Battle of the Brazos
| Texas A&M (68) | Baylor (31) |
|---|---|
| Tie (9) | |
The Battle of the Brazos is the official collegiate sports rivalry between the Baylor Bears and Texas A&M Aggies. The rivalry is named for the Brazos River[2] that flows by the two schools, which are only 90 miles apart. The Battle of the Brazos debuted in 1899.
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[edit] History
In the early days of the rivalry (1905 and earlier), Baylor and Texas A&M played each other multiple times, possibly due to a dearth of regional opponents. In 1996, the NCAA introduced overtime to college football, eliminating the chance of ties that had only infrequently occurred in the rivalry since 1939.
In the early days of the rivalry, Texas A&M was an all-male college, and Baylor was the closest college that had female students. Many Baylor coeds chose to date Aggies causing some resentment among the male students at Baylor, who did not have a corresponding pool of young women from Texas A&M to date.[3]
[edit] The Brawl
The 1926 football game coincided with Baylor's homecoming. During halftime Baylor Homecoming floats paraded around the field. When a float - actually a car pulling a flatbed trailer with several female Baylor students - neared the section where the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets sat, a cadet raced towards the car to try to steer it away. The motion caused Louise Normand to fall off the truck, injuring her and inciting a large riot. Students began using metal folding chairs and planks of wood that had been used as yard markers for weapons. Texas A&M student Lt. Charles Sessums was hit over the head with a chair in the melee and, although he initially appeared to recover, he died following the game.[3]
On December 8, 1926, the two school presidents agreed to temporarily suspend athletic relations between the schools.[4] The schools would not compete against each other in any athletic event for the next four years.[3] Baylor and Texas A&M would not meet in football again until 1931.[4]
[edit] Pranks
In the 1950s, two Aggie students drove to Waco and stole the Baylor mascot, a young bear cub, from the Baylor campus. While they were driving back to College Station in a brand–new car belonging to one of their families, the bear became terrified. Twenty–miles from Waco, the bear ripped out the inside of the car, and the boys set it free. The young men were caught when they took the car to be repaired.[3]
Baylor students likewise pranked the Aggies, often sneaking onto the Texas A&M campus to spray green paint on the statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Ross was the third president of Texas A&M, who attended Baylor as an undergraduate.
Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was expelled from Baylor after he was in part found painting one of A&M's buildings green.[5][6]
[edit] Football
The competitive peak of the series between Baylor and Texas A&M most likely occurred between 1960 and 1990 during which time Baylor won 13 games, A&M won 16 games, and two games ended in ties. During that same time period 18 of the 31 games played saw the final margin of victory to be 7 points or less. Texas Football magazine voted the 1986 game between the schools the Game of the Decade of the 80s in the Southwest Conference. Baylor led the game 17–0 in the 1st half and was positioned to score again when the Texas A&M defense was able to stop the Bears. The Aggies came back to win the game in the final minutes 31–30 to claim the SWC Championship and advance to the Cotton Bowl.[3][7] while Baylor finished in 2nd and ended the year with a victory over Colorado in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Another exciting game was the 1978 contest in which little-known Baylor freshman Walter Abercrombie rushed for 207 yards in a 24–6 Baylor win in College Station. The 207 yards were a then NCAA record for rushing yardage in an initial game. In the 1980 contest Baylor won by the blowout score of 46–7, going on that year to win the SWC Championship by a record 3 games and garnering a berth in the Cotton Bowl.
The thrilling 1986 A&M win began a period of domination in the series, in which Baylor did not beat A&M for 18 seasons (17 losses and a tie in 1990). The most lopsided match in the history of the rivalry occurred in 2003 when the Aggies routed the Bears by a score of 73-10. However, in 2004 an underdog Baylor Bear team [8] defeated the No. 16 ranked Aggies[9] 35–34 in overtime at Floyd Casey Stadium when the Bears converted a dramatic 2 point conversion on the final play of the game to earn their first win over the Aggies since 1985. The rivalry again became bitter in 2005 when the Aggies completed two fourth down conversions to win at home 16–13 in overtime.[10]
The Baylor Bears defeated the Aggies for only the second time in 22 years in 2008. Baylor has not won at Kyle Field since 1984 (11 games) but has won 2 of the last 4 series games in Waco. The series future will be in doubt starting in 2012, when Texas A&M joins the Southeastern Conference. In 2011, A&M won the probable final series meeting 55-28 at Kyle Field. The game was atypical of the season's outcome, with Baylor going on to win ten games (their best season in 32 years) while A&M stumbled down the stretch to a 6-6 record (7-6 after bowl), leading to the firing of head coach Mike Sherman.
Texas A&M currently leads the football series with Baylor 68–31–9.
[edit] Game results
| Baylor victories | Texas A&M victories | Tie games |
| Date | Location | Winning team | Losing team | Series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | College Station | Texas A&M | 33 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 1-0-0 |
| 1901 | College Station | Texas A&M | 6 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 2-0-0 |
| 1901 | College Station | Baylor | 17 | Texas A&M | 6 | Texas A&M 2-1-0 |
| 1901 | College Station | Baylor | 46 | Texas A&M | 0 | Tied 2-2-0 |
| 1902 | College Station | Texas A&M | 11 | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M 3-2-0 |
| 1902 | College Station | Texas A&M | 22 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 4-2-0 |
| 1903 | College Station | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 4-2-1 |
| 1903 | College Station | Texas A&M | 18 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 5-2-1 |
| 1903 | College Station | Texas A&M | 5 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 6-2-1 |
| 1904 | College Station | Texas A&M | 5 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 7-2-1 |
| 1904 | College Station | Texas A&M | 10 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 8-2-1 |
| 1905 | College Station | Texas A&M | 42 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 9-2-1 |
| 1905 | College Station | Texas A&M | 17 | Baylor | 5 | Texas A&M 10-2-1 |
| 1908 | College Station | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M | 5 | Texas A&M 10-3-1 |
| 1909 | College Station | Texas A&M | 9 | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M 11-3-1 |
| 1911 | College Station | Texas A&M | 22 | Baylor | 11 | Texas A&M 12-3-1 |
| 1912 | College Station | Texas A&M | 53 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 13-3-1 |
| 1913 | College Station | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M | 14 | Texas A&M 13-3-2 |
| November 11, 1916 | Waco | Texas A&M | 3 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 14-3-2 |
| November 10, 1917 | Waco | Texas A&M | 7 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 15-3-2 |
| November 9, 1918 | Waco | Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 16-3-2 |
| November 8, 1919 | Waco | Texas A&M | 10 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 17-3-2 |
| November 6, 1920 | Waco | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 18-3-2 |
| November 5, 1921 | Waco | Texas A&M | 14 | Baylor | 3 | Texas A&M 19-3-2 |
| November 4, 1922 | Waco | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 19-4-2 |
| November 3, 1923 | Waco | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 19-4-3 |
| November 1, 1924 | Waco | Baylor | 15 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 19-5-3 |
| November 31, 1925 | Waco | Texas A&M | 13 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 20-5-3 |
| November 30, 1926 | Waco | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 9 | Texas A&M 20-6-3 |
| October 24, 1931 | College Station | Texas A&M | 33 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 21-6-3 |
| October 22, 1932 | Waco | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 21-6-4 |
| October 28, 1933 | College Station | Texas A&M | 14 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 22-6-4 |
| October 27, 1934 | Waco | Texas A&M | 10 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 23-6-4 |
| October 26, 1935 | College Station | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M | 6 | Texas A&M 23-7-4 |
| October 24, 1936 | Waco | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 23-7-5 |
| October 23, 1937 | College Station | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 23-8-5 |
| October 22, 1938 | Waco | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M | 6 | Texas A&M 23-8-6 |
| October 28, 1939 | College Station | Texas A&M | 20 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 24-8-6 |
| October 26, 1940 | Waco | Texas A&M | 14 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 25-8-6 |
| October 25, 1941 | College Station | Texas A&M | 48 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 26-8-6 |
| October 24, 1942 | Waco | Baylor | 6 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 26-9-6 |
| October 27, 1945 | College Station | Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 27-9-6 |
| October 26, 1946 | Waco | Texas A&M | 17 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 28-9-6 |
| October 25, 1947 | College Station | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 29-9-6 |
| October 23, 1948 | Waco | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 14 | Texas A&M 29-10-6 |
| October 22, 1949 | College Station | Baylor | 21 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 29-11-6 |
| October 28, 1950 | Waco | Baylor | 27 | Texas A&M | 20 | Texas A&M 29-12-6 |
| October 27, 1951 | College Station | Baylor | 21 | Texas A&M | 21 | Texas A&M 29-12-7 |
| October 25, 1952 | Waco | Baylor | 21 | Texas A&M | 20 | Texas A&M 29-13-7 |
| October 24, 1953 | College Station | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M | 13 | Texas A&M 29-14-7 |
| October 23, 1954 | Waco | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 29-15-7 |
| October 22, 1955 | College Station | Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 30-15-7 |
| October 27, 1956 | Waco | Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 31-15-7 |
| October 26, 1957 | College Station | Texas A&M | 14 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 32-15-7 |
| October 25, 1958 | Waco | Texas A&M | 33 | Baylor | 27 | Texas A&M 33-15-7 |
| October 24, 1959 | College Station | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 33-16-7 |
| October 22, 1960 | Waco | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 33-17-7 |
| October 28, 1961 | College Station | Texas A&M | 23 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 34-17-7 |
| October 27, 1962 | Waco | Texas A&M | 6 | Baylor | 3 | Texas A&M 35-17-7 |
| October 26, 1963 | College Station | Baylor | 34 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 35-18-7 |
| October 24, 1964 | Waco | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 16 | Texas A&M 35-19-7 |
| October 23, 1965 | College Station | Baylor | 31 | Texas A&M | 0 | Texas A&M 35-20-7 |
| October 22, 1966 | Waco | Texas A&M | 17 | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 36-20-7 |
| October 28, 1967 | College Station | Texas A&M | 21 | Baylor | 3 | Texas A&M 37-20-7 |
| October 26, 1968 | Waco | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M | 9 | Texas A&M 37-21-7 |
| October 25, 1969 | College Station | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 38-21-7 |
| October 24, 1970 | Waco | Baylor | 29 | Texas A&M | 24 | Texas A&M 38-22-7 |
| October 23, 1971 | College Station | Texas A&M | 10 | Baylor | 9 | Texas A&M 39-22-7 |
| October 28, 1972 | Waco | Baylor | 15 | Texas A&M | 13 | Texas A&M 39-23-7 |
| October 27, 1973 | College Station | Texas A&M | 28 | Baylor | 22 | Texas A&M 40-23-7 |
| October 26, 1974 | Waco | Texas A&M | 20 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 41-23-7 |
| October 25, 1975 | College Station | Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 42-23-7 |
| October 16, 1976 | College Station | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 43-23-7 |
| October 15, 1977 | Waco | Texas A&M | 38 | Baylor | 31 | Texas A&M 44-23-7 |
| October 21, 1978 | College Station | Baylor | 24 | Texas A&M | 6 | Texas A&M 44-24-7 |
| September 15, 1979 | Waco | Baylor | 17 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 44-25-7 |
| October 18, 1980 | College Station | Baylor | 46 | Texas A&M | 7 | Texas A&M 44-26-7 |
| October 17, 1981 | Waco | Baylor | 19 | Texas A&M | 17 | Texas A&M 44-27-7 |
| October 16, 1982 | College Station | Texas A&M | 28 | Baylor | 23 | Texas A&M 45-27-7 |
| October 15, 1983 | Waco | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M | 13 | Texas A&M 45-27-8 |
| October 20, 1984 | College Station | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 16 | Texas A&M 45-28-8 |
| October 19, 1985 | Waco | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 15 | Texas A&M 45-29-8 |
| October 18, 1986 | College Station | Texas A&M | 31 | Baylor | 30 | Texas A&M 46-29-8 |
| October 17, 1987 | Waco | Texas A&M | 34 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 47-29-8 |
| October 15, 1988 | College Station | Texas A&M | 28 | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M 48-29-8 |
| October 21, 1989 | Waco | Texas A&M | 14 | Baylor | 11 | Texas A&M 49-29-8 |
| October 20, 1990 | College Station | Baylor | 20 | Texas A&M | 20 | Texas A&M 49-29-9 |
| October 19, 1991 | Waco | #19 Texas A&M | 34 | #16 Baylor | 12 | Texas A&M 50-29-9 |
| October 24, 1992 | College Station | #5 Texas A&M | 19 | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 51-29-9 |
| October 16, 1993 | Waco | #13 Texas A&M | 34 | Baylor | 17 | Texas A&M 52-29-9 |
| October 15, 1994 | College Station | Texas A&M | 41 | Baylor | 21 | Texas A&M 53-29-9 |
| October 21, 1995 | Waco | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 9 | Texas A&M 54-29-9 |
| November 9, 1996 | Waco | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 7 | Texas A&M 55-29-9 |
| November 8, 1997 | College Station | #21 Texas A&M | 38 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 56-29-9 |
| October 17, 1998 | Waco | #10 Texas A&M | 35 | Baylor | 14 | Texas A&M 57-29-9 |
| October 9, 1999 | College Station | #13 Texas A&M | 45 | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 58-29-9 |
| October 14, 2000 | Waco | Texas A&M | 24 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 59-29-9 |
| October 6, 2001 | College Station | #22 Texas A&M | 16 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 60-29-9 |
| October 12, 2002 | Waco | Texas A&M | 41 | Baylor | 0 | Texas A&M 61-29-9 |
| October 11, 2003 | College Station | Texas A&M | 73 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 62-29-9 |
| October 30, 2004 | Waco | Baylor | 35 (OT) | #17 Texas A&M | 34 | Texas A&M 62-30-9 |
| October 1, 2005 | College Station | Texas A&M | 16 (OT) | Baylor | 13 | Texas A&M 63-30-9 |
| October 28, 2006 | Waco | #22 Texas A&M | 31 | Baylor | 21 | Texas A&M 64-30-9 |
| September 29, 2007 | College Station | Texas A&M | 34 | Baylor | 10 | Texas A&M 65-30-9 |
| November 15, 2008 | Waco | Baylor | 41 | Texas A&M | 21 | Texas A&M 65-31-9 |
| November 21, 2009 | College Station | Texas A&M | 38 | Baylor | 3 | Texas A&M 66-31-9 |
| November 13, 2010 | Waco | #23 Texas A&M | 42 | Baylor | 30 | Texas A&M 67-31-9 |
| October 15, 2011 | College Station | #21 Texas A&M | 55 | #20 Baylor | 28 | Texas A&M 68-31-9 |
[edit] Basketball
In men's basketball, Baylor and A&M have competed since the 1914–15 debut season of the Southwest Conference.[11] Since the formation of the Big 12, the teams have followed parallel paths. Both spent the early years of the conference as lower-division teams (they combined for one NIT appearance and zero NCAA appearances from 1996 to 2004, and both suffered winless conference seasons during that span). However, in more recent years, they have grown into Big 12 contenders, with A&M reaching the NCAA's six straight years between 2006 and 2011 and Baylor reaching both in 2008 and 2010, with an elite eight appearance in the latter. In 2011, Baylor did not reach postseason play but swept the series with the NCAA Tourney-Bound Aggies.
[edit] References
- ^ "History". 2009 Baylor Football Media Almanac. Baylor Athletics (Baylor University). http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/bay/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/09-ma-section05.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "Big-play Bennett keeps Texas A&M a step ahead of Baylor". CBS. 2006-10-28. http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAF_20061028_TXAM@BAY. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ a b c d e Farmer, Neal (October 18, 1990). "Baylor–A&M feud romantic, violent/ 'Brazos Brothers' play for 87th time". Houston Chronicle (Houston, Texas): p. Sports, page 1.. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1990_737358. Retrieved 2007-09-26
- ^ a b Wangrin, Mark (2005-09-29). "Baylor vs. Texas A&M: Remembering a 1926 tragedy". The San Antonio Express-News. http://thecollegefootballindependent.blogspot.com/2006/05/baylor-vs-texas-am-remembering-1926.html. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ "Tom DeLay won't be missed". Washington Square News. 2006-04-13. http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/2006/04/13/Opinionsoped/Tom-Delay.Wont.Be.Missed-2397875.shtml. Retrieved 2007-09-27.[dead link]
- ^ "Open Mouth, Insert Boot". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2002-05-03. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i34/34a02102.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ "High Five: Texas A&M-Baylor". http://www.kvue.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/texasam/stories/111408dnspoambu.1adad6d2a.html.
- ^ Irby, Ryan (2004-10-29). "Aggies searching for seventh win against Baylor". The Battalion. http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2004/10/29/Sports/Battle.Of.The.Brazos-786472.shtml. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ Parchman, Will (2006-10-26). "Rivalry stands test of time". The Baylor Lariat. http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=42652. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Battle of Brazos becoming bitter". Sporting News. 2006-10-27. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?p=1292552. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
- ^ "Texas A&M Men's Basketball: Year-by-Year Results". http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/tam-m-baskbl-year-by-year-results.html.
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