Tag: Lone Star Showdown

Return of the Lone Star Showdown: Latest Bowl Projections for the Texas Longhorns

ESPN has published their recent bowl projections. Both have the Texas Longhorns playing in a NY6 bowl including a return to a rivalry.

It won’t be long now for the start of the Longhorns 2020 college football season. With less than a week remaining, the projections are flying off the shelf. ESPN recently released their Top 25 Power Rankings with Texas breaking into the top 10. This comes off the heels of the Longhorns being ranked 14th in the latest SP+ rankings.

The Longhorns have been waiting almost a decade for the return of an old rivalry. Yes, we are talking about that Texas-Texas A&M rivalry when Justin Tucker sent them off to the SEC with a last-second field goal in their house. Since then fans have waited for the return of the rivalry. According to latest bowl projections, could we finally get our wish? Possibly.

Mark Schlabach predicts a Texas vs A&M bowl

Darren Carroll/Getty Images

Mark Schlabach of ESPN is predicting a bowl game to host the dormant rivalry game. Although, if you are active on social media you would think that it never went away. What better game to host the potential re-birth than the historic Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. The Longhorns haven’t played in the classic since the 2002-03 season where they defeated LSU 35-20. The Aggies haven’t played in the Cotton Bowl since they stomped a mudhole in the Oklahoma Sooners back in 2013.

Not only would this bring back the Longhorns and Aggies rivalry for one game but it would mark the first time ever they met in a bowl game. The history of this game dates all the way back to 1894. It would be a shame to let it die the way that it did.

Kyle Bonagura predicts a Fiesta Bowl berth

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

In the second prediction ESPN made, Kyle Bonagura also put Texas in a NY6 bowl game this season. This time a return to the Fiesta Bowl against another SEC foe. It has been more than a decade since the Longhorns have step foot in Glendale, AZ for the Fiesta Bowl. In fact they have just played in that bowl game twice in their history. The only win came in 2008 when Colt McCoy led them to victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Auburn Tigers are the opponent for the Longhorns in this predictions. The two schools haven’t played since 1991. The Tigers and Longhorns first played each other in 1910 when Texas won 9-0. The Longhorns hold a 5-3 advantage despite the Tigers two-game win streak. Their only bowl matchup came in the 1974 Gator Bowl. Auburn won 27-3.

 

Tom Herman wants to see a return to the Texas-A&M rivalry

For years now, Texas has been reaching out to Texas A&M to renew the rivalry. Head coach Tom Herman hopes it can come back, even this year.

In the midst of a pandemic, nearly anything is possible surrounding the college football season. Games might be canceled and replaced with other opponents. For now, none of Texas’ 12 regular-season games have been and the schedule remains the same. But if they are, head coach Tom Herman has a replacement in mind.

For years now, Texas has been reaching out to old in-state rival Texas A&M to renew a historic rivalry. For some reason, the Aggies refuse to schedule even a neutral site game with the Longhorns, letting the matchup go dormant for nine years now. COVID-19 could possibly change that.

“We’d love to play ’em, I know that,” Herman said. “I know that at least I know within our program we would love to play Texas A&M, certainly.”

Texas A&M has seen its third game of the season against Colorado canceled. That would leave Sept. 19 as the open date for the Aggies, while Texas is currently scheduled to play against UTEP.

Located in El Paso, Texas, the Miners would have to travel over 575 miles just to face the Longhorns. In comparison, Austin and College Station are just 107 miles apart.

Nothing is for certain but it seems as Texas is willing to play game No. 119 in the rivalry. Texas A&M is the one who needs to accept the phone call from athletic director Chris Del Conte and figure something out.

The 2021 season will mark a decade since the last matchup when Justin Tucker hit a game-winning field goal at Kyle Field. While remembering the Lone Star Showdown by that moment is nice, some fresh memories between the Longhorns and Aggies would be even better.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

A special Thanksgiving series history against Texas A&M

A dead rivalry since 2011, Texas used to play Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night. Here is the series history between these two bitter rivals.

One of the best rivalries in all of college football, the annual Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M was played every single year from 1915-2011. The rivalry had started before then, being played 22 times beginning in 1894.

Being played on Thanksgiving for the first time in 1901, it became an annual tradition beginning in 1996. Playing on the holiday for a total of 63 times, it was one of, if not the only, college football game played that night.

When Texas A&M left for the SEC in 2012, the matchup that had been played 118 times went dormant. There have been rumors of the two schools playing each other in a bowl game, but until then, it remains a dead rivalry.

Here is the series history of the historic Thanksgiving Day rivalry between the Longhorns and Aggies:

All-time series record: Texas leads 76-37-5

Largest wins: Texas 48-0 in 1898, Texas A&M 42-10 in 1985

Latest Texas win: Nov. 24, 2011

The final matchup between the two schools took place in College Station where the 25th ranked Longhorns faced now NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Neither team lit up the stat sheet, with Texas having 237 yards and Texas A&M having 328. Both teams each had 10 penalties, totaling 187 yards.

The Aggies were in total control of the game in the middle of the second quarter, up 13-0. Their defense had forced the seventh straight Texas punt, but returner Dustin Harris muffed the punt and the Longhorns recovered. One play later, wide receiver Jaxon Shipley threw a double pass 41-yard touchdown to Blaine Irby.

After a couple A&M field goals to end the half, Tannehill threw a pick-six to Carrington Byndom to cut the Longhorn deficit to two.  Later in the quarter, Quandre Diggs took a punt down to the Aggie nine-yard line to set up the field goal that gave Texas their first lead. The Longhorns extended that lead to 24-16 on their next drive via a Cody Johnson rushing touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, A&M scored 10 points in their final two drives, taking the 25-24 lead. With 1:48 left in the game, quarterback Case McCoy lead Texas on a drive to put them in field goal range that included a 25 yard run from McCoy. They set up kicker Justin Tucker to have a chance to end the rivalry with a game-winning field goal.

Tucker hit the field goal to give the Longhorns their 76th win in series history. Texas ended the rivalry the only way they knew how, with a win.

Latest Texas A&M win: Nov. 25, 2010

Thanksgiving night 2010 ended up being the final Lone Star Showdown that took place in Austin. The Aggies were ranked No. 17 at the time and had a chance to make an appearance in the Big 12 championship with a win. Even though they beat Texas by seven, they still came up a little short of winning the Big 12 South.

The story of the game was Texas A&M’s running back Cyrus Gray. On 27 rushes, he ran for 223 yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. A good chunk of his yards came on his two touchdowns, where he had an 84-yard score in the second quarter and a 43-yard touchdown that ended up being the game-winning score for Texas A&M.

For Texas, quarterback Garrett Gilbert was under-center, where he went 20-37 with 219 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His one touchdown came late in the first quarter, as he found Marquise Goodwin for a 31-yard touchdown. Running back Cody Johnson had 107 yards on 14 carries, leading the Longhorns in rushing.

Down seven late in the fourth quarter, Texas had the opportunity to tie the game up in the red zone. On 3rd and 5, Gilbert threw his second interception of the night, sealing the A&M win.

Since the game ended in 2011, both teams have played different teams on Thanksgiving weekend. Texas has played TCU and Texas Tech on both Thanksgiving night and the day after the holiday. Add Kansas into the mix and the Longhorns have not had a consistent opponent. For Texas A&M, they have developed a small rivalry with LSU while also playing Missouri.

While it may be a long ways off, these two schools will find a way to renew the rivalry, hopefully on Thanksgiving night.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]