Longhorns Country

Longhorns QB Ehlinger Reveals Texas A&M Rivalry Wish

Former Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger gives his thoughts on the Texas/Texas A&M Rivalry, and what it might take to bring the game back in the future

Matt Galatzan

The last time Texas and Texas A&M squared off on the football field was in November of 2011, when Longhorns kicker Justin Tucker booted a 40-yard field goal to give UT 27-25 win at Kyle Field in College Station. 

That night, Case McCoy and Jaxon Shipley did their best to echo the performances of their older brothers and Longhorn legends, Colt and Jordan, and did just enough, giving the program the last laugh over their heated rival of over 126 years.

At that time, future Longhorn legend quarterback Sam Ehlinger was just 13 years old, watching the game, and dreaming of playing his part in the rivalry matchup one day in the future. 

READ MORE: Quiet and Cautious, Texas' Sarkisian Keeping QB Battle Close To Home

Unfortunately for Ehlinger, that day never came, as the Aggies shipped themselves off to the SEC during a Power Five restructure that also saw schools such as Nebraska and Colorado leave the Big 12 for greener pastures, while the Longhorns were left looking for a true in-state rivalry competitor.

"That was such a staple for the state of Texas, that game," Ehlinger told 105.3 the Fan in Dallas. "I definitely wish that we had gotten the chance to play them, and I hope to see it back soon." 

To his credit, Ehlinger still managed to play some part in the rivalry from time to time, even on social media, where the former Longhorn would hold nothing back against his school's former arch-nemesis. 

Still, once the Aggies were no longer standing on the other side of the field from the Longhorns, that fun feud never quite felt the same. 

Texas Tech was the first program to try and replace the Aggies, followed by the Baylor Bears and eventually, TCU Horned Frogs. 

READ MORE: ‘Physical Day’ for Longhorns During First Scrimmage

However, none of those programs could fill the void left by the absence of tradition. Not one of them could give the Longhorns the rivalry they have since lacked, and now crave to regain. 

So what would it take to get the rivalry back on the grass of Kyle Field and Daryl K. Royal Stadium? 

It's a difficult task, given the Aggies' jump to another conference, the contractual agreements in place for future schedules that span as far as 2033 and not to mention... the pride of both schools.

Whatever it might take, Ehlinger, like many Longhorns and Aggies, thinks the game needs to come back sooner, rather than later. 

"I think that's the million-dollar question that all Texans are asking," Ehlinger continued. "I think it's going to take, because obviously the schedules and the non-conference schedules are laid out so far in the future, think it's going to take an extra effort from, I don’t know who, to make it happen. But I think that we need to."

CONTINUE READING: Recruiting Tracker: Longhorns Target Arch Manning Throws Up The Horns With Rueben Owens

What will you miss most about Sam Ehlinger? Comment and join in on the discussion below!

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.

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