THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1973
Page 7
gs Underdogs in Turkey Day Classic
Conference Champs Stampede into Kyle Field
Iverflow Crowd Anticipated
or 1:30 p.m. Thursday Kickoff
0y KEVIN COFFEY J
Sports Editor
The largest home crowd in A&M history is expected to jam Kyle
field for the annual Turkey Day football clash between the Aggies and
the University of Texas Longhorns.
Texas has already clinched its sixth straight trip to the Cotton
Bowl but a loss could tie the Longhorns with Texas Tech for the
Southwest Conference crown.
For the Aggies the game is a matter of pride. Posting a 5-5 record
to this point, A&M needs a win for their second winning season since
11956.
Texas Coach Darrell Royal has a little more at stake. The
onghorn mentor is one victory shy of tying Jess Neely’s record of 144
vins as a SWC coach. Royal’s record now stands at 143-35-4 in 17
years.
Texas is coming off a devastating performance against TCU. The
onghorns scored on five of six possessions in the first half against TCU
and eight of 13 in the game while running up a 52-7 win.
A&M, on the other hand, suffered its most bitter defeat of the
Reason, losing to Rice 24-20.
The 53,000 plus fans will see some of the conference’s top
Individual performers as both Texas and the Aggies have several all-SWC
performers.
Heading the list is powerful Longhorn fullback Roosevelt Leaks.
The junior from Brenham is a bonified Heisman Trophy candidate and
probable conference offensive player of the year. His 105 yards against
FCU boosted his season record to 1,328 yards, passing Bob Smith’s of
\&M 23-year-old mark of 1,302. Leaks has scored 14 touchdowns this
Season and needs one more to set a Texas school record in that
department.
Bill Wyman of Texas and A&M’s Ricky Seeker may be the two
best centers in the leagues. Wyman is considered a shoo-in for
U-America honors.
Top linebackers in action are Ed Simonini and Longhorn Glen
iaspard and stellar defensive backs Pat Thomas of A&M and Texas’ Jay
\rnold.
Leaks will present the biggest challenge of the year to Aggie
finebackers John Paul McCrumbly and Ken Stratton.
Aggie backers are hoping the Longhorns may be looking ahead to
Vew Year’s Day battle with Nebraska.
“We haven’t even thought about Nebraska,” swore Royal
/londay. “I haven’t even talked to our coaches about it. The game
[itself, Texas vs. Texas A&M, is plenty to keep everyone’s mind on the
game.”
In 1976, when the University of Houston enters SWC play, the
Turkey Day game will become history as the contest will be moved to
[the final Saturday of the season.
“The game will lose some of the tradition then,” said A&M coach
Emory Bellard, “but you really need a week to get ready.”
Royal and Bellard, cohorts in developing the Wishbone offense at
Texas, will be on opposite sides of the fence for the second time. Royal
von last year 38-3 on national television.
Trailing only 14-3 at halftime, the Horns hit some timely passes
|to overtake the Ags in the cold and rain in Austin.
“Last year A&M lined-up with us toe-to-toe,” Royal said. “They
held Leaks to 58 yards. A&M is big and they will battle us,” he said.
In the last 33 meetings, Texas holds a 23-3-1 margin but only an
|overall 15-12-2 slate in Kyle Field.
Game time is 1:30 p.m. and Texas is a 14 point favorite.
1^.
‘Ov-c/o
\ v \
s']
aft 5 ’
4
Just A Few Hours More’
Unpredictability, Upsets Rule
Annual Thanksgiving Battle
By TED BORISKIE
Assistant Sports Editor
The annual Texas-Texas A&M football game has more tradition,
more color and generally more excitement than any other game in the
southwest.
Unpredictability and upsets are the rule rather than the exception
when the Orange and Maroon squads square off against each other on
Thanksgiving day.
Sadly, the tradition of using Thanksgiving Day as the date of the
game is grinding to an end. 1975 will see the last Turkey Day Classic
and it will be played on Kyle Field. The next year, the University of
Houston will enter league play and due to scheduling problems, the
game will be switched to the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
The first game in the series was played in 1894 in Austin. This
was the Aggies’ first year of intercollegiate play and Texas’ second. The
more experienced Longhorns defeated the Aggies, 38-0.
In 1915, Texas spend the first part of the season amassing a
fearful record. The Longhorns were 8-1 and had run up a total of 328
points while allowing just 20. They came to College Station heavily
favored to defeat a scrappy but untouted A&M team owning a 5-1
record. The Aggies stunned the Steers, 13-0, capitalizing on great
punting by Rip Collins and recovery of fumbles. The 13-0 score,
branded on the side of Texas’ mascot steer by some overzealous Aggies,
gave birth to the steer’s name. By using more brands and inserting a
“V”, Texas managed to fashion “Bevo” from “13-0.”
In 1922, D. X. Bible brought his 4-4 Aggies to Austin and staged
what he later termed “one of the biggest upsets in the series.” The
Aggies threw only two passes in the game but completed both to set up
both TDs in the 14-7 shocker. Texas was 7-2 for the year.
In 1938, the Aggies went to Austin with a 3-3-1 record heavily
favored over the hapless Steers, who were struggling along with a 0-8
record. The ’Horns surprised the Aggies 7-6 with the winning margin
coming on their only successful PAT attempt of the year.
In 1939, the Aggies drove past Texas, 20-0, on the way to a 11-0
record and a national championship under coach Homer Norton. The
next year, Norton’s Aggies, sporting a 19-game winning streak and a
Rose Bowl bid were stunned by the Longhorns, 7-0, when the steers
scored in the first minute of play and let its defense hold the line
against the defending national champs.
In 1948, an 0-9 A&M team found its first at least partial success
in Memorial Stadium by playing to a 14-14 tie with the Orange
Bowl-bound Longhorns.
Under coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, A&M visited Memorial Stadium
in 1956 and came back winners for the only time in its history with a
34-21 victory over the 1-8 Texas squad. The Aggies rode to victory on
the heroics of Jack Pardee, John David Crow, Charlie Krueger, Bobby
Joe Conrad, Roddy Osborne and Lloyd Taylor.
Texas turned the tables on much the same crowd the next year
when rookie Texas coach Darrell Royal directed his Longhorns to a 9-7
squeaker over an A&M team that had earlier in the year been rated No.
1 in the nation and had a bonafide Heisman trophy winner (Crow) as a
running back.
In 1963, Hank Folberg took his 2-6-1 Aggies to Memorial ,
Stadium to meet the No. 1 nationally-ranked Longhorns. After three
quarters, the Aggies surprisingly had a 13-3 lead but the fourth quarter
saw a gritty Steer offense and some hotly contested calls by the
officials give a 15-13 victory and a National championship to Texas.
A&M’s last victory on Thanksgiving Day came under Gene
Stallings in 1967 when the Edd Hargett-directed Aggies won the
conference title with a 10-7 upset and kept the Longhorns from sharing
the crown.
Thursday’s game holds all the elements of a classic battle as the
SWC’S No. 1 offense (Texas) meets the No. 1 defense (A&M) while the
No. 2 offense (A&M) takes on the No. 2 defense (Texas).
AGGIEIAND FLOWER & GIFT SHOP
209 University
SAW VARSITY’S HORNS OFF, AGGIES!
FOOTBALL MUMS FOR THE GAME!
CUSTOM PERSONALIZED MUMS
ARE OUR SPECIALTY!
SHOW THAT YOU CARE
CALL
846-5825
w
LAKE VIEW CLUB
3 Miles N. On Tabor Road
Wednesday Night:
Tony Booth & Band
Prom 9 -1 p. m.
SPECIAL GROUP RATES
Open 3:00 p. m. (11:00 a. m. On Home Game Days)
THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
WEEKLY SPECIAL
PITCHER of iEEH
$125
Special Prices Are With Pizza Purchase
311 UNIVERSITY DRIVE: NORTH GATE
HOT - Free Dorm Delivery! - FAST
846-1713
TEXAS AGGIE
DESIGNS IN NEEDLE POINT!
Available Now At
TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE
And
KEYSER’S INC., IN TOWNSHIRE
Created by
CAT TRACK '1 SNAIL TRAIL
(S)
mm
HARRY DISHMAN
Sales & Service
603 Texas Ave. C.S. across from campus — 846-3316
ENJOY AN ART MARKET
ALL YEAR ROUND
At:
YttUfi
Little Dickens
804 Villa Maria
Across From Manor East
New Items Arriving Daily
PLUS: 10% AGGIE DISCOUNT!
Peniston Cafeteria
Bonfire
Candlelight Feast
Nov. 21, 1973 - 4:30 p. m. to 7 p. m.
Roast Breast of Trukey
Cornbread Dressing
Giblet Gravy
Chilled Cranberry Sauce
Marshmellowed Sweet Potato Souffle
English Peas w/Water Chestnuts
Choice of Salad (Except Chef Salads)
Kutches Harvest Moon Pie
Home Made Hot Yeasty Rolls
Choice of Beverage
plus tax
“Quality First”