UT ruins Aggies’ farewell

By Associated Press     Nov 24, 2011

? Texas spoiled Texas A&M’s going away party.

Justin Tucker kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give the Longhorns a 27-25 victory over Texas A&M on Thursday night in the likely end of a more than century-old rivalry.

Texas A&M’s last Big 12 game and the 118th meeting between these bitter rivals before the Aggies depart for the Southeastern Conference next season was a thriller befitting one of college football’s oldest and most storied matchups.

The Aggies were down 24-19 before Ryan Tannehill found Jeff Fuller on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 1:48 remaining. But the 2-point conversion failed, leaving A&M (6-6, 4-5 Big 12) ahead 25-24.

The Longhorns’ winning drive was helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty and a 25-yard run by quarterback Case McCoy.

McCoy started Thursday after being benched after a loss to Oklahoma in favor of David Ash.

McCoy struggled to move the offense for much of the game, but he was able to do just enough to get the Longhorns in position for Tucker’s winner.

Texas players spilled onto the field as soon as the kick sailed through the uprights. At the same time, thousands of dejected Aggies fans streamed to the exits in the end of this holiday tradition in this football-crazy state.

Receiver Jaxon Shipley threw a touchdown pass on a trick play in the first half and the Longhorns took advantage of two interceptions in a 17-point third quarter to send the Aggies off with a loss.

Carrington Byndom’s interception return for a touchdown early in the third quarter cut Texas A&M’s lead to 16-14.

The Longhorns (7-4, 4-4) took a 17-14 lead on a 23-yard field goal later in the third.

Tannehill’s third interception led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Cody Johnson to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 24-16

At times the end of this bitter rivalry felt like a goodbye between longtime friends. The Longhorn band spelled out ‘Thanks A&M’ while playing “Thanks for the Memories.” Earl Campbell, who the Heisman Trophy at Texas in 1977, and Texas A&M’s John David Crow, winner of the award in 1957, watched the game sitting side by side in golf cart in the corner of the stadium.

Texas A&M’s collie mascot, Reveille, didn’t share in the goodwill. She showed her dislike for the Longhorns by chewing on a small stuffed version of Bevo, the Texas mascot during the game.

Texas A&M’s official fight song bids adieu to the Longhorns with the line “so long to the orange and white.” But the Aggies didn’t really want to say goodbye.

They’d hoped to continue the game, which began in 1894 and has been played every year since 1915, but the Longhorns said their schedule is full through 2018.

Countless great players and games have populated this series. Former Texas A&M coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 1954 team, which survived his grueling camp in Junction, Texas, played the Longhorns. Crow, A&M’s only Heisman winner, was a member of the first Aggie team to beat Texas at Memorial Stadium in 1956. It was against the Aggies in 1998 that the Longhorns’ Ricky Williams broke the Division I-A career rushing record in a 26-24 win.

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