Anybody on here a student during the 74, 75, 76 seasons? Anyone on here attend any of those games during Those years?How fun was it to see in person? The Aggies had some major players and magical moments during those years. I bet it was a Ton of fun to see it in person..... What were your best memories during those years?

It was pretty good in 75 until we went to Arkansas!
I was an E2 fighter as I figure you are also!

I went to several games during those years, but the two that stand out are the ones against Baylor and t.u. in 1975. Tony Franklin kicked two long field goals ( I think 63 and 65 ) against Baylor, he had his foot in a bucket of warm water on the sideline because he kicked barefoot and it was near freezing that day.

I was also at the tu game that year and standing just yards from the back of the end zone when our tight end caught a touchdown pass. We went on to win that game 20-10 and were ranked either 1 or 2 in the nation. Of course Arkansas beat us the next game.

I believe our ranking going into the game was 4. If we had won, and won the Cotton Bowl, 1 was a real possibility.

They moved the Arkansas game to after the t.u. game, so it would be televised. We beat the 'sips in an emotional game, and next week, the team had nothing in the tank for Arkansas. They couldn't do anything right, Arky did everything right.

My mom liked the game, though. She said they had several crowd shots of the Band, and she spotted me several times.

March-in was before the teams took the field back then, so after March-in, the BQs would sit in the stands and wait for the start of the game. The teams would then come on the field to warm up. Tony Franklin practicing 70-yard-field goals was the highlight of the warm up.

Colonel A. 1976 said:

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It was pretty good in 75 until we went to Arkansas!
I was an E2 fighter as I figure you are also!

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I was in HS during those years. Never went to a game then but my nightmare was crawling out of the deer blind and being picked up by by Dad and brother '67 and being told we lost to Arky. I thought it was surly a joke.

Rebel-E checking in.

I was too young for those years. I grew up with Jackie/RC and attended during RC.

After the 75 Debacle in Arkansas, we made it back to their turf and 76 which was Frank Broyles last year at the helm and soundly whipped them!! Led by number eight, David Walker, and crew, we got our measure of revenge on the hogs!

Brother was a redpot ('76)
1975 - Me, my twin and older sister went to the tu game that year....20-10....
what a freakin' game!!!!!

Bellard was a great guy. Wonderful man. Time does funny things to our memories. He was not a beloved coach after 2 years. There were "make Emory a memory" signs and bumper stickers everywhere. He was very one dimensional at a time when one dimensional football was the norm. He took it to a new level.

20-10 tu game in 1975 is still my favorite game attended even after all these years! The defense that year was fun to watch too!

I was a freshman in '75... I remember someone asking me if I knew about the phrase "wait till next year". I replied "Not yet"!





and then there was Arkansas. We all went out for sausage & ham pizza after that game...

I was a young kid going to games with my parents. My brother and I got Jacob Greene and Curtis Dickey jerseys for Christmas one year. I remember every kid trying to be like Tony Franklin and kick barefoot. I also remember being crushed when Woodard broke his leg playing softball. That was a BIG deal at our house.

I saw the Bellard years from 1975 thru his departure in 1978. I was also at the Baylor - A&M game when Franklin kicked the longest field goals at the time (later broken the same day by ACU kicker)...sat directly in the middle of the horseshoe and had a great view of both kicks.

The defenses during Bellard's years were outstanding. Between Ed Simonini, Lester Hayes and a host of other future NFL stars, Aggie football was fun to watch.

War in Texas

1975 tu game

Remember the arky loss well...toooooo well. Woodard was awesome. Hated when Bellard resigned and pgm rapidly went into the tank until Jackie arrived.

the 75 t.u. win was no doubt Bellard's signature win, but there were a lot of other really good wins during his tenure.

from 74 to 77, the Ags had numerous victories over very good Tech, Baylor, SMU, and Arkansas teams. Plus the 76 win vs. the horns.

Emory had a nice non-conference resume. Beat LSU twice, Ole Miss, Clemson, Illinois, Boston College, Virginia Tech twice, and of course the Sun Bowl win vs. Florida

Lots of fun in 1975. College Station was laid back, football was strong, Cain Hall was crazy - great time to be an Ag! Just glad that there was no social media or cell phones with cameras back then.....

I was a freshman in 1975. Some thoughts....

Simonini was awesome, but Robert Jackson was even better (imo). Heck of a linebacker.
We played two SEC teams that year...Mississippi and LSU.
The best defense bar none...even better than the Wrecking Crew years.
Back then, the NFL draft went beyond 7 rounds. Roughly 20 players from that 75 team were drafted from 76 to 79.

I second the comment about Robert Jackson. What a beast, sideline to sideline!

Baylor game in 75 was cold and rainy. I was standing on the field as there were no seats to draw.

tu win was one of the happiest days of my life. Only the second time we beat the sips in my life (1967) and that was sweet!
I recall Simonini hitting Earl Campbell and it sounded like a gun went off. Set the tone!

I was there then. Aside from some of the things already mentioned, one of the best parts was the stadium announcer. Was his name Eschen? (Something like that.). I can still hear his nasally, opening greeting......

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Kyle Field. Home of the FIGHTIN' TEXAS AGGIES!"

English Professor C.K. Esten. If you have the live From Kyle Field album by the Aggie Band (circa 1975) that clip is on it. That's what's used on the Youtube video below.

https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/1691433

Well Marvin moves the Arkansas game until after tu.
The first time we play a regular season games after Texas. Very anti climatic and the Fire was gone. We beat tu soundly but Mike Jay gets hurt and doesn't play against USC in the bowl game. We are ranked #6 then beat Texas. If we had already played and beaten Arkansas we probably jump into national championship contention since #1 Ohio State gets
Beat the day we play The Hogs. If Mike doesn't get hurt we likely win our bowl game and have a very good shot at Natty at 11-1. No one was undefeated.
Dumb

My old man played for him his freshman year in Breckinridge, won State in 1959, before he went to San Angelo. He is class of 71 so that is Football related about one Aggie.

Can you imagine a top program hiring a HS coach to be OC today with zero experience? That's how innovative that offense was for the time.

Krautag81 said:

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I went to several games during those years, but the two that stand out are the ones against Baylor and t.u. in 1975. Tony Franklin kicked two long field goals ( I think 63 and 65 ) against Baylor, he had his foot in a bucket of warm water on the sideline because he kicked barefoot and it was near freezing that day.

I was also at the tu game that year and standing just yards from the back of the end zone when our tight end caught a touchdown pass. We went on to win that game 20-10 and were ranked either 1 or 2 in the nation. Of course Arkansas beat us the next game.

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Actually, Frankiln kicked those field goals in 1976. It was my freshman year and it was awesome.

Sharpshooter is right. That BU game was in 1976. Keep Simonini in your prayers. He is having some serious health problems.

Sorry to hear that; will do.
He's a childhood hero, and one of our best ever, period.
Hang in there, LB1!

88jrt06 said:

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Sorry to hear that; will do.
He's a childhood hero, and one of our best ever, period.
Hang in there, LB1!

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Hear,hear!!

Emory always felt the properly executed triple option could not be stopped. For YEARS, he was right. Guy was a genius.

Then came 1978, and Ds caught on. Emory had no answer.
So he quit after Baylor, mid-season, 1978.

Them's the facts. He was a great coach.

Emory was smart enough to hire a DC named Mad Dog.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Ed Simoninni never played a game that there wasn't someone's blood on his jersey. Guy was a beast.

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You totally nailed it. Plus, he was "undersized". Yeah, right!

Yes, it was 1976 when Franklin kicked those field goals. I was a fish in the band. Cold and wet like every Baylor game seemed to be my entire time in the band. The first one from 64 yards barely cleared the crossbar.... the second from 65 would easily have been good from 70!

'76 Baylor game was cool, sunny, and windy. I was sitting in temp bleachers in the South end zone and nearly caught the second FG.