Oh my gracious, there have been dozens of great plays in Texas A&M football history.
With
that in mind, TexAgs is ranking the greatest 50 plays in Texas A&M
football history. The list will be revealed five plays at a time from
No. 50 to No. 1.
There were big runs, big catches, big hits, big
kicks and big returns. Some produced iconic moments. Some clinched
championships. Some contributed to stunning upsets. Some even came in
losses. There was “The Hit,” “The Texas Special” and “Bo No Go.” There
was Johnny Football, Sirr Parker and Toooombs.
They will bring
back great memories. They will cause great debates. There will be
questions like “How could that play not be higher?” or “Why was this
play omitted?”
Oh Doctor, it was hard compiling our list. See how closely yours matches ours.
20. Johnny Manziel walks the tightrope vs. OU (Jan. 4, 2013): In the days leading up to the Cotton Bowl, there was speculation that Johnny Manziel might struggle like many previous Heisman Trophy winners had in their bowl games. It took about two minutes for Manziel to demonstrate that would not be the case. On their opening drive, the Aggies faced third-and-nine at the OU 23-yard line when Manziel dropped back to pass. A blitzing safety forced Manziel out of the pocket. He reversed field, outran the pursuit to the left sideline, picked up a blocked from Kenric McNeal at the 10-yard line and tightroped the sideline for nine yards and the touchdown. Television replays confirmed Manziel somehow managed to stay in bounds to score a touchdown that set the tone for a 41-13 Aggies victory.
19. Kennedy’s catch stuns Alabama (Nov. 10, 2012): Two plays after a T.J. Yeldon fumble and one play after Johnny Manziel hit Ryan Swope with a deep pass, the Aggies had first down at the Alabama 24-yard line. With A&M holding a 23-17 lead, Manziel dropped back and passed toward the left pylon for Malcome Kennedy, who had beaten Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner from the slot. Kennedy reached out for Manziel’s arching pass at the 2-yard line, juggled it for a split second, gained control and stepped into the end zone with 8:37 remaining. That touchdown proved to provide the winning points in the Aggies’ 29-24 upset victory over the No. 1 Crimson Tide.
18. Hugh McElroy burns LSU (Sept. 19, 1970): Hugh McElroy is well known as the first African American to start for A&M. The LSU Tigers would know him as the guy who beat them in ’70. LSU was ranked 12th at the time, but A&M (which would finish just 2-9 that season) fought the Tigers toe-to-toe. Still, the Aggies trailed 18-13 with 13 seconds to go. That’s when quarterback Lex James threw deep for McElroy. An LSU defender went for the interception, but the football passed through his hands and into McElroy’s. McElroy split two defenders and raced into the end zone to complete a 79-yard touchdown pass that lifted the Aggies to a 20-18 win.
No video available.
17. Mike Evans on the sideline vs Ole Miss (Oct. 6, 2012): Two plays before, Johnny Manziel narrowly avoided a safety sack that likely would have clinched a victory for Ole Miss. Trailing 27-17 in the fourth quarter, the Aggies faced third-and-19 on the 3-yard line. Manziel dropped back in the end zone and lofted a high-arcing pass toward Mike Evans on the right sideline. The pass was slightly underthrown, but the 6-foot-5 Evans reached over Senquez Golson for a 32-yard gain. Two plays later, Manziel ran 29 yards for a touchdown and A&M went on to rally for a 30-27 victory.
16. Ja'Mar Toombs rumbles vs. Nebraska (Oct. 10, 1998): No. 2 ranked Nebraska had overwhelmed A&M in the Big 12 championship game the previous season, but the Aggies were looking for payback at Kyle Field. The score was tied 7-7 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half, and A&M faced third-and-two from its own 28-yard line. Quarterback Randy McCown handed off to fullback Ja'Mar Toombs, who burst up the middle into the Nebraska secondary. The 270-pound Toombs rambled 71 yards before being dragged down at the 1-yard line. Dante’ Hall scored on the next play to give A&M a 14-7 halftime lead and the Aggies went on to post a 28-21 victory.
I was there that night. Gainfully unemployed waiting to go in the service. I'll concede the point that one can only get so drunk. That night and another, which led to a discussion on another thread, are one/two in no particular order of the drunkest I've ever been in my life. The old Ag's at the bar at the team's hotel couldn't buy enough drinks.
The person that is not willing to fight and die, if need be, for his country has no right to life.
