Arkansas–Texas A&M football rivalry

Arkansas–Texas A&M football rivalry

Arkansas Razorbacks Texas A&M Aggies
First meeting	October 31, 1903 Texas A&M 6, Arkansas 0
Latest meeting	September 26, 2015 Texas A&M 28, Arkansas 21 - OT
Next meeting	September 24, 2016
Trophy	Southwest Classic Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total	72
All-time series	Arkansas leads, 41–28–3
Largest victory	Texas A&M, 58–10 (2012)
Longest win streak	Arkansas, 9 (1958–66)
Current win streak	Texas A&M, 4 (2012–present)

The Arkansas–Texas A&M football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas A&M Aggies. It started in 1903.

Between 1992 and 2008, the schools did not play each other when Arkansas left the Southwest Conference to join the Southeastern Conference. The rivalry was renewed as a neutral-site out-of-conference contest (and branded as The Southwest Classic) in 2009; in 2012 it once again became a conference rivalry when Texas A&M also joined the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas leads the series 41–28–3.

Series history

Arkansas and Texas A&M first played each other in 1903, and would play each other three times from 1903–12, all as non-conference matchups.

Arkansas and Texas A&M would not meet on the field again until 1927, notwithstanding that both schools became charter members of the Southwest Conference 12 years earlier in 1915. The schools played annually from 1927–30, but would not meet again until 1934. From 1934–91, the two teams played annually as conference members. The annual matchup ceased in 1991 when Arkansas left the conference to join the Southeastern Conference.

On March 10, 2008, officials from both schools announced the series would recommence on October 3, 2009 under the name "Southwest Classic". The annual location for the game was announced as Cowboys Stadium (now called AT&T Stadium), located in Arlington. The attendance for the stadium was initially expected to be in the 80,000 range. Depending on ticket demand, temporary seating can be added to the stadium to increase the capacity up to 100,000 seats for the game. The tickets were said to be split 50/50 between the two schools. The initial agreement between the two schools allowed the game to be played for at least 10 years, followed by 5 consecutive, 4-year rollover options, allowing the game to potentially be played for a total of 30 consecutive seasons.

The rivalry once again became a conference matchup when Texas A&M joined the SEC on July 1, 2012 and was placed alongside Arkansas in the West Division. However, for A&M's first two seasons in the SEC the series was played as a home-and-home series at the school's campuses (A&M hosted in 2012 and Arkansas hosted in 2013); the series will resume neutral-site play in AT&T Stadium for the 2014 season until at least 2020.

Game results

Arkansas victories

Texas A&M victories

Tie games

#	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	1903	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	6–0
2	1910	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	5–0
3	1912	Dallas, TX	Texas A&M	27–0
4	1927	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	40–6
5	1928	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	27–12
6	1929	College Station, TX	Arkansas	14–13
7	1930	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	13–0
8	1934	College Station, TX	Tie	7–7
9	1935	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	14–7
10	1936	College Station, TX	Arkansas	18–0
11	1937	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	26–13
12	1938	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	13–7
13	1939	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	27–0
14	1940	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	17–0
15	1941	Little Rock, AR	Texas A&M	7–0
16	1942	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	41–0
17	1943	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	13–0
18	1944	College Station, TX	Arkansas	7–6
19	1945	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	34–0
20	1946	College Station, TX	Arkansas	7–0
21	1947	Fayetteville, AR	Tie	21–21
22	1948	College Station, TX	Arkansas	28–6
23	1949	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	27–6
24	1950	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	42–13
25	1951	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	33–21
26	1952	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	31–12
27	1953	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	41–14
28	1954	College Station, TX	Arkansas	14–7
29	1955	Fayetteville, AR	Tie	7–7
30	1956	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	27–0
31	1957	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	7–6
32	1958	College Station, TX	Arkansas	21–8
33	1959	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	12–7
34	1960	College Station, TX	Arkansas	7–3
35	1961	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	15–8
36	1962	College Station, TX	Arkansas	17–7
37	1963	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	21–7

#	Date	Location	Winner	Score
38	1964	College Station, TX	Arkansas	17–0
39	1965	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	31–0
40	1966	College Station, TX	Arkansas	34–0
41	1967	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	33–21
42	1968	College Station, TX	Arkansas	25–22
43	1969	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	35–13
44	1970	College Station, TX	Arkansas	45–6
45	1971	Little Rock, AR	Texas A&M	17–9
46	1972	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	10–7
47	1973	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	14–10
48	1974	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	20–10
49	1975	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	31–6
50	1976	Little Rock, AR	Texas A&M	31–10
51	1977	College Station, TX	Arkansas	26–20
52	1978	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	26–7
53	1979	College Station, TX	Arkansas	22–10
54	1980	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	27–24
55	1981	College Station, TX	Arkansas	10–7
56	1982	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	35–0
57	1983	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	36–23
58	1984	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	28–0
59	1985	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	10–6
60	1986	Little Rock, AR	Arkansas	14–10
61	1987	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	14–10
62	1988	Fayetteville, AR	Arkansas	25–20
63	1989	College Station, TX	Arkansas	23–22
64	1990	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	20–16
65	1991	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	13–3
66	2009	Arlington, TX	Arkansas	47–19
67	2010	Arlington, TX	Arkansas	24–17
68	2011	Arlington, TX	Arkansas	42–38
69	2012	College Station, TX	Texas A&M	58–10
70	2013	Fayetteville, AR	Texas A&M	45–33
71	2014	Arlington, TX	Texas A&M	35–28OT
72	2015	Arlington, TX	Texas A&M	28–21OT
Series: Arkansas leads 41–28–3
OT Game went into Overtime

Notable games

1903

Texas A&M 6 - Arkansas 0

See also: 1903 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and 1903 Texas A&M Aggies football team

In the first ever meeting, and only the 43rd game ever played by Arkansas and the 42nd ever played by Texas A&M, the Aggies won 6–0. The Aggies were coached by J. E. Platt and the Razorbacks were coached (in his only season as a head coach) by D. A. McDaniel.

1939 - Texas A&M's National Championship year

Texas A&M 27 - Arkansas 0

See also: 1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team and 1939 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

In 1939, after winning the game 27–0, the Aggies went on to an overall record of 11–0 and named the college football national champions in the Associated Press writers' poll for the 1939 college football season

1964 - Arkansas' National Championship year

Arkansas 17 - Texas A&M 0

See also: 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

In 1964, after winning the game 17–0 in College Station, Texas, the Razorbacks went on to an overall record of 11–0 and won the college football national championship by beating Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Aggies were coached (in his final season) by Hank Foldberg, and Arkansas was coached by Hall of Fame coach Frank Broyles.

1980

Arkansas 27 - Texas A&M 24

See also: 1980 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

The 1980 contest won by Arkansas 27–24 was Texas A&M's 800th game ever played by the organization. Arkansas was led by head coach Lou Holtz in his fourth year with the team, and went on to an overall record of 7–5 (3–5 in conference) for the season. The Aggies were led by Tom Wilson in his next to last season with the team, and finished the year 4–7 (3–5 in conference).

1991 - Arkansas' last game in the Southwest Conference

Texas A&M 13 - Arkansas 3

See also: 1991 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, 1991 Texas A&M Aggies football team, and Southeastern Conference § 1990 Expansion

In the last Southwest Conference meeting on November 16, 1991 at Kyle Field, Texas A&M won 13–3 in a game nationally televised by ESPN. The Razorbacks came out in the wishbone formation on offense, but the Aggie defense held the Hogs to only 121 yards of total offense. After the season, the Razorbacks went on to leave the Southwest Conference, and join the Southeastern Conference, thereby ending the yearly in-conference game with the Aggies.

File:Southwest-classic.jpg

Logo used for the 2009 renewal of the series, titled the "Southwest Classic", between Arkansas and Texas A&M.

2009 - Renewal

Arkansas 47 - Texas A&M 19

See also: 2009 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and 2009 Texas A&M Aggies football team

On October 3, 2009, the two teams met for the first time since 1991. The rivalry was originally slated to take place on a yearly basis at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Arkansas came back from a 10–0 deficit in the first quarter to win 47–19.

2011 - "Welcome to the SEC"

Arkansas 42 - Texas A&M 38

See also: 2011 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and 2011 Texas A&M Aggies football team

The Aggies, leading 35–17 at the half, blew their 18-point lead and only scored 3 points in the second half. As Broderick Green charged into the end zone on the final score of the game, Arkansas fans appeared on the Cowboys Stadium video holding a sign saying "Welcome to the SEC" (in recognition of A&M's announcement only six days earlier that it would join Arkansas as a member of the SEC in 2012).

2012 - First all-SEC game

Texas A&M 58 - Arkansas 10

See also: 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and 2012 Texas A&M Aggies football team

On September 29, 2012, the Aggies and Razorbacks met on the gridiron as conference rivals for the first time since 1991, with A&M joining Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference. (commonly abbreviated "SEC") The Aggies won 58–10. The game moved from the neutral-site Cowboys Stadium venue of the last three years to Kyle Field as part of a planned home-and-home series with Arkansas for A&M's first two SEC seasons; the 2014 matchup returned to AT&T Stadium.

2014 & 2015 - Back To Back OT games

See also: 2014 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, 2014 Texas A&M Aggies football team, 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, and 2015 Texas A&M Aggies football team

The 2014 contest returned to AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) after a two year "home-and-home" schedule the previous two seasons. Oddly, both the 2014 and 2015 contests ended in ties, necessitating the need for overtime play due to college football rules. These back-to-back years of overtime were also the first two overtimes between the two schools in the rivalry's history. Texas A&M won both contests, bringing their overall record against Arkansas in this rivalry since joining the Southeastern Conference to 4-0.