Skip to main content

The 5 Most Painful Losses in Texas A&M Football History

Looking back at the 5 most emotional and painful defeats ever suffered by Texas A&M football.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Case McCoy runs the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Texas defeated Texas A&M 27-25.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Case McCoy runs the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Texas defeated Texas A&M 27-25. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In this story:

If you're a true fan of a sports team, you tend to remember some of the worst losses even before the great games you witnessed.

They seem to hit harder, and the feelings you felt when these losses occurred come rushing back at the sight of a photo, video, or even just a mention of the game.

Here are the five Texas A&M losses that the 12th Man wish that they could forget.

5. The Shutout: 2003 at Oklahoma

November 8, 2003 game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.
November 8, 2003 OU and Texas A&M game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. | Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The only thing worse than losing to a Big 12 conference opponent is getting shut out by a conference opponent. Contrary to many people's first beliefs when introduced to this game, this was not just an OU defensive masterclass; the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners beat the Texas A&M Aggies 77-0.

This was an embarrassment, a decimation, and the 12th Man may never forget just how badly their team was beaten on that chilly November day in Oklahoma. This specific game has been etched in history as the sixth-largest margin of victory in college football history, and for the Aggies, that means the sixth-largest deficit.

4. The Comeback: 2017 at UCLA

UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen
UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3) throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies during an NCAA football game at Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Once again, Texas A&M finds itself in the history books for the wrong reason. In 2017, the UCLA Bruins completed the second-largest comeback in college football history, winning 45-44.

Deep in the third quarter, the Aggies had basically sealed the game at 44-10, or so they thought. The Bruins, though, had other plans and managed to score 35 points consecutively in just over a single quarter, with no response from the Aggies at all. This was a defensive and special teams meltdown that the 12th Man will try to forget for a very long time.

3. The Questionable Clock : 1998 vs. Texas

Texas running back Ricky Williams
Texas running back Ricky Williams (#34) breaking loose on his 60-yard touchdown run against Texas A&M on November 27, 1998, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. | Eric Gay-Associated Press

In 1998, Texas A&M went into Austin undefeated and left with a single loss on their record that would demolish their National Championship hopes. This wasn't just any game on the schedule, though; this was the Texas Longhorns, the Aggies' biggest rival in history, and a very mediocre Longhorn team at that.

For the last game of the regular season, Texas A&M thought 7-3 Texas would be a cakewalk, just one final roadblock before the postseason. Instead, the Aggies met Ricky Williams, who would run circles around the "Wrecking Crew," and even had a 60-yard breakout touchdown near the end of the game. With Texas A&M in the lead, Texas went on a game-winning drive, with a very questionable out-of-bounds call that would stop the clock for Texas, who finished their drive with a 24-yard field goal and a win.

Saying Texas A&M wants this game back would be an understatement.

2. The Cotton Bowl Chill: 1992 vs. Florida State

1992 Cotton Bowl Classic, played on January 1, 1992, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
1992 Cotton Bowl Classic, played on January 1, 1992, at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. | Phil Coale/AP Photo

Though practically a home game for Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, at the Cotton Bowl, FSU would prove to be more accustomed to the surprising snow that blew into the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. No. 9 Texas A&M would once again miss a National Championship title to an unranked team, losing 10-2.

The two teams combined for 13 turnovers, which tied the 50-year-old Cotton Bowl record, but eight of them came from the Aggie sideline. The only points for them came from a safety, which just about sums up the entire game, being that both defenses stole the show. This is just another example of the Fightin' Famers crumbling before winning it all, and the 12th Man certainly wishes it had never happened.

1. The Kick Heard Round' the World: 2011 vs. Texas

Texas kicker Justin Tucker
Texas kicker Justin Tucker (#19) drilled a 40-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the No. 25 Longhorns to a 27-25 victory | David J. Phillip/AP Photo

This is the true worst thing that has ever happened to the Texas A&M program in its history. This kick from Texas Kicker Justin Tucker gives the 12th Man nightmares to this day, and may never be lived down from either sideline.

As if it were a kiss goodbye, this game-winning 40-yard kick in Kyle Field sent the Aggies off to the SEC with a loss from their rival school, and a loss that they had to sit with for nearly 13 years. With 88 thousand people in attendance, this ruined countless Texas A&M fans' Thanksgivings, and frankly, years, with just one game-winning drive.

Since this kick, Texas A&M has yet to take down Texas, and the curse lives on to see another year. The 12th Man can only hope that the curse is lifted in 2026 at Kyle Field.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on FacebookX and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
Dylan Fonville
DYLAN FONVILLE

Dylan Fonville is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies on SI from San Antonio, Texas. He attends Texas A&M, majoring in journalism and minoring in sports management. He loves all sports and competition, specifically the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Cowboys. Currently on staff, he made his journalism debut at The Battalion, the Texas A&M newspaper. In addition to writing, he loves the world of sports broadcasting and hopes to be a color commentator in the future.

Share on XFollow dylanfonville