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A&M-UT games prove
interesting historically
By Cray Pixley
Assistant Sports Editor
In 1980 the Southwest Con
ference was still ruled by the
Texas Longhorns. UT was still a
perennial Top 20 team, and
Texas A&M was the weak sister
to the east that knew nothing but
hard-hitting defense and the
Wishbone.
Time does change things.
The 1980s have seen the
scepter of Texas football pass
from the orange to the maroon
as the Aggies have won five of
the eight games — starting with .
•1980 at Austin: A&M 24,
Texas 14. The 12-point under
dog Aggies came out fighting in
the second half after trailing 7-0
at the half. The Aggies discov
ered a passing attack at the
hands of quarterbacks David
Beal and Gary Kubiak.
Two passes off the arm of
Beal led the Aggies to a 17-0
third quarter. The Longhorns
had missed two field goal at
tempts of 36 and 48 yards in the
first half. Beal escaped the blitz
to throw 56 yards to Mike Whit-
well and Johnny Hector went
the final yard to put the Aggies
at 10-7. Beal completed a 50-
yard pass to Ernest Jackson,
then tossed a 5-yarder to Mark
Lewis for the score.
UT never threatened in the
second half and their only score
was a 57-yard touchdown pass
from Donnie Little to Herkie
Walls.
The formerly No. 2 ranked
defense of the Longhorns was
passed by the Aggies, whose de
fense saved the game.
The Aggies had entered the
game with a record of 3-7 and
Texas at 7-3.
•1981 at College Station:
Texas 21, A&M IS.The Long
horns were ranked 6th in the na
tion by the Associated Press and
carried an 8-1-1 record. The Ag
gies were 6-4-1.
Mid-season losses to SMU and
Arkansas had eliminated the Ag
gies from the Southwest Confer
ence race and had fueled specu
lation about Wilson’s job
security.
It would be Wilson’s last regu
lar-season game as an Aggie
coach. A huge second quarter in
which the Longhorns scored all
of their points put the game out
of reach as Texas readied for a
Cotton Bowl matchup with Ala
bama.
Texas running back John
Walker, who rushed for 178
yards on 36 carries, was the dif
ference in the game as he con
verted several crucial third-
down opportunities by diving
for first downs. A 38-yard pass
from Brewer to Herkie Walls
gave Texas a 21-6 halftime lead
which the Aggies would never
overcome.
1982 at Austin: Texas 53,
A&M 16.The Longhorns were
5-1 going into the game and the
Aggies were 3-4.
UT shredded the Aggie de
fense on their first four posses
sions for 220 yards and four
touchdowns for a 27-0 lead. The
Aggies were unable to stop a re
lentless pass rush, while UT’s Er
vin Davis had scoring runs of 2,
3 and 27 yards.
Texas continued putting
points on the board with three
scores within a four-minute span
in the third quarter.
A&M’s Kubiak connected on
only 10 of 32 passes for 128
yards and left the game in the
fourth quarter with a shoulder
injury. His replacement, John
Elkins, was sacked seven times,
while A&M compiled barely 50
yards total rushing.
The Texas’ second team en
tered the game and the Aggies
only managed a last minute
score on Tommy Suggs’ 8-yard
TD reception that succeeded in
preventing the largest margin of
victory in the series since the
Spanish-American War. The
Aggies went down without a
fight.
•1983 at College Station:
Texas 45, A&M 13.The Long
horns entered the game ranked
No. 2 in the nation and with a re
cord of 7-0. The Aggies were 4-
2-1.
A&M scored on its first two
possessions to lead 10-0. Kevin
Murray completed three passes
and Alan Smith chipped in a 37-
yard field goal. Roger Vick
picked up six with a 24-yard
scamper putting the Ags ahead
of UT. Jeff Fuller’s interception
set up the Ags’ final score of the
day on a pass to Rich Siler for a
24-yard gain that set up a 46-
yard field goal by Smith.
UT trailed A&M 13-0 under
quarterback Rob Moerschell. He
failed to get a first down on UT’s
first four possessions and threw
two interceptions. In the second
quarter Akers called for help in
the form of Rick Mclvor.
Mclvor nailed the coffin shut
on the Aggies by leading the
Longhorns on a pass attack cul
minating in 45 points in 15 min
utes. Texas had a strong prevail
ing wind at their backs and went
with it.
The Aggies were held to 13
points by the nation’s top-
ranked defense.
The 32-point thrashing of the
Aggies was to be the Longhorn’s
last triumph over the Aggies.
•1984 at Austin: A&M 37,
Texas 12.The Longhorns were
ranked 13th in the nation and
had a record of 7-2. The Aggies
were 5-5 heading into the series.
The 9.5-point underdog Ag
gies brought a strong defense
led by Ray Childress and a bal
anced offense. Quarterback
Craig Stump completed 11 of 22
passes for 168 yards and two
TDs. Ag running backs Anthony
Toney, Roger Vick and Thomas
Sanders contributed outstand
ing performances.
Although the Aggies led the
game 23-0 in the third, the turn
ing point came when Domingo
Bryant intercepted a Todd
Dodge pass. The following 68-
yard drive culminated with a 3-
yard touchdown run by Toney.
• 1985 at College Station:
A&M 42, Texas 10.The Long
horns were 6-1 and the Aggies
were 6-1.
The Aggies compiled 21
points in just over 3 minutes and
scored the most points against
Texas in the series history. The
win sent A&M to the Cotton
Bowl for the first time since
1968 and garnered the confer
ence championship.
A&M’s Murray shined com
pleting 10 of 17 passes without
an interception for 146 yards
and three touchdowns. Vick had
87 yards for two touchdowns.
The Aggie defense buried
UT’s offense by snatching four
interceptions, two off of Dodge
and two off of Bret Stafford.
The Aggies held a 21-0 lead
with nine minutes to go in the
third quarter and never looked
back. UT settled for their first
points of the game with a field
goal by Jeff Ward to open the
fourth quarter.
A&M continued to build a
lead that could have been much
larger. UT committed three
turnovers withing their 25-yard-
line but A&M capitalized only
once.
•1986 at Austin: A&M 16,
Texas 3. The Longhorns were 5-
5 coming into the game. The
Aggies were ranked 10th nation
ally with a 8-2 slate.
The game was a battle of the
kickers with A&M’s Scott Slater
kicking three field goals and also
setting a SWC record with 21
field goals in a season. UT’s
Wardhit from 39 yards for the
Horns’ sole score and missed a
42-yard attempt.
Vick rushed a career-high 167
yards and was the first Aggie to
lead the conference in rushing
with 960 yards since Glenn Lip-
pman in 1951.
Murray completed 25 of 36
passes without an interception
for 277 yards and one TD.
•1987 at College Station:
A&M 20, Texas 13.
A&M’s Keith Woodside ram
bled for 90 yards to put the Ag
gies on the board in the second
quarter with the score at 7-3. UT
responded with Eric Metcalf
scampering for 50 yards. Wayne
Clements followed with a 35-
yard field goal in the third quar
ter for UT’s final score.
A&M’s Slater knocked in two
field goals for 53 and 47 yards,
while a 7-yard TD run by Bucky
Richardson in the fourth quarter
finished off the Longhorns.
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