year as head coach, Texas was the underdog going into the matchup, as Texas A&M was 10–2 and the No. 6 ranked team in the country. Heisman frontrunner and eventual winner, Ricky Williams, rushed for 259 yards, overwhelming the Aggie defense. The Longhorns had a 23–7 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Aggies scored 17 points that went unanswered and took a one-point lead.
With around two minutes left in the game, the Texas offense drove the ball 70 yards downfield, securing the win with a field goal that stopped the Aggies from completing a comeback for the history books.
1999: Texas A&M 20, Texas 16
On Nov. 18, just eight days before the matchup, an unfathomable tragedy struck the Aggie community.
During the annual “Aggie Bonfire” tradition, the bonfire stack collapsed and killed 12 students. There were talks of canceling the game, but both university officials agreed to play the game as scheduled. A sense of unity and grief permeated throughout Kyle Field, also amongst Texas fans. It was one year when the two teams disregarded their bitter rivalry to mourn at each other’s side. Texas held the lead going into the fourth quarter until Aggie quarterback Randy McCown lobbed a pass 14 yards into the hands of Matt Bumgardner for the game-winning touchdown. The Texas offense tried to come back on the next drive, but cornerback Jay Brooks forced quarterback Major Applewhite to fumble the football, which was recovered by Aggie linebacker Brian Gamble to ensure the victory. After the recovery, Gamble fell onto the ground with tears in his eyes, looking up and pointing to the sky. The win was no doubt healing for the Aggies.
elisabeth dillon / the daily texan file
TexasA&M’s102-year-oldproudtradition
By Ryan Hopper @ryan_hopper31
As the saying goes, “Everything is bigger in Texas.” Football in the Lone Star State is no different. Bigger stadiums, boosters with deeper pockets, fierce rivalries and perhaps most importantly, a myriad of traditions over a century old that tie them all together.
Despite the rivalry between the state’s two flagship institutions lying dormant since their current undergraduate students were in elementary school due to conference realignment, the passion and traditions of each fanbase has never wavered.
Texas recently set its attendance record with 105,215 Longhorn fans packing Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a 30-15 loss to Georgia on Oct. 19. A&M has eclipsed that figure at least six times, including when 108,852 Aggie fans filed into Kyle Field for the team’s 38-23 victory over No. 8 LSU on Oct. 26.
The origins of “The 12th Man” date back to 1922, when A&M played
Centre College, then the top ranked team in the nation.
With the Aggies having a depleted bench, E. King Gill, a basketball player who had previously played football for A&M, was told to get in uniform in case the team needed him. The Aggies upset Centre College 22-14 with Gill, the team’s sole available reserve player, standing on the sidelines wearing the number 12.
Over a century later, Gill’s story continues to inspire the nearly 37,000-strong A&M student section to stand for the entire game no matter the score, said Texas A&M Traditions Council Chair Josie Adams.
“If I sit down at a game, someone will yell at me to get up,” Adams said.
Despite being a first-generation Aggie from Montgomery, Texas, Adams said she integrated herself into the A&M community by understanding its founding principles as one of the nation’s six senior military colleges.
Fans wave their 12th Man towels during Texas A&M’s game against LSU at Kyle Field on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.
“The Corps (of Cadets), now with almost 3,000 people, is so strong and such a visible sign of our culture, it just makes our game days so incredible,” Adams said. “I love to view them as leaders of Aggie spirit, leaders of our culture (and) what we believe in.”
courtesy of chris swann/the battalion
The highest-ranking officer in the Corps of Cadets is a rough collie named Reveille, who serves as an icon at A&M akin to Bevo for the University of Texas.
“It’s so funny to think that you have these seniors in the Corps, and she has more rights and privileges than they do, but everyone loves her,” Adams said. “I think that she represents the Aggie Spirit. They’ll put her on the jumbotron at games, and everyone just starts screaming.”
Adams and former A&M employee Kim Novak said while the Aggie spirit is paramount to A&M’s athletics, it extends far beyond school pride — it’s how Aggies strive to treat others.
“Texas fans aren’t gonna have to worry about walking into a local restaurant before or after the game and having people curse at them and call them names,” Novak said. “That just doesn’t happen.”
For the first time in 13 years, thousands of Texas fans will experience Texas A&M’s storied traditions and see the Aggie spirit firsthand when Texas plays Texas A&M on Nov. 30 in the teams’ inaugural Southeastern Conference matchup.
REALIGNMENT AND REIGNITION OF THE RIVALRY
By Anna Ambrose @annaambrose13
The storied Texas versus Texas A&M football rivalry reigned supreme in the lone star state from 1915 to 2011. Now that the Longhorns have joined the Aggies in the Southeastern Conference, the feud is officially back.
There are many reasons Texas A&M left the Big 12 Conference in July 2012, but specifics are often murky. Why did the Aggies depart the Big 12 and why did Texas join back up with them in the SEC?
In 2011, Missouri and Texas A&M were still a part of the Big 12, but both schools were unsure of the conference’s future and wanted to go to a bigger market. Then, on Jan. 19, 2011, ESPN announced the “Longhorn Network,” a channel and a $300 million deal over the next 20 years that would showcase Texas sports at all times.
DeLoss Dodds, the Texas athletic director at the time, had called up Texas A&M’s athletic director, Bill Byrne, to propose the idea of going in on the network together. But Byrne declined, perhaps with a certain comment DeLoss Dodds once made about his view of Texas’ dominance ringing in his ears: “We don’t keep up with Joneses. We are the Joneses.”
Texas later announced that the Longhorn Network would broadcast high school football games, which sparked controversy about whether this would give the Longhorns a recruiting advantage.
“The Big 12 made a rule and the NCAA made a rule that that couldn’t happen,” said Texas’ advertising and public relations lecturer Joel Lulla, who worked in the sports media industry for over 30 years. “I think that particular item … made A&M set their hair on fire, and they said ‘That’s the last straw. We’re out.’”
The contention between the two schools laid a foundation for Texas A&M to get into a separate conference from Texas and make a name for themselves. So, in Sept. 2011, the Aggies officially announced their move to the SEC.
Texas and Texas A&M met for what was thought to be the final football matchup on Nov. 24, 2011. After a last-second field goal by Justin Tucker, the Longhorns came out on top 27-25.
However, the rivalry was simply paused, not ended, on that autumn night in College Station.
Texas’ decision to join the SEC leaked on July 21, 2021. Three years later, the Longhorns began their debut season, rejoining the Aggies in arguably the most dominant conference in college football.
That’s one of the reasons the Longhorns left the Big 12. Texas felt a bigger stage for the growth the football program has seen since head coach Steve Sarkisian joined the staff is just what the school needed.
Now the Longhorn and Aggie football rivalry will reignite when Texas travels to Kyle Field in College Station to take on A&M in a game that is 13 years in the making.
What’s at stake in College Station this year? It might just be everything
By
Those who didn’t grow up in Texas may not know just how much the Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry means. It might just be the one thing Longhorns and Aggies can agree on: their rivalry is the best inthe state.
Growing up outside of Texas, people associate the Longhorns with the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma while Texas A&M serves as the Lone Star representative for the best conference in college football. These two teams were always talked about together, but never faced off in any sport.
No matter where these two teams are in the college football world, the energy will not change. That’s why it may even be silly to ask the question: ‘What’s at stake for this game?’
The beauty of this game, more than almost any other in the rest of the college football world, is that the rest of the world does not matter. For the past few ‘The Game’ matchups in the North, Michigan and Ohio State had parameters set up when heading into the game. The winner plays in the Big Ten championship and likely in the College Football Playoff. Even the Iron Bowl, another fantastic college football rivalry, has recently been seen through the lens of, ‘Can Auburn upset the mighty Crimson Tide?’
None of these questions will matter come Nov. 30. This game encapsulates what makes people love college football. For three long hours in the night, all that matters to an entire stadium, two fanbases, and, in this case, an entire state, is right in front of you.
But there still have to be some answers to the question of what is at stake.
First, pride is the number one motivator and piece of the human psyche that is on the line. Texas fans have held the Lone Star Showdown win in 2011 over their friends, coworkers and family for 13 years now. This year, A&M finally has a chance to take those bragging rights home. This is also showcased in other sports. The two teams split this season’s volleyball matchups, something that could’ve gotten heated if one team was doubly victorious, so there is less to work from this year. But in baseball, the Aggies were able to throw a ‘Horns down’ sign and ride the wave of pride after winning all but one of the two teams’ last seven matchups, most recently eliminating the Longhorns from the NCAA tournament in the 2024 College Station Regional.
However, what players should focus most on is the legacy they represent. It’s almost certain Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will bring in Longhorn heroes such as Justin Tucker and Colt McCoy, while Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will have seminars featuring Cyrus Gray, the hero of its last win against the Longhorns.
This game will be immeasurably special for the players involved, a group of individuals bringing a piece of history back to an entire state. Who even cares about possible implications on the College Football Playoff or SEC standings? What’s at stake is the honor of representing the winning side of the Lone Star Showdown.
Evan Vieth @ evanvieth
kennedy weatherby / the daily texan staff Head coach Steve Sarkisian during Texas’ game against Vanderbilt on Oct. 26, 2024.
The return of Lone Star Showdown brings new challenges to new generation of Texas football players
By Lindsey Plotkin @lindseyplot
It’s been 13 years since these two schools last met on the football field. Since Justin Tucker’s kick sailed through the uprights in College Station, absolutely no love, or maybe hatred, has been lost between Texas and Texas A&M.
The rest of the Southeastern Conference schools almost unanimously voted for Texas and Oklahoma to move to the SEC. Texas A&M didn’t initially vote for Texas, but changed its mind once they learned the Lone Star Showdown would return to Kyle Field for the first time as an SEC matchup.
Finally, after Texas’ and Oklahoma’s move to the SEC was announced in 2021, it is time for the Lone Star Showdown’s return. And the game couldn’t have more hype. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows how much this rivalry means to everyone.
“Well, it’s a great game,” Sarkisian said. “It’s a game, like I said, that divides households and one that our players are way more excited for than most fans would probably (be) because we haven’t played the game in a while.”
Sarkisian is right, the players are more excited than ever. His quarterback, junior Quinn Ewers, is one of them. Ewers, like many, grew up a Longhorns fan. Though the rivalry ended when he was young, his family made sure he knew the importance of the game.
“I think I was 8 (for the last game), but hearing stories from my family
and my dad, my dad actually said he believed growing up that the Texas A&M game was bigger than the Red Rivalry game,” Ewers said. “I’m excited to have that game back and it’s going to be cool, especially going to Kyle Field Thanksgiving weekend and that place is going to be rockin’. We’re all fired up for it.”
Ewers has played on the biggest stages and won big games. But this will be a new challenge. Kyle Field is the largest stadium in the SEC and is known to be one of the loudest in the country.
As expected, Texas will need to bring its A-game to College Station on Nov. 30. Though Texas has already played one rivalry game this year, the Texas and Texas A&M rivalry is more personal for some. It’s an in-state rivalry and many players on each team grew up together.
“The majority of the players on our two rosters probably went on visits together at, if not one school, both schools, and one guy chose Texas and one guy chose A&M,” Sarkisian said. In Texas’ first season in the SEC, Texas A&M fans have been quick to criticize Texas for its performance, especially after the loss to Georgia. Texas has held bragging rights over Texas A&M’s head for 13 years, but now there will be a real space for the two teams to hash it out — the gridiron, specifically Kyle Field.
On Nov. 30, neither team’s prior history will matter. When the ball is kicked off in the rivalry, the Longhorns and Aggies will spend the next 60 minutes fighting for bragging rights and maybe more.
THE TEXAS HEX RALLY
Cursing out the competition
By Henry Hipschman @HenryHipschman5
Texas and Texas A&M will once again become seasonal opponents as Texas joins the Southeastern Conference this season. It is a storied rivalry, one full of incredible plays, crazy storylines – and even the mystical arts. Most teams rely on a lot of skill and a little luck, but Longhorn fans used to make their own luck during rivalry week when the school held the Hex Rally.
Understanding what the Hex Rally is requires a step back in time to 1941, when Texas relied on not just practice to win football games, but some magic as well.
Unable to go another year of losing the Thanksgiving game, and
worse yet, facing a Texas A&M team that was undefeated, some Texas students took it upon themselves to try and secure the win.
To turn the tide, these students paid a visit to a local fortune teller named Madam Augusta Hipple. Hipple, a janitor at Texas at the time and a self-proclaimed psychic, told these students if they burned red candles a week before the game, they would place a hex on the Aggies. The students, desperate to break the Aggie winning streak, did just that.
A week later when the Longhorns took on Texas A&M, Texas came out on top 23-0, and a tradition was born.
Hex Rallies became a part of Thanksgiving games for years to come. Though it was less consistent
in the 1960s and ’70s, it made its resurgence again in the 1980s and carried on.
The Rally often went beyond football and became a point of connection between the two schools. In 1999, when Texas A&M’s bonfire collapse killed 12 people and injured 27 more, the Hex Rally looked different. Longhorns stood with their Texas A&M counterparts, burning white candles instead of red. In 2002, when Aggie freshman defensive lineman Brandon Fails passed away, the rally was canceled.
The Thanksgiving game tradition carried on until 2011, the last year Texas played Texas A&M before the Aggies moved to the SEC. Despite the athletic department holding a couple of rallies in the years that fol-
lowed, interest quickly declined and eventually, the Hex Rally was discontinued. John Bianco, senior associate Athletics Director of Communications, said that the rally will not be returning to the Forty Acres this season.
As Thanksgiving quickly approaches and anticipation heightens over this increasingly suspenseful matchup, Longhorn Nation will see whether or not the Longhorns could have used a little paranormal help on the gridiron on Nov. 30.
pu ying huang/the daily texan file
Texas must prepare for challenging clash against skilled A&M Aggies’ Resurgence
By Katie Borchetta @katie_borchetta
Texas football and Texas A&M football will reunite in the same conference and meet for the first time in over a decade on Nov. 30. Despite the Longhorns leading the all-time record 76–37–5, Texas A&M may give Texas a run for its money on this one.
A&M has steadily climbed the rankings this season and as of week 10, is ranked 10th in the AP Poll and is sitting at 7–1 overall and 5–0 in SEC play — a marked improvement from last season’s 7–6 record and 4–4 SEC performance. This newfound edge largely comes from new head coach Mike Elko. In contrast to former head coach Jimbo Fisher, who compiled a 45–25 record over six sea-
sons but failed to meet high expectations, Elko brings a fresh approach.
“We back up our actions,” Elko said. “We’re very honest. We’re very open. And this is a real program. It’s not fake,” Elko said. “It’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BS-ing everybody.”
Despite a season-opening 23-13 loss to then-No. 7 Notre Dame, the Aggies adapted and now remain the only unbeaten team in SEC play. Their Oct. 26 game against then-No. 8 LSU was particularly telling. As underdogs at Kyle Field, trailing 17-7 at halftime, Elko and new offensive coordinator Collin Klein made a crucial decision to bench sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman in favor of freshman Marcel Reed.
Under Reed, the offense finally found success and con-
sistency, scoring on its next five drives and finishing the game off 38-23.
“We just felt like we needed a spark, and we pulled the trigger and went with (Reed) and what a spark he gave us,” Elko said after the win.
With this game in mind, it is also likely that Texas will face Reed, if not both quarterbacks, in their matchup at the end of November. Weigman has been a solid attribute for the offense, coming in as a top-30 recruit in the 2022 class and the No. 1 pocket passer according to ESPN. Reed, on the other hand, has shown to be a threat in both the run and pass games. The Texas defense has struggled at times with quarterbacks who can extend plays, so this will be an area of concern.
Another factor in Texas’ preparation will be A&M’s defense. Texas dominated early-season opponents, facing minimal resistance outside of Michigan. But when it encountered a defense like Georgia’s, the Longhorn offense faltered and was unable to establish any type of momentum down the field.
The Aggies, while excelling offensively, have had an impressive defensive run. As of week 10, they sit 16th in the nation for prevention of third-down conversions (31.25%) and 19th in points allowed per game.
Although Texas’ defense ranks first in points allowed, the Longhorn offense must be prepared for A&M’s defensive pressure.
On top of all this, the rivalry
game is set at Kyle Field, the most difficult stadium to play college football. The largest stadium in the SEC will be filled with loud Aggie fans, swinging their white towels in an attempt to distract the Longhorns, so Texas will need to bring its A-game in all phases to outmaneuver a both skilled and confident Aggie squad.
courtesy of adriano espinosa/the battalion and reproduced with permission Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) lifted during Texas A&M’s game against LSU at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
TICKET CHALLENGES Longhorn students struggle to enter Aggieland
By Zach Davis @zachary_davis_
In a year filled with success for Longhorn football, the students of the University of Texas have been less fortunate with getting a football ticket.
The secret to success? Experiencewith the Longhorn Foundation add-on.
The Longhorn Foundation is a key component in the success of being granted a football ticket this year. Students who want first dibs on games must add another $100 to the already $200 Big Ticket. The Longhorn Foundation was $25 just three years ago, but with Texas
football’s recent success and the increased demand for the Big Ticket, the Longhorn Foundation price has skyrocketed four-fold.
The UT students who were awarded a seat for the Texas A&M game seem to have been subscribed to not just the Big Ticket, but also the Longhorn Foundation for all four years. Robert Gonsoulin, a senior journalism major at the University of Texas, checks those boxes.
“There are a lot of people I know in my grade who have gone here with me all four years who haven’t gotten an A&M ticket,” Gonsoulin said. “For most of those Zpeople, from
what I heard, there was a year they didn’t buy the Longhorn Foundation.”
Texas A&M and its famous “12th Man” seats over 102,000 fans. With over 53,000 season ticket holders and over 39,000 student tickets being sold this year, there is room for just a little over 10,000 tickets to be handed out for visitor fans and single game tickets. For most Big Ticket and Longhorn Foundation holders, that math does not work in their favor.
Jeffrey Kapilivsky, a senior studying economics at UT with three years of the Longhorn Foundation under his belt, got the short side of the stick.
“I was quite shocked,” Kapilivsky said. “I thought it was pretty guaranteed I was going to get it assuming I’m a senior and had been at this school and gone to every game and haven’t missed one, but you know, luck of the draw.”
Kapilivsky still plans on attending the game with his girlfriend by getting a
ticket off of SeatGeek, which are currently going for a minimum of $711 without the extra fees.
While some students who couldn’t get a ticket are still hopeful about attending, the rising costs and scarce availability have made it a challenging year for many loyal Longhorn fans.
kennedy weatherby / the daily texan staff Fans entering Gate 1 at Darrell K Royal Stadium ahead of Texas’ game against Georgia on Oct. 19, 2024.
The Lonestar Rivalry can split families down the middle — for this family, the roots run deep
By Meaghan English @meaghanienglish
The rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M is a feud that extends far beyond the lines of the football field, and even further beyond either campus. Few college football rivalries can pit family and friends against one another the way that the Longhorn-Aggie rivalry can.
For the Daniell family, that tension goes back for generations. With hellbent Longhorns and Aggies on either side, Thanksgiving dinner is often seen as a clash of clans.
“It’s when the aunt throws the remote across the room,” said Emma Daniell, a junior government student at the University of Texas.
The immediate Daniell family is a self-proclaimed Longhorn family. Susanna and Greg Daniell, Emma’s parents, met as students at Texas. Greg’s history with Texas goes back five generations and features a colorful history. He even claims that his great-grandfather, David Antonio Frank, was one of three Daily Texan editors to give the Longhorns their name in 1903.
“You can find his first article where he referred to them as the Texas Longhorns,” Greg said. “And they did that for a couple of years until it caught on.”
Susanna knew that it was Texas for her from the beginning — even though her older sister, Mary Rosenburg, went to Texas A&M. Over one particular summer, she even stayed with her sister in College Station and took summer classes at A&M, while Mary studied for her PhD.
Before Emma attended Texas, her older sister Maddie followed in their parent’s footsteps and studied Radio-Television-Film, and worked for Texas Athletics during her undergraduate days.
When middle sister Olivia decided to go to A&M, she was unofficially declared the black sheep of the family — except on her mother’s side. After Susanna’s sister graduated from A&M, the entire family became diehard Aggies, especially with Mary’s daughter, Kate Rosenburg, attending A&M and going on to attend its law school. They were delighted at Olivia’s acceptance, even offering to pay for her coveted Aggie ring. Olivia, not as involved in Aggie traditions as her aunt and cousins, declined.
“Kate would talk to me about it and be like, ‘Are you doing this?,’ and try to encourage it,” Olivia said. “They took me out to eat and to games.”
Olivia, a senior studying international relations, doesn’t hold the same Aggie pride that the rest of her maroon-clad family does — that is until talks of the SEC brought the entire family into the room to
argue whether A&M or Texas should have taken the home field start.
“I don’t care about seniority and the SEC, we should get it back based on tradition,” Emma said.
“No it’s not, you’re restarting (the rivalry) again,” Olivia said amidst yells and laughter from Maddie and the sisters’ parents. “You are brand new to the conference.”
“I call seniority in the tradition of the rivalry,” Maddie said. “We still outdo them on wins. They were selling t-shirts everywhere when A&M was leaving (the Big 12).”
Afterward, Greg and Susanna reminisced on more Texas-Texas A&M history.
“Emma, your family at Texas A&M has two generations of your cousins who were drum majors of the corps band on the field,” Greg said.
“Nerds,” Maddie said, prompting more yells and laughter from all sides.
During Thanksgiving break, Emma plans to crash at Olivia’s place with several Texas friends. While the rest of the family keeps the remote away from Aunt Mary, the sisters plan to attend some sort of watch party on Northgate.
The relationships between Aggies and Longhorns reach throughout families, friends, schoolmates and neighbors.
Ties, however, remain closely bonded — until Thanksgiving week.
courtesy of emma daniell and reproduced with permission
Will Texas vs. Texas A&M return as the only college football game played on Thanksgiving Day?
By Emma Hutchinson @emmahutch_
Amidst the chaos that is putting turkey in the oven, mashing potatoes, washing cranberries, setting the table and everything in between, there’s the white noise of crowds cheering on the TV.
The traditions of Thanksgiving usually go with hours of football — including on the days before and after the official meal. While some families might tune into the familiar NFL schedule, others may prefer to watch college football instead.
Now that the rivalry has been restored with Texas’ transition into the Southeastern Conference this year, the Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies football game
is set to be held on Thanksgiving weekend once again. Out of the 118 games played between the two since 1894, 61 of them have fallen on the Thursday of Thanksgiving, including the last four matchups.
This year, the Longhorns and the Aggies will face each other in the Lone Star Showdown on Nov. 30, the Saturday following the holiday.
Although this time will allow for both the festivities of Thanksgiving and the stress of college football to remain separate entities, Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte revealed over the summer that he was urging for the game to be played on Thanksgiving Day.
“My goal is that we move that game back to Thursday,” Del Conte said at this year’s SEC Town Hall meeting on Feb. 13. “But, obviously,
it was just the first year of (us) trying to get in.”
He also stated that the goal is for Texas to play Texas A&M annually from here on out, giving himself and the conference time to possibly adjust the schedule to fit his desire.
One of the primary challenges that Del Conte and the rivalry would face is viewership, as they would be competing with three NFL games taking up valuable kickoff times. Last year’s Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders became the most-watched 2023 regular-season game on any network, racking up 41.76 million viewers.
But with the way ticket prices and viewership for Texas football have looked this season, that might not be an issue.
On ticket marketplace SeatGeek, the cheapest ticket to watch the Dallas Cowboys go against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving currently stands at less than $50 compared to an over $500 ticket to see Texas play against Texas A&M two days later. The Longhorns also garnered the most viewers of any college football game this season so far when they took on the Georgia Bulldogs, averaging 12.9 million viewers and peaking at 14.1 million, according to ESPN.
If this season’s contest between the Longhorns and the Aggies gathers an attractive number of visitors and viewers, Del Conte’s wish to bring college football back to Thanksgiving might just become a reality.
breyona mitchell / the daily texan staff
HEAD HEAD TO
HISTORY
rehashing a storied rivalry
By Ylver Deleon-Rios
The Lone Star Showdown is the biggest and longest run ning in-state rivalry game in Texas. The clash between the Longhorns and Aggies has unfold ed a total of 118 times and the Texas Longhorns control the all-time se ries record 76–37–5. It’s also a game synonymous with the Thanksgiving holiday — out of the 118 matchups, 64 have been played on the fourth Thursday in November.
It’s a game that first kicked off in 1894, just one year after the University of Texas first fielded a football team. The game took place before the Texas Longhorns became the Long horns. For the first match up, the now-prestigious football program was called “Varsity.”
The first-ever game would see the University of Texas shutout Texas A&M for a score of 38-0. Texas continued to shut out its rival for the first seven en counters until their game in October of 1902, where the result was a 0-0 tie. A month later in November, Texas A&M scored its first victory over Texas with a narrow win of 11-0.
The longest run of success for the Longhorns was between 1940 and 1983, where, between these 40 years, Texas held a record of 36–7–1 over the Aggies. However, after 1983 the Ag gies went on their longest winning streak in the rivalry, holding a record of 10–1 over the Longhorns between 1984 and 1994.
The most recent encounter between the two biggest pillars of college football in the state of Texas was played in 2011, as the next season the Aggies left the Big 12 and joined the Southeastern Conference. The rivalry ended, at least for a little over a decade, same way it began: with a victory for the team in burnt
Then-senior kicker Justin Tucker nailed a walk-off 40-yard field goal to give the Longhorns the victory 27-25. With as dramatic of an ending as can be expected in the world of college football, the Longhorns were able to say they sent their biggest rival
The renewal of the Lone Star Showdown has been long awaited by both Longhorn and Aggie fans. And with the Longhorns’ official move to the SEC over the summer alongside rival Oklahoma, this iconic game will make its long-anticipated comeback.
On Nov. 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, for the first time in 13 years, burnt orange and white will clash with maroon and white. Facing one of the rowdiest arenas of college football, Kyle Field, Steve Sarkisian and his Texas Longhorns will travel into College Station and take on Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies in the 119th edition of the Lone Star Showdown. The first of these games in over a decade could influence standings in the SEC, with possible championship game implications, but will also revive old intrastate tensions and bragging rights.
elisabeth dillon/the daily texan file
kennedy
Redshirt freshman EDGE Colton Vasek (92) celebrates a sack with teammates Marshall Landwehr (51) and Ty’Anthony Smith (26) during Texas’ game against UTSA on Sept. 14, 2024.
DEAR A&M
Sports Senior Staff
Lindsey Plotkin - Double Coverage
Editor
Well, well, well. The best in-state rivalry in college football is back! Don’t worry Aggys, we won’t flatter you by saying that it’s the best in college football. We all know that’s our other rival, Oklahoma. Your team may be strong this year, but Quinn Ewers is coming to haunt your dreams, just like Justin Tucker has for the last 13 years.
Evan Vieth - Sports Editor
For the first time in 13 years, Longhorn players will have a reason to drive into, not past, College Station. You’ve probably never seen Quinn Ewers on University Drive, but Austin saw plenty of Johnny Manziel, even while he gave the Aggies their only 10-win season since the 90s. This trip will be quick and painless. In the stadium Saturday morning, out on Sunday with a W. The Longhorns won’t have to be back in C-Stat for another year, but don’t worry Aggies: You’re more than welcome to come to 6th Street anytime you want. It’s Aggie tradition, isn’t it, Johnny Football? Just don’t punch any bartenders on your way out!
Katie Borchetta - Associate Sports
Editor
What does every Aggie have in common? They all got rejected from UT. What I find fascinating is people from A&M will always talk and make fun of Texas, even when there aren’t any Longhorns around. People from UT on the other hand never even mention A&M — try to get us out of your head.
Emma Hutchinson - Sports Desk Editor
It’s about time that the big brother pays a visit to see his little brother for a family reunion! Enjoy the Lone Star Showdown weekend while you can Aggies, because it’ll be the only time the state of Texas will actually know where College Station is on a map. It must be exhausting running your mouths about how much you hate the Texas Longhorns, but at least for this one Saturday, the constant rambling will be put to use.
Isa Almeida - Senior Sports Reporter
So, we meet our little brothers again. It must have been hard staying relevant for the past 13 years. The home of Texas rejects. I wonder how it feels to carry that 2011 loss for so long — y’all were so so close!
But close doesn’t make the game. I do hope y’all enjoy having intelligent people in College Station for once. See y’all then!
Lauren Hightower - Senior Sports Reporter
Oh, my poor poor Aggies. After years of y’all coming to our city for formals and birthday parties, you finally found a way to make your city a travel destination. What will people do when they aren’t at the game, huh? Go to Grand Station to bowl? Your Jimbo Fisher money could have been better spent.
Meaghan English - Senior Sports Reporter
Isn’t it ironic, Aggies, that almost every Texas A&M student I know planned to go to Texas first? When you choose to attend A&M, it’s for one of two reasons — either a low GPA or a record of cult-like behavior. Speaking of cults, your Midnight Yell this year will probably be record-breaking, with masses of students spending their night at Kyle Field and watching the Yell Leaders shake and shimmy across the 50-yard line — they’ll be getting more yards than your football team the next day.
weatherby / the daily texan staff
RIVALRY REIGNITED
The Longhorns and the Aggies will meet Nov. 30 for the return of the Lone Star Showdown.