President Kennedy challenged the nation to reach the moon in September 1962 at a speech at Rice stadium, and did so by asking why humankind would do anything challenging:
“But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?”
Why indeed? Rice has played Texas in football nearly 100 times, and has lost nearly 80% of the time.
Many of those losses were not close. Some have been by 40+, 50+, even 60+ points.
So surely the worst defeat in Rice history is at the hands of the Horns, right? Nope! The team that administered the biggest football beating of all time to the Owl is our beloved Roos. In 1912, Austin College defeated Rice 81-0.
Back to the 1909-1914 T.I.A.A. glory years! The November 29, 1912 Houston Post reported on the excruciatingly painful game played in Houston.
Quote: “Houston has seen the Farmers, champions of the Southwest; their defeated rivals, the famous Sooners; the dashing Longhorns and the stricken adherents of “Ole Miss” follow each other across the trampled sod at West End. But there has been no more brilliant exposition of team play than that Chester Johnston’s Austin collegians displayed here yesterday.”
Go Roos!
But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Austin College?
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