November 29, 2002 5:31 AM

Today really should be a Texas national holiday

What's at stake in Texas-A&M game? Plenty....

Having been neither born nor raised in Texas, I was never steeped in the tradition that is the Texas- Texas A&M football game. As rivalries go, this one is right at the top of the list.

But when the whistle blows and the football starts turning end over end, so, too, will stomachs turn nervously for those cheering their respective teams.

Still, this is a game of what-might-have-beens. And what-will-bes.

This is a game of starting all over for both teams, both head coaches and both programs.

For Texas quarterback Chris Simms and a senior class that was supposed to have brought a national title back to the 40 Acres, the job is establishing another starting point for the next quarterback, whether that player is Vincent Young or Chance Mock, and the next title-contending team.

For A&M and a senior class that hoped to bring national prominence back to the Brazos Valley, the task will be taking out the archrival to soothe the pain of losing a big part of the Aggies' defense's future -- freshman tackle Brandon Fails. And, it is a game that could show the way to a return to glory after six years of struggles.

Rare is it that a single game can affect an entire program for years, but this is one that always has.

In 1984, a struggling A&M program changed its fate with a stirring 37-12 victory. Before that chilly night in Austin, the Aggies were talented, but underachieving, much like this version of the Aggies.

Then-coach Jackie Sherrill had talent and decent wins under his belt, but before '84 the Ags had at least four losses in eight consecutive seasons and did nothing that could serve as a springboard.

Then, the Aggies blitzed the Longhorns in front of 83,000-plus fans, putting an exclamation point on their future with a blocked field goal by sophomore Domingo Bryant and a 70-yard return by Jeff Payne just as the Longhorns were trying to get back in the game.

That impressive win changed everything for the Aggies program. A&M went on to build a Southwest Conference machine, winning six conference championships over the ensuing nine seasons, beating their archrivals six consecutive times and finishing in the nation's top 10 five times.

For the Longhorns, the turning point came in 1995, under John Mackovic.

Before that chilly evening in College Station, the Longhorns had seen their dominance of football in this state vanish. The Aggies ruled the state and the Horns were searching for a turnaround -- a group of talented players that could change the program's course.

They found it, beginning with a 16-6 victory over the favored Aggies in '95. The Aggies might have won the Big 12 in '98 in surprising fashion, but UT was building and growing into a more consistent force, especially after the arrival of Mack Brown.

Texas won five of the following six meetings after '95 and rode the Simms class to a consistent place in the nation's top 10; A&M again lost at least four games in six of the ensuing seven years.

Earlier this season, when UT was still in the hunt for the national title, this game loomed large. Now, it's merely hugely important, if only for bragging rights. Aggies and 'Horns statewide will be glued to their television sets watching a Texas tradition unfold for 3+ hours. It should be fun.

I have to work today, but I know there will be at least on television brought into the office, and I don't imagine much work will get done between 11 and about 2.30. Ah, well...it sure beats shopping....

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on November 29, 2002 5:31 AM.

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