The UT-A&M rivalry returns today after a long break. We all get to welcome its long overdue arrival, with the hope that the game will flourish once again. This current hiatus, however, was not the first break in the rivalry. There was an earlier one, patched up by an Austin College Kangaroo.
Robert Vinson (AC ’97) led Roo football on the gridiron against Texas A&M in 1896. That year, only three colleges in the Lone Star State fielded football teams: Texas A&M, Texas, and little Austin College. That 1896 AC – Aggie game was the first for both schools against a collegiate opponent.
The first AC – Longhorn game, however, would not take place until the first break in the UT-A&M rivalry. After a heated game in 1911, Texas refused to play A&M again until the Aggies fired their coach. Aggieland did not budge. So, UT went looking for a replacement opponent. The Horns found one in Austin College.
The 1912 AC – Longhorn replacement game was a classic. The story of that game, one in which Austin College “defeated” the Longhorns, is told in my 2017 Roo Tale: “We. Wuz. Robbed. Longhorns vs. Roos.” The last chapter of my story (in the comments) is a celebration of the UT-A&M rivalry and a hope for its return:
“Even if it takes years, it’s just a matter of time before the rivalry returns. Because it’s just a game, we can go without it for a while. But a critical mass demanding its return will probably emerge, as Texans reach a point in their lives when they realize there’s a lot in the rivalry to celebrate – regardless of which football team wins.”
That first rivalry break ended in 1915, when the Longhorns lost to the Aggies 13-0 in the first UT-A&M game ever played at Kyle Field. That A&M victory is legendary in College Station, in part because the score was branded by Aggie students on UT’s original Longhorn mascot. According to legend (not true but a good story), the name “Bevo” is a modification of the “13-0” brand. Despite its resumption, the rivalry was still marked by tension thanks to incidents like the branding of Bevo.
But in 1919, the “beef” between UT & A&M was permanently laid to rest by the President of the University of Texas. The Aggies defeated the Horns 7-0 in 1919, a year in which the original Bevo was in a steep decline. So, the UT President put his mascot out to pasture and invited the Aggies to bury the hatchet and join the Longhorns at a banquet where Bevo was the main course.
The “13-0” on Bevo’s hide was salvaged by taxidermy and presented to Texas A&M officials as a gift. Bevo’s horns were preserved and displayed on the University of Texas campus as a monument for future Longhorns. The UT-A&M rivalry began to flourish once again after 1919. Here’s hoping the same is true for the rivalry after tonight’s game.
The President of the University of Texas in 1919 played a significant role strengthening the UT-A&M rivalry after its first break. And for that, Longhorns & Aggies should be grateful to Austin College. For the 1919 UT President was a Kangaroo who had led Roo football on the gridiron against Texas A&M in 1896. His name, as mentioned earlier, was Robert Vinson (AC ’97).
