A&M, UT ‘to the death’ Austin Meek: Aggie Von Miller knows what Lone Star rivalry is about
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he 104 miles separating Texas A&M and the University of Texas are more than stretches of asphalt and overpasses. They symbolize some of the primary divides in our great state: rural vs. urban, conservative vs. liberal, the sciences vs. the arts.
It’s a rivalry as firmly engrained in the Texas fabric as barbecue, boots and spurs. In this age of inclusivity, the concept of “a house divided” between maroon and orange represents one of the remaining bastions of personal persuasion and preference. Former A&M head coach R.C. Slocum used to say that kids growing up in Texas are predisposed to being “little Aggies” or “little Longhorns.”
Austin Meek senior creative writing major
“When I was a child in elementary, we had the little Longhorns and things,” senior cornerback Terrence Frederick said. “At one point that’s all you hear when you start to play football: Texas and Texas A&M.” Though the names and faces have changed over the years, the ferocity of the rivalry hasn’t diminished since the schools first faced off in 1894.
“Probably the most exciting moment ever in an A&MTexas game that I can recall was in ’67 when Bob Long caught a pass that went something like 70 or 80 yards,” said Roger Feldman, longtime public announcer for Aggie athletics and a member of the Letterman Association’s Hall of Honor. “That was the only touchdown of the game for A&M. It ended up 10-7 [Aggies].” Aggie and current Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller said 2007’s Lone Star Showdown, in which the Aggies beat the Longhorns 38-30, remains one of his fondest memories. “My freshman year they didn’t give us a chance to beat See Showdown on page 6
Images courtesy of Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M defeated the University of Texas 7-0 in 1919. After a break in athletic interaction from 1912-1914, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas resumed games against UT with a 13-0 victory in 1915.
‘Saw’em off ’ one last time Jared Baxter: Ending centuryold rivalry sounds like hell en Aggies can yell louder than a hundred of anybody else,” mid1950s A&M coach and Alabama legend Paul “Bear” Bryant said.
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We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. That means honor and loyalty; it means an unconquerable sense of pride. Above all of Texas A&M’s century-old traditions, nothing comes close to wanting to beat the hell out of t.u. John David Crow earned A&M’s lone Heisman award in 1957. He was A&M athletic director from 1988 to 1993.
“Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!” A&M has been singing “Good-bye to Texas University” since 1920 thanks to the fight song by World War I veteran J.V. “Pinky” Wilson. And if proclaiming our
Jared Baxter senior media studies major and managing editor for The Battalion
hatred for the burnt orange at every single sporting event imaginable wasn’t enough, well, we also link arms and legs to “Saw Varsity’s Horns Off.” This pride-building ritual involves the entirety of College Station’s landmark Kyle Field — more than 80,000 Aggies — swaying back and forth, alternating row by row until the message is sent: We live to hate the Longhorns. And if you happen to be an LSU Tiger or a Geor-
gia Bulldog, then deal with it and enjoy. This hatred is at the core of who we are as students and alumni. It’s an in-state identity that separates us from them. Love the smooth-talking Texas coach, Mack Brown? Got a Longhorns decal on your car? Have you ever mentioned even the slightest affinity for the color orange? Then you’re a tea-sip, another of A&M’s longstanding terms meant to demean t.u. Without A&M, t.u.’s longhorn mascot, Bevo, would not exist. Without “Gig ‘em,” there is no “Hook ‘em.” And without this rivalry — one that dates back to an 1894 meeting in Austin — these two institutions would not be who they are today. A&M’s only national championship and Heisman Trophy — 1939 and 1957, respectively — both occurred before t.u. accomplished either. Put those distant victories aside, and it’s always been big See Rivalry on page 5
Historical design ◗ This page is formatted according to style of The Battalion newspaper in 1936-37. The paper was published weekly for the A. & M. College of Texas. ◗ The leading image is a scan from a football program in 1906 — the date has been modified to read 2011 — against the University of Texas. Since 1915, the Aggies and Longhorns have not gone a year without playing each other in football. ◗ A&M and Texas played for the first time on Oct. 19, 1894. The Aggies first defeated the Longhorns on Nov. 27, 1902 in Austin.
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