Like most current Texas A&M students, my memories of the last A&M-Texas football game are fuzzy.

A vague image of Justin Tucker’s game-winning field goal on a television somewhere in Texas, a reaction from my family that 6-year-old me didn’t fully understand followed by years and years of wondering when the Aggies and Longhorns will meet again.

Feel old yet, Ags?

13 long years later — which I’ve spent in Aggieland searching for something to fill that void — and the game has finally returned. Now it’s time for a new generation of students to make the rivalry their own.

Mind the generation gap

For the first time in the history of the Lone Star Showdown, there’s a clear generation gap between Aggies that experienced the A&M-Texas football rivalry and those that haven’t. 

There have been two four-year gaps in the rivalry, from 1894–98 and from 1911–1915. But nothing comes close to the 13 years since the titans of Texas have faced each other on the gridiron — and that’s created an interesting vibe amongst players and fans alike.

“When I was younger, I didn’t really watch it or pay too much attention to it,” senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner said at the 2024 SEC Media Days. “I didn’t know about the rivalry actually until I started getting recruited more to A&M. But the rivalry is going to be fun.”

While Old Army may find themselves shocked and appalled that someone from DeSoto, Texas, didn’t know much about the A&M-Texas rivalry, it’s to be expected given the age gap. 

But there’s another side of the story on this year’s Aggie team — and one a lot of students may find themselves relating to. Never fear, Old Army, the flame still burns. 

“I was born and raised an Aggie,” junior offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said at the 2024 SEC Media Days. “I’ve heard about the tradition from my parents and my grandparents. So I’m excited for it. I actually have a longhorn hanging in my room — it happens to be upside down.”

Life in the void

Growing up in College Station in the wake of the Aggies’ move to the Southeastern Conference was like growing up reaching for something that had just slipped beyond your grasp. Similar to how most of Kevin Sumlin’s tenure at the helm of A&M was spent searching for the next Johnny Manziel, we — the next generation of Aggies-to-be — searched for what the next rivalry might be. 

Would it be Arkansas, with the annual chaotic trips to AT&T Stadium? Or perhaps LSU, the annual Thanksgiving game that replaced Texas on the calendar? Could it be Alabama, the juggernaut of the 2010s under former coach Nick Saban that everyone in the country was gunning for? 

This wasn’t entirely unsuccessful, mind you. I still can’t stand LSU football fans. And I hate hearing Woo Pig Sooie. Plus seeing Vanderbilt upset Alabama this season was cathartic. 

But even back then, we knew: Nothing could replace Texas. The stories we heard only made us crave the return of the rivalry even more.

Sure, we filled the void. We scoured bowl projections hoping 8-4 A&M would meet 6-6 Texas in the AdvoCare Texas Bowl. We grew up wearing “You call it a mascot, we call it a hamburger” shirts from Aggieland Outfitters. And we did what we could to keep the feel of the rivalry alive — including a classmate of mine in elementary school dumping all of his school “points” into winning a Longhorn poster for the sole purpose of ripping it in half in front of the class.

But now, the game is back. And it’s a chance for the New Army to make those memories of their own. It’s the same kind of stories some of us heard repeated from our parents, relatives and family friends growing up — the kind we all hear from Old Ags now that we’ve found ourselves in Aggieland, regardless of where we started. 

Bring it on

On Nov. 30, the west side of Kyle Field will be full of Aggies fulfilling a dream they’ve had since Tucker’s kick sailed through the uprights as the clock struck 0:00 in 2011. They’re the ones who said “Goodbye to Texas University,” and they’ll be the ones in the cushy seats as the Aggies and the Longhorns take the field again. 

But the east side will be full of fresh faces. Students who have only heard of what the game is like, and have never experienced it firsthand. 

We’ve heard the boasts of prowess bold from Texas fans — and the folks we grew up with who wound up at that school in Austin — but haven’t had the chance to join the fight ourselves. 

So listen up, New Army. On Nov. 30, we make a name for ourselves. We fight for the Maroon and White, and we yell for every single one of the 13 years we’ve been yearning for the chance to experience this game.