Aggies? Waving goodbye to Texas University?
Well, back in 1975, they sort of did. For about eight days. But the goodbye was gone for sure in less than a month. You just don’t dump an arch-rival that easily because, even in those years you beat them, you still have to win the other big games on your schedule. And 1975 stands out as a good example as we all variably roll, gig, hook, or just plain watch our ways today into another of those college football “Game of the Century” Saturdays.
On the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1975, the Texas Aggies (9-0-0) entertained their arch-rival competitors, the Texas Longhorns (9-1-0), at Kyle Field in College Station before a record crowd of 56,679 in an afternoon temperature of 84 degrees with no rain. The 1975 Aggies of Coach Emory Bellard were 9-0 going into the game ranked # 2 in the nation. All they had to do to win a berth in the Cotton Bowl and position themselves for a run at the national championship vote was to beat UT, then beat Arkansas at Little Rock on December 6, then defeat highly regarded Georgia in the Cotton Bowl. Led by fiery linebacker Ed Simonini and Bellard’s wishbone offense, the Aggies perched themselves for a serious run at greatness.
The Friday leftovers day part went extremely well.
Early in the game, UT QB Marty Akins went out with a re-injured knee and had to be replaced by freshman Ted Constanzo.
“We were able to key on Earl Campbell when Akins went out,” Aggie middle linebacker Robert Jackson said. “Our bench went crazy when Akins went out. We felt we could beat them with Akins in there, but we were glad to see him go. He’s a great options quarterback.”
The Aggies went on to win the game over UT by 20-10.
“I don’t want to see any of that stuff in the papers about how (Texas quarterback Marty) Akins would have made the difference,” Simonini said. “We played with some people hurt too.”
Texas Coach Darrell Royal was gracious in defeat. “I would like to see something happen to Ohio State so that if they (A&M) take care of business we could have another national champion here (in the State of Texas).”
Wow! Talk about class delivered with a measured reminder. At this point in history, Royal and UT had garnered three national championships in 1963, 1969, and 1970.
The high-scoring Horns were limited to only 6 points and 113 rushing yards, the lowest total by a Royal team in three years.
“They (A&M) played as solid a game as you can play,” Bellard said. “They played other games as well too, but I guess this would be our greatest victory.”
It would remain the greatest Aggie victory. The Aggies went up to Little Rock the next week for their December 6th game with Arkansas and got drubbed, 31-6, sending the Razorbacks to the Cotton Bowl as tri-champions of the SWC along with UT and A&M – and sending the Aggies to the Liberty Bowl for a 12/22/1975 date with USC.
In his last game as coach at USC, John McKay guided and watched his Trojans blank the Aggies, 20-0 in the Liberty Bowl for a 10-2 closure collar on a successful 1975 Texas A&M football season, but not one that would end in a national championship – or even mark itself as a new period of dominance over UT for the Aggies.
“Close, but no cigar” is the perennial or occasional contender’s anthem. If that phrase were a song title, it would play more often, in more places, than even Elvis could have imagined.
Tags: Texas A&M-UT 1975
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 14, 2013 at 3:00 pm |
I don’t want to speak for our little friends in College Station but they may consider last year’s win over Alabama their biggest win now though they will never, ever get over their inferiority complex to UT. It’s as much in their character as squeezing their nads when they get excited. They’re certainly better than UT now but let’s see how things settle out in a year or two. If they could handle success as well as Royal, I might even pull for them today. I’ll never have to worry about that though. Roll Tide.
September 14, 2013 at 3:32 pm |
I’m glad to see A&M switch to the SEC. If the state of Alabama and the state of Florida can produce two schools who can compete regularly for the National Championship, why not Texas? I agree with Wayne above that A&M became so obsessed with beating Texas that they could not set their sights any higher and now they finally can. Good luck, Aggies, against the Tide from this Horn.
September 16, 2013 at 12:28 am |
W Roberts:
Having worked in the upstream part of the Oil Patch for well over 50 years, I have worked with hundreds of Aggies, Horns, Techs, etc. Truthfully, the Aggies almost always outperformed the Horns and could be relied upon to always complete their work and do a hell of a good and reliable job. They sure as hell had no inferior complex to anything from UT.
You obviously come from the Royal days where he managed a huge slush fund from wealthy UT Alumni for most all his years at UT to reward his players until he ‘retired’ abruptly just ahead of a NCAA investigation. So that’s how you value success.
Most horns that I know have a much different attitude towards other people (Aggies) as opposed your cocky arrogant attitude.
September 30, 2013 at 11:32 pm |
Document your “slush fund” statement. Show me anything a&m didn’t have. UT never had anything similar to Sherrill who was brought in as a result of that inferiority complex. I’m afraid that the Horns I know, and they are substantial alums, as are the Aggies I know, have the same attitude I do. I stand by my statements. Cocky? Arrogant. UT beat a&m 2 out of every 3 games they played in football, greater in other sports. Squeeze those ‘nads Ed.