5-1 Discussion
Nealy & Swope Q&A
Texas A&M Football
Texas A&M's 50 greatest football victories: Nos. 5-1
There have been
nail-biters and blowouts. There have been amazing comebacks and
improbable upsets. There have been last-minute touchdowns and clutch
goal line stands.
Through 121 seasons of Texas A&M football, the Aggies have posted 717 victories.
One resulted in cotton falling like snow at Kyle Field. Another had a historic “Bear” hug. Several came at the expense of Heisman Trophy recipients.
Some transformed star players like Crow, Hargett, Johnny Football and the Haskell Hurricane into legends.
From the Dixie Classic, to the Sugar Bowl, to — oh, my gracious — a stunning triumph at Tuscaloosa, TexAgs has attempted to rank the Aggies’ 50 greatest football victories to be revealed in sets of five.
See if your Top 50 matches ours.
Texas A&M’s greatest football victories: Nos. 50-46 ... 45-41 ... 40-36 ... 35-31 ... 30-26 ... 25-21 ... 20-16 ... 15-11 ... 10-6
5. Texas A&M 36, Kansas State 33 (Dec. 5, 1998): The Big 12 Conference championship was on the line in St. Louis’ Trans World Dome, but even more was at stake for unbeaten Kansas State. The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the Coaches’ Poll and could clinch a spot in the national championship game with a victory over the 10th-ranked Aggies.
The Wildcats appeared to have a win secured with a 27-19 lead late in the fourth quarter.
However, Warrick Holdman stripped the football loose from Wildcats quarterback Michael Bishop and Cornelius Anthony recovered for the Aggies with less than three minutes remaining.
A&M quickly capitalized as quarterback Branndon Stewart hit running back Sirr Parker with a 9-yard touchdown pass and then connected with him for a two-point conversion to tie the score with just 1:09 remaining.
Kansas State almost pulled out a win with a “Hail Mary” pass, but A&M’s Toya Jones tackled Everett Burnett at the A&M 1-yard line as time expired in regulation.
The teams traded field goals in the first overtime period. Kansas State added another field goal in the second overtime, but on third-and-17 Stewart again connected with Parker on a 32-yard touchdown pass that clinched A&M’s first conference championship in five years.
Stewart passed for 245 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime. Dat Nguyen had 17 tackles and a key interception in the victory.
4. Texas A&M 29, Alabama 24 (Nov. 10, 2012): A&M’s first season as a Southeastern Conference member had been successful, but the Aggies faced a huge obstacle on the road against No. 1 Alabama, the defending national champion.
The Aggies got off to a fast start behind the elusive running and passing of quarterback Johnny Manziel, whose touchdown pass to Ryan Swope gave A&M a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
Alabama came back, but a Manziel touchdown pass to Malcome Kennedy gave the Aggies a 29-17 lead with 8:37 to play.
Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron answered with a 54-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper. McCarron then led the Crimson Tide inside the A&M 5-yard line in the final two minutes.
However, on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line a McCarron pass was intercepted at the goal line by Deshazor Everett with just 1:36 left to play.
The Aggies were able to run out the clock to post only their second victory over an opponent ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
Manziel passed for 253 yards and rushed for 92. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Alabama went on to win the national championship.
3. Texas A&M 42, Texas 10 (Nov. 28, 1985): No. 18 Texas (8-2) and No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2) squared off at Kyle Field with the Southwest championship at stake for the first time since 1943.
Texas won in ’43. The Aggies dominated in ’85.
An early Longhorns scoring threat was squashed when running back Edwin Simmons was stonewalled at the goal line. It was all Aggies afterward.
Quarterback Kevin Murray threw three touchdown passes – two to Rod Harris – and Roger Vick and Ira Valentine ran for touchdowns as the Aggies rolled to their most lopsided victory over the Longhorns.
The Aggies took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Not long afterward cotton fell from the Kyle Field decks like snow as jubilant Aggies celebrated A&M’s first Cotton Bowl berth since 1967.
Aggie Athletics
College football's most recognizable tradition was born in the 1922 defeat of Centre College.
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2. Texas A&M 22, Centre College 14 (Jan. 2, 1922): Having won the Southwest Conference championship, the Aggies headed to the Dixie Classic in Dallas to make their first postseason appearance. They faced undefeated Centre College, a national powerhouse from Kentucky which had outscored its opponents 314-6.
A&M’s Fred Wilson tackled Centre College’s Tom Bartlett for a safety early in the game to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead. They maintained that lead at halftime by virtue of a clutch goal line stand just before intermission.
It was the first time Centre College had trailed all season.
In the second half, Puny Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Jack Evans and ran five yards for another touchdown. A&M defensive tackle Ted Wynn returned an interception 45 yards for another touchdown that staked the Aggies to a 22-7 lead.
Although A&M won by a wide margin, the Aggies were plagued by injuries as Sammy Sanders, A.B. Morris and Heine Weir were forced out of the game. Concerned about depth, A&M coach Dana X. Bible instructed E. King Gill, who had left the football team to play basketball, to put on a football uniform and stand ready if needed. He wasn’t needed, but an enduring tradition was born.
Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
1. Texas A&M 14, Tulane 13 (Jan. 1, 1940): The Aggies entered the Sugar Bowl undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Associated Press poll. Tulane of the Southeastern Conference was ranked fifth.
A 1-yard touchdown run by John Kimbrough staked the Aggies to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Green Wave took a 13-7 lead in the fourth.
Herbie Smith blocked the extra point that would’ve given Tulane a seven-point lead. That was the first of two big plays to involve Smith. In the final minutes, Smith caught a pass from quarterback Cotton Price then lateraled to Kimbrough, who stormed 18 yards for the touchdown.
Price then converted the extra point to clinch the victory and perfect season and validate the national championship for A&M.
Kimbrough, who transferred to A&M from Tulane, rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries.
Through 121 seasons of Texas A&M football, the Aggies have posted 717 victories.
One resulted in cotton falling like snow at Kyle Field. Another had a historic “Bear” hug. Several came at the expense of Heisman Trophy recipients.
Some transformed star players like Crow, Hargett, Johnny Football and the Haskell Hurricane into legends.
From the Dixie Classic, to the Sugar Bowl, to — oh, my gracious — a stunning triumph at Tuscaloosa, TexAgs has attempted to rank the Aggies’ 50 greatest football victories to be revealed in sets of five.
See if your Top 50 matches ours.
Texas A&M’s greatest football victories: Nos. 50-46 ... 45-41 ... 40-36 ... 35-31 ... 30-26 ... 25-21 ... 20-16 ... 15-11 ... 10-6
5. Texas A&M 36, Kansas State 33 (Dec. 5, 1998): The Big 12 Conference championship was on the line in St. Louis’ Trans World Dome, but even more was at stake for unbeaten Kansas State. The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the Coaches’ Poll and could clinch a spot in the national championship game with a victory over the 10th-ranked Aggies.
The Wildcats appeared to have a win secured with a 27-19 lead late in the fourth quarter.
However, Warrick Holdman stripped the football loose from Wildcats quarterback Michael Bishop and Cornelius Anthony recovered for the Aggies with less than three minutes remaining.
A&M quickly capitalized as quarterback Branndon Stewart hit running back Sirr Parker with a 9-yard touchdown pass and then connected with him for a two-point conversion to tie the score with just 1:09 remaining.
Kansas State almost pulled out a win with a “Hail Mary” pass, but A&M’s Toya Jones tackled Everett Burnett at the A&M 1-yard line as time expired in regulation.
The teams traded field goals in the first overtime period. Kansas State added another field goal in the second overtime, but on third-and-17 Stewart again connected with Parker on a 32-yard touchdown pass that clinched A&M’s first conference championship in five years.
Stewart passed for 245 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime. Dat Nguyen had 17 tackles and a key interception in the victory.
4. Texas A&M 29, Alabama 24 (Nov. 10, 2012): A&M’s first season as a Southeastern Conference member had been successful, but the Aggies faced a huge obstacle on the road against No. 1 Alabama, the defending national champion.
The Aggies got off to a fast start behind the elusive running and passing of quarterback Johnny Manziel, whose touchdown pass to Ryan Swope gave A&M a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
Alabama came back, but a Manziel touchdown pass to Malcome Kennedy gave the Aggies a 29-17 lead with 8:37 to play.
Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron answered with a 54-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper. McCarron then led the Crimson Tide inside the A&M 5-yard line in the final two minutes.
However, on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line a McCarron pass was intercepted at the goal line by Deshazor Everett with just 1:36 left to play.
The Aggies were able to run out the clock to post only their second victory over an opponent ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
Manziel passed for 253 yards and rushed for 92. He went on to win the Heisman Trophy. Alabama went on to win the national championship.
3. Texas A&M 42, Texas 10 (Nov. 28, 1985): No. 18 Texas (8-2) and No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2) squared off at Kyle Field with the Southwest championship at stake for the first time since 1943.
Texas won in ’43. The Aggies dominated in ’85.
An early Longhorns scoring threat was squashed when running back Edwin Simmons was stonewalled at the goal line. It was all Aggies afterward.
Quarterback Kevin Murray threw three touchdown passes – two to Rod Harris – and Roger Vick and Ira Valentine ran for touchdowns as the Aggies rolled to their most lopsided victory over the Longhorns.
The Aggies took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Not long afterward cotton fell from the Kyle Field decks like snow as jubilant Aggies celebrated A&M’s first Cotton Bowl berth since 1967.
Aggie Athletics
College football's most recognizable tradition was born in the 1922 defeat of Centre College.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"College football\u0027s most recognizable tradition was born in the 1922 defeat of Centre College.","MediaItemID":26300}
A&M’s Fred Wilson tackled Centre College’s Tom Bartlett for a safety early in the game to give the Aggies a 2-0 lead. They maintained that lead at halftime by virtue of a clutch goal line stand just before intermission.
It was the first time Centre College had trailed all season.
In the second half, Puny Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Jack Evans and ran five yards for another touchdown. A&M defensive tackle Ted Wynn returned an interception 45 yards for another touchdown that staked the Aggies to a 22-7 lead.
Although A&M won by a wide margin, the Aggies were plagued by injuries as Sammy Sanders, A.B. Morris and Heine Weir were forced out of the game. Concerned about depth, A&M coach Dana X. Bible instructed E. King Gill, who had left the football team to play basketball, to put on a football uniform and stand ready if needed. He wasn’t needed, but an enduring tradition was born.
Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
1. Texas A&M 14, Tulane 13 (Jan. 1, 1940): The Aggies entered the Sugar Bowl undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Associated Press poll. Tulane of the Southeastern Conference was ranked fifth.
A 1-yard touchdown run by John Kimbrough staked the Aggies to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Green Wave took a 13-7 lead in the fourth.
Herbie Smith blocked the extra point that would’ve given Tulane a seven-point lead. That was the first of two big plays to involve Smith. In the final minutes, Smith caught a pass from quarterback Cotton Price then lateraled to Kimbrough, who stormed 18 yards for the touchdown.
Price then converted the extra point to clinch the victory and perfect season and validate the national championship for A&M.
Kimbrough, who transferred to A&M from Tulane, rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries.
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