Preview #1:
The 2024 College Football season kicks off today, when Tarleton State hosts McNeese State in Stephenville, TX. It is the first nationally televised game in the history of Tarleton, an ambitious state school that recently qualified for the NCAA Division 1 ranks.
Tarleton State, the second largest school in the Texas A&M System, is dreaming big. Student enrollment is approaching 20,000 and is set to grow due to size constraints at the flagship in College Station. The Texans will travel to Kyle Field to face the Aggies in 2025.
Last year, Tarleton completed an expansion of Memorial Stadium, their home since 1951. As reported by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the improved stadium will host pre-game festivities celebrating Tarleton’s arrival in the big leagues. It will be a party today at Memorial Stadium.
But you should know something about that stadium as you watch today.
From 1977 to 1991, Tarleton & Austin College were competitors in the TIAA Conference. During that time span, AC dominated Tarleton on the gridiron. That domination included Memorial Stadium, where AC owned a 7-6 record against the Texans on their home turf.
One of those 7 wins took place in 1984, when the season ending matchup between the Texans and the Roos decided the conference crown. Tarleton came out firing. But thanks to a Todd Elliott TD run, a Larry Fedora TD reception, and a Findlay Woodruff TD catch late in the fourth quarter, AC took a 20-19 lead. A Blake Hyde interception on the final Tarleton drive sealed the win and gave the Roos a conference title in Stephenville.
Every fall I tell the story of a past Roo football season. I’ve written about 1981, 1988, 1968, 2000, 1920, 1935, 1979, & 1990. This fall, we’ll tell the story of the 1984 TIAA champion Kangaroos. I’ll be including every Roo on the 1984 roster who can be found online, so they can contribute. Matt Kyle has already told me that the Hyde interception in Stephenville which secured a title is forever etched in his memory.
AC also has video on 8mm tape of the 1984 season, stored securely in their cooled archives. I plan to find a way to get that tape digitized, at no cost to Austin College (JR Ohr, email on the way). I mean, if I’m gonna spend time watching McNeese catch a TD pass at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville today, I might as well watch Larry Fedora catch a TD pass at the same place in 1984.
Good luck today Tarleton State in your new & improved Memorial Stadium. You’ve come so far in the past 40 years. I’ll be watching with a little TIAA pride next year as you take on the mighty Aggies of Texas A&M in College Station, the hometown of Marc Parrish and Larry Fedora.
But never forget. You were owned by AC during our years in the TIAA. That includes in Stephenville, where little Austin College secured a winning record against Tarleton State at their own Memorial Stadium. And that 7-6 record at Memorial Stadium is brought to you thanks to the Austin College Kangaroos of 1984.
Preview #2:
When you are from my & Larry Fedora’s sleepy little community of Bryan/College Station, change happens slowly.
On November 30, 1984, Robert Cessna wrote about the upcoming Aggie-Longhorn football game in the B/CS Eagle. He also wrote about 1984 Kangaroo Larry Fedora earning TIAA All Conference honors (alongside his already earned NAIA All-American status).
That’s neat for me. Cause you see, I always kick off a “Roo Season in Review” on November 30, before telling the story in December. We’ll do the same this December for the 1984 TIAA Conference Champion Austin College Kangaroos.
The 1984 story also will be a celebration of the career of 1984 Coach Mel Tjeerdsma. Coach T recently let us know about the medical challenges he is facing; my hope is that the story will lift spirits and help with recovery. It has been an absolute blast reading about Coach T, both before and after 1984. The constant theme is that wherever Coach Tjeerdsma goes, success follows.
And thanks to the help of JR Ohr, Emily Eldridge, and the folks at the AC archives, we might actually have 1984 video to share alongside the story! Digitizing 1984 tape is complicated, and still in the early stages. But fingers crossed we’ll get that across the goal line. Thank you JR!
Change comes slowly to Bryan/College Station. Want proof? After 40 years, Robert Cessna STILL writes for the B/CS Eagle. He’ll be writing about the Aggie-Longhorn game this year, which returns after an 11-year hiatus.
When will that game be played? C’mon man, you should know Marc loves the ties. The rivalry returns November 30, the same day we kick off the story of the 1984 Roos.
So why share this little blurb about November 30 today? Well today just happens to be the birthday of Bryan/College Station native Larry Fedora. Y’all wish Larry a happy birthday as we get ready to tell the story of Coach T and the 1984 Roos starting November 30.
And then one day after we’re all done, maybe Larry and I will show you around our sleepy little community of Bryan/College Station. Heck, maybe we’ll even include lunch with Robert Cessna.
Preview #3:
The 1984 Roo Season in Review is coming along nicely. A draft is written, and articles and photos have been collected. The story will go through the awesome 1984 season, documenting each TIAA game from that championship year. All 1984 team members online have been Facebook friended.
I’m also digitizing 1984 championship game footage vs. Tarleton as we speak. A big thank you to the AC Archives for letting me walk out of the library with the 16mm reel of that game so we can all watch after 40 years. I’m looking forward to seeing those two Todd Elliott TDs (to Larry Fedora & Finley Woodruff) which brought home the TIAA title.
The tale will also highlight the Joaquin “Dude” Johnson Scholarship, named in honor of the 1984 wide receiver who caught passes alongside Fedora & Woodruff. The scholarship, which assists AC minority students studying pre-law, was named for Johnson after he passed. It is administered by Bill Ucherek II and other Roos who were influenced by Johnson.
But the story will also be a shoutout to the career of Coach Mel Tjeerdsma. Coach T. has kept us informed this year about his health struggles. My hope is that the 1984 Roo Season in Review will lift his spirits and help with recovery. Over the 50-year period from 1970 to 2020, Coach T. won EVERYWHERE. I’m familiar with that entire career now, including my four years in Sherman when Tjeerdsma’s squads were an incredible 18-2 at home. Thanks Coach.
This 1984 story will kick off on December 1st and last through the entire month of December. 1984 team member contributions are more than welcome from now through the end of the story. Thank you in advance. It’ll be a fun one.
I’ve been writing furiously this week however, and I suddenly need a little break from all things 1984. So, I think I’ll spend the rest of the evening relaxing to the 1984 album “1984” by Van Halen before getting back to writing. After a rest, I’ll “jump” back into the story. It’s fun Roo football after all, so I “might as well jump.” 
Designation: the “Joaquin Johnson Memorial Scholarship”