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The Upset: Texas A&M topples No. 1 Oklahoma in 2002
By Chris Wimmer chris@brenhambanner.com Nov 9, 2017 Updated Dec 9, 2025
4 min to read

True freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal extends the ball for a handoff in A&M's historic win over Oklahoma

Reggie McNeal knew he would play a little in Texas A&M's biggest game of 2002, but he was still the backup quarterback to Dustin Long and he didn't expect his role to be significant.

That changed dramatically at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma had come to Kyle Field as the No. 1 team in the land and the Sooners showed their quality in the opening period, especially on defense. Long was just 3-of-9 for 28 yards passing and an interception.

Aggie head coach R.C. Slocum made the change. He instructed offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin to send in the true freshman.

It took just one drive for McNeal to get settled. A&M went three-and-out on his first possession, but from that point forward he put on a show that would earn him National Player of the Week honors.

Texas A&M beat the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in its history. The Aggies upset the Sooners 30-26 and wrecked OU's chances for a second national championship in three years.

The Coaching Tree

The early 2000s belong to the Sooners. Head coach Bob Stoops was building a powerhouse.

The foundation of the offensive juggernaut that Oklahoma would become was laid by a series of all-star coordinators.

Mike Leach was the OC in Stoops' first season in 1999. He left the next year for Texas Tech, where he would finish as the most successful coach in school history and earn the AP Coach of the Year award in 2008.

Mark Mangino followed Leach and guided the offense for the 2000 and 2001 seasons, which included the perfect 13-0 record and BCS National Championship in 2000. Mangino took over the Kansas program in 2002 and finished second all-time in wins and was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2007.

Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, who was offensive coordinator for the Aggies' upset of Oklahoma in 2002.

Former Iowa legend Chuck Long and Kevin Wilson replaced Mangino as co-coordinators in 2002. Under their tutelage, the Sooners averaged 45 points per game on offense that year.

OU had consistency on its defensive staff, which was led by Mike Stoops and Brent Venables, for five straight seasons before Stoops took the head coaching job at Arizona in 2003. Venables ran the defense on his own until 2011, when he left for Clemson.

On the A&M side, future Hall of Fame head coach R.C. Slocum was in his final year with the Aggies. It wasn't official yet in November, but the writing was on the wall. He promoted an up-and-coming offensive star named Kevin Sumlin to offensive coordinator four weeks into the 2002 season.

Sumlin was in his second year with the program after spending three seasons at his alma mater, Purdue, where he helped install a new-fangled offense called "the spread" for head coach Joe Tiller. With this uncommon system, Boilermakers quarterback and Austin Westlake graduate Drew Brees shattered Big Ten records and led Purdue to the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2000 season.

Mike Hankwitz was A&M's defensive coordinator from 1997 through 2002. He led the famed "Wrecking Crew" defenses that were the terror of the Big 12 for six years.

So, it was an Old West showdown: on one side of the dusty street were Bob Stoops, Chuck Long, Kevin Wilson, Mikes Stoops and Brent Venables. On the other side were R.C. Slocum, Kevin Sumlin and Mike Hankwitz.

The Sooners had narrowly escaped Kyle Field with a victory in 2000 on their way to the BCS title, but now in 2002, they had returned. They were No. 1 in the country again and seeking another BCS crown.

The Game

The Aggies did not enter the game riding high. They were coming off losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma State and had lost three out of four at Kyle Field. OU entered on a three-game winning streak.

The Sooners took a 7-0 in the first quarter. They added a field goal early in the second to go up 10-0, but then A&M turned it on.

McNeal had replaced the embattled Long and on his second series, he scrambled for an 18-yard gain. Then he launched a 61-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Murphy. The Aggies were back in business, trailing 10-6.

OU countered with another field goal to go up 13-6 with 1:39 left in the first half.

Bethel Johnson

Texas A&M wide receiver Bethel Johnson delivers a stiff arm versus Texas in 2002. Johnson caught a TD in the Aggies' big win over Oklahoma

A&M used 1:29 to tie the game.

McNeal struck through the air again, his second of four TD passes on the night. This one was a 40-yard toss to Greg Porter and after the PAT, the Aggies went into halftime tied 13-13.

A&M picked up in the second half where it left off in the first. McNeal faced a third-and-16 situation on his first drive after the break and converted it with a 33-yard run. Three plays later, he threw his third TD pass in about a quarter and a half of game action.

This one was a 17-yard strike to Bethel Johnson. The Aggies took their first lead 20-13.

But OU was good, as was previously stated. Sooners QB Nate Hybl promptly hit Curtis Fagan for a 68-yard TD through the air and the game was tied again at 20-20.

A&M's scariest moment came on its ensuing possession. It was the moment every underdog dreads when it starts gaining hope a turnover. McNeal threw an interception and OU converted it into a field goal to take a 23-20 lead.

The freshman showed poise, though. He connected with Murphy for another long touchdown. This time it was 40 yards, which gave the pair 108 yards and two TDs on two completions. Murphy finished with five catches for 128 yards on the day.

The PAT gave the Aggies the lead again and this time they wouldn't let it go. They were up 27-23 by the end of the third quarter.

They added a field goal of their own 40 seconds into the fourth quarter to increase their margin to 30-23. OU managed a field goal with just under nine minutes to play and after that, A&M's defense did the rest. They denied the Sooners points for the remainder of the game and held on for the 30-26 upset.

"I was able to get in the groove," McNeal said after the game. "After that first touchdown, I felt this was the night. We had the mindset were going to do anything it took."

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Could A&M beat tu? Sure. Anything is possible.

Will they? Not with Reed as QB.

Defeating tough teams requires the willingness to take risks. The desire to win rather that the desire to not lose.

It's why Ohio State **** the bed against tu.. They quit playing to win. They started playing not to lose. The ubiquitous RC Slocum prevent offense which was why we fired him at the end of that season in favor of Dennis Franchione.

But for all his flaws RC wasn't stupid, and he was willing to try to do something different when what you were doing didn't work.

It is like a research paper and you are trying to find an article in the magazine "Intellect" and the librarian at the public library says "Intellect? I don't think we have that in Lampasas."

It appears there's none in the athletic department at A&M anymore, either.

LB12MEEN said:

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Maroon Dawn said:

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LB12MEEN said:

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No one thought OU was winning this past Saturday.

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OU doesn't have the worst QB in the P4

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So are you living under a rock or just doing your typical responses based on emotion without any thinking? Mateer's play was very similar to Reed's in their losses to Michigan and Georgia. He was been a crap show all season. He did not do much this past Saturday as well but he stopped turning the ball over. And it was enough in a rivalry game where his team played hard the entire time. Oh wait, you said that does not happen in rivalry games when the team only was that one win to play for. I'm seeing a trend here with your posts on this thread. Strike outs.

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"For one game we stop sucking because these paid mercenaries deeply care about it!"

If that's your game plan then it's clear why you are t the HC