Two minutes before the end of the first quarter against Texas, the bar crowd at Lustre Pearl East groaned in unison.
Texas A&M football star Marcel Reed went down Friday — hard. Fans decked in maroon winced and brought their hands to their heads in disbelief as the replay revealed just how awkwardly he landed. One Aggies fan stood frozen, hand over his face, whispering a drawn out, “No…”
By the time the quarterback limped off the field, chants of “Marcel Reed!” were already ringing out, fists punching the air as if the backup might sprint on and put the Longhorns in their place. It had been a slow game so far, and Reed was injured on second down.
For a moment, the crowd’s energy surged hopefully — a loud, sudden swell ahead of a third-down attempt — but the play went nowhere. Then came an opportunity to put the first points of the game on the board.
But the kick was blocked, and several fans simply sank in their seats. Deflated, but not yet defeated. Still three more quarters to go, right?
Things got stranger early in the second quarter. Just as A&M broke off a big play with about 10 minutes left to go, a power surge plunged most of the bar into darkness. Overhead lights snapped off. Every TV but one went dead.
Instead, dozens of fans pivoted toward the lone surviving screen and watched in tight, anxious rows. Those five minutes of darkness felt like a full quarter in Aggieland.
When A&M’s Kevin Concepcion finally found open field and took off, the pub on Linden Street erupted. After a sluggish stretch of football, it was the release everyone had been waiting for.
The Aggies punched into the touchdown moments later, and the reaction shook the room. Fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the largest screen, roaring with pride.
At halftime, all was well at 10-3. And the Aggies probably wish they could’ve stopped right there.
Despite the throngs of Aggies fans that descended upon Austin, Texas ended up winning the Lone Star Showdown.
A&M managed just a touchdown over the final two quarters. Longhorns QB Arch Manning emerged to lead Texas to three touchdowns and a field goal in the second half.
The Aggies are still in the race for the national title, with a likely College Football Playoff spot coming. But for fans eager for revenge over the hated rival Longhorns, that will likely have to wait until 2026.