Texas A&M chases perfection and a chance to crush Texas’ playoff dreams in high-stakes rivalry game | National Sports

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M owes Texas an awful lot of payback over the course of a rivalry that dates to 1894. This week looks like the perfect place to start.

The Longhorns dominate the overall series record. They crushed Aggie hearts with the winning field goal in 2011 before it went on hiatus for decade, then beat them again on their home turf last season when it returned. A group of Texas players gathered at midfield to celebrate on the A&M logo after the win.

kAm}@H[ }@] b %6I2D pU2>Aj| C6EFC?D E@ pFDE:? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 a_`_[ C:5:?8 @?6 @7 E96 36DE C68F=2C D62D@?D 😕 D49@@= 9:DE@CJ] p?5 E9:D J62C[ E96JVC6 E96 E62> 6J6:?8 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4@==686\7@@E32==\4@==686\DA@CED\7b6eb6h7bd3ec`5g4_27a`ga475ge7e3Qmr@==686 u@@E32== !=2J@77k^2m 2?5 2 492?46 E@ 4=:?49 2 36CE9 😕 E96 AC@8C2>VD 7:CDE $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46 E:E=6 82>6[ ?@E %6I2D]k^Am

kAmp?5 E96 6IEC2 >62DFC6 @7 DA:4J 😕 E9:D >2E49FAn %96 p88:6D W“\_[ f\_ $tr[ }@] b ru!X 42? @?46 2?5 7@C 2== DE2>A @FE %6I2D’ A=2J@77 9@A6D 😕 2 D62D@? E96 {@?89@C?D Wg\b[ d\a[ }@] `e ru!X DE2CE65 }@] ` 2?5 H6C6 ?2E:@?2= E:E=6 72G@C:E6D]k^Am

kAm!2J324< :?5665]k^Am

kAm“%96 6>@E:@?D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 9:89[Q %6I2D pU2>Aj| 4@249 |:<6 t=<@ D2:5 @7 H92E 😀 2E DE2<6 7@C E96 p88:6D] “$@>6E:>6D J@F 42? H2?E D@>6E9:?8 D@ 325[ :E 2=>@DE 3=:?5D J@F] *@F 92G6 E@ 36 C62==J 42C67F= @7 E92E]”k^Am

kAm%96 C:G2=CJ “H:== 2=H2JD 36 3:8[” t=<@ D2:5] Qx E9:?< H96? 3@E9 E62>D 2C6 A=2J:?8 2E 2 9:89 =6G6=[ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ >28?:7J :E ]]] %9:D J62C[ J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 @?6 E62> A=2J:?8 7@C 2 DA@E 😕 E96 A=2J@77] ~?6 E62> A=2J:?8 7@C 2 DA@E 😕 pE=2?E2]”k^Am

kAmp88:6 5676?D:G6 6?5 r2D9:FD w@H6== ?@E65 E96 :?E6?D:EJ 369:?5 >@C6 E92? 2 46?EFCJ @7 C:G2=CJ E92E DE:== 7:?5D 2 H2J E@ 3C:?8 D@>6E9:?8 6IEC2]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 C:G2=CJ E92E 52E6D[ J62CD[ J62CD 2?5 J62CD 2?5 J62CD] x @3G:@FD=J 2> 8@:?8 :?E@ E9:D 82>6 H:E9 >@C6 @7 2 7:C6 =:E[ ?@E @?=J >JD6=7[ 3FE FD 2 E62> 😕 86?6C2=[” w@H6== D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 {@?89@C?D H@F=5 8:G6 2?JE9:?8 E@ AFE 😕 2 56?E 😕 E96 p88:6DV F?56762E65 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm%6I2D 42?VE @4< pU2>Aj| @FE @7 E96 A=2J@77[ 3FE 4@F=5 FA6?5 E96 $tr E:E=6 5C62>D 2?5 62C? J6E 2?@E96C 492?46 E@ 8:8 E96 p88:6D 😕 E96 C64@C5 3@@

kAmp %6I2D H:? H@F=5 2=D@ C6G:G6 2C8F>6?ED 23@FE H96E96C E96 {@?89@C?D 36=@?8 😕 E96 A=2J@77] p G:4E@CJ H@F=5 36 E96 {@?89@C?DV E9:C5 @7 E96 D62D@? 282:?DE 2 %@A `_ @AA@?6?E]k^Am

kAm%6I2D 4@249 $E6G6 $2C<:D:2? 5:5?VE H256 :?E@ E9@D6 2C8F>6?ED E9:D H66<]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 😀 2 8C62E C:G2=CJ 82>6 ]]] E92E’D H96C6 @FC 7@4FD 2?5 6?6C8J :D[” $2C<:D:2? D2:5] “x’== E2=< 23@FE E92E 27E6C E96 82>6] x7 H6’C6 7@CEF?2E6 6?@F89 E@ H:? E96 82>6]”k^Am

k9amsF6=:?8 BF2CE6C324kAm%96 >2E49FA 762EFC6D EH@ @7 E96 9@EE6DE BF2CE6C324
kAm%6I2DV pC49 |2??:?8 92D 5C2>2E:42==J :>AC@G65 D:?46 9:D 62C=J D62D@? DECF88=6D 2?5 244@F?E65 7@C D:I E@F495@H?D 😕 2 H:? @G6C pC<2?D2D 2 H66< 28@] %6I2D pU2>Aj|VD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^288:6D\C665\96:D>2?\47A\6g_b_cb3`a_3e2ae363c7c7`c`d7h5gaQm|2C46= #665k^2m 92D 6>6C865 2D 2 =2E6\D62D@? w6:D>2? %C@A9J 4@?E6?56C 27E6C =625:?8 E96 p88:6D 7C@> 2 b_\b 567:4:E E@ 2 H:? @G6C $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 EH@ H66

kAm#665 92D a[fda J2C5D A2DD:?8 H:E9 ad E@F495@H?D A2DD6D] |2??:?8 92D a[feb J2C5D H:E9 ab %sD]k^Am

k9amz66A:?8 E9@D6 “qD @? E96 CF?k^9am

kAmq@E9 E62>D 92G6 6=:E6 A2DD CFD96CD E@ 492D6 BF2CE6C324kAm%6I2D pU2>Aj|VD w@H6== =625D E96 $tr H:E9 “ `^a D24>@?D[ 2 AC6D62D@? 2==\p>6C:42?[ 925 2 D=@H DE2CE E@ E96 D62D@? 3FE ?@H C2?

k9am#6EFC? E@ D6?56Ck^9am

kAm!F?E C6EFC?6CD #J2? }:3=6EE @7 %6I2D 2?5 zr r@?46A4:@? @7 %6I2D pU2>Aj| 92G6 366? EH@ @7 E96 $trVD 36DE 2?5 :E H@F=5 36 2 DFCAC:D6 :7 6:E96C E62> H2?ED E@ <:4< E@ E96>]k^Am

kAm}:3=6EEVD E@F495@H?D 4=:?4965 2 H:? @G6C ~<=29@>2 2?5 7@C465 @G6CE:>6 😕 2?@E96C H:? 282:?DE |:DD:DD:AA: $E2E6] r@?46A4:@? 2=D@ 92D EH@ C6EFC?D 7@C E@F495@H?D E9:D D62D@?]k^Am

k9am%6I2D CF??:?8 @? 6>AEJk^9am

kAm%6I2D 4@?EC@==65 =2DE D62D@?VD H:? @G6C %6I2D pU2>Aj| H:E9 2 5@>:?2?E CF? 82>6 A@H6C65 3J “F:?EC6G:@? (:D?6CVD `ge J2C5D] %96 {@?89@C?DV CF? AC@5F4E:@? 82>6 92D 5C@AA65 @77 5C2>2E:42==J 😕 a_ad] %6I2D C2?6] (:D?6C H2D E96 $trVD E@A C6EFC?:?8 CFD96C E9:D D62D@? 3FE 92D ;FDE cca J2C5D 😕 a_ad]k^Am

k9amp88:6D C6EFC? ~H6?D 😕 E96 324<7:6=5k^9am

kAm%6I2D pU2>Aj|VD E@A CF??:?8 324<[ {6V’6@? |@DD[ =:<6=J H@?VE C6EFC? E9:D H66< 27E6C >:DD:?8 E96 =2DE 7:G6 82>6D H:E9 2? 2?<=6 :?;FCJ] qFE E96 p88:6D D9@F=5 92G6 #6F36? ~H6?D xx 282:?] w6 5C6DD65 3FE D2E @FE =2DE H667@C5] ~H6?D 92D 366? E96 AC:>2CJ 32== 42CC:6C D:?46 |@DDVD :?;FCJ 2?5 =625D pU2>Aj| H:E9 df_ J2C5D 2?5 7:G6 E@F495@H?D]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! $A@CED (C:E6C zC:DE:6 #:6<6? 4@?EC:3FE65 7C@> r@==686 $E2E:@?[ %6I2D]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmv6E A@== 2=6CED 2?5 FA52E6D @? E96 p! %@A ad E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@?] $:8? FA k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A?6HD]4@>^?6HD=6EE6CDQm96C6k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2A\?6HD=6EE6CDQm96C6k^2m Wp! }6HD >@3:=6 2AAX] p! 4@==686 7@@E32==i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\7@@E32==\A@==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2A\E@A\ad\4@==686\7@@E32==\A@==k^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\7@@E32==Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^4@==686\7@@E32==k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.