Table of contents for The Showdown Returns in The Showdown Returns

When it was announced on the Monday after last Thanksgiving that one of America’s greatest sports rivalries—Texas vs. Texas A&M—would be rekindled in College Station on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, the national media immediately began talking about the state of Texas rightfully taking center stage on the final weekend of college football’s regular season. While it’s nice that folks around the country hold the rivalry in such high regard, Texas vs. Texas A&M has never been about its national appeal. This game is about—and for—the people of the state of Texas. From the steps of the State Capitol, to Houston and Dallas, from South Texas up to the Panhandle, and all the parts in between, Texas vs. Texas A&M means something special in every nook and cranny. For more than…

In the Texas–Texas A&M rivalry, it doesn’t always matter how good or bad the teams may be. When the Aggies and Long-horns meet, it’s going to be a battle. Coach Dana X. Bible put Aggies football on the national map, going 72-19-9 in his 11 seasons in College Station. But his record against Texas was only 5-5-1. The games were often close, and in the 1920s and ’30s they frequently hinged on a single play. A classic example was the 1924 game, played in brand new War Memorial Stadium in Austin. It was a down season for Texas, which came into the game with a record of 4-3-1, while the Aggies were a powerhouse with a 7-1-1 record. But in front of 36,000 fans, the Long-horns prevailed when Stookie Allen…

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The University of Texas started its football program in 1893—24 years after the first college game had been played in New Jersey. The Texas schedule consisted of only four games that first season—the Longhorns didn’t have a coach, but they still won every time. Texas A&M—which was then officially known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas—welcomed it’s first football team, called the Cadets, the next season. It took the sport so lightly that it played just two games. The school didn’t even bother fielding a team in 1895. Still, anything that pitted two of the more prominent public universities in Texas against one another was considered serious business. The Austin American-Statesman covered the first football game between the schools, on Oct. 19, 1894—a 38–0 Texas blowout—under the headline…

The 1940s began with Texas A&M standing on top of the college football world, coming off a national championship in 1939 and looking to win another. Led by coach Homer Norton, the Aggies started the 1940 season undefeated, going 8-0 and ranking second in the country heading into their Thanksgiving tilt in College Station against Dana X. Bible’s much-improved Texas team. A win would send A&M to the Rose Bowl for a shot at a second straight national title. The Aggies had the clear advantage. They had won 19 straight games spanning two seasons and boasted two of the nation’s finest players—running back John Kimbrough and quarterback Marion Pugh. But Pugh was forced to miss the showdown because of an injured leg. Things got worse from there. Just 57 seconds…

In the first 14 years of the Texas and Texas A&M rivalry, the schools played 17 times—and the Aggies won only once. The tide began to turn in 1909, just as football was taking hold of the South. And with popularity came pomp: A&M began holding Aggie Bonfires before sporting events. The school organized “yell practice” to ignite the spirit of their fans. Suddenly, A&M was finally beginning to field a football team that was Texas’ equal. The Aggies beat Texas twice in 1909—23–0 in Houston on Nov. 8, and 5–0 in Austin just 17 days later on Thanksgiving. Halfback Louis Hamilton sparked the win in the first game with a 90-yard touchdown run. Afterwards, A&M coach Charley Moran reportedly said, “I have no boasts to make. The score talks…