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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1967 Football ReviewPRICE $1.00 th Pj • TE X, 0 T R -A TIME OUTS LEFT lJl �C1 QJ�(� OOWN TO 60 BALL O , FIRST I BANK & TRUST A PICTORIAL SOUVENIR OF THE TEXAS AGGIES" CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR REGULAR SEASON GAMES • COTTON BOWL • COACHES AND TEAM • INDIVIDUAL HONORS • STATISTICS CORPS TRIPS • AGGIE BAND • BONFIRE • YELL PRACTICE • 12TH MAN • AND MORE M r m I N& or� '67 " t� years, of th.� - Agg�ea It was the year the Aggies were SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE CHAMPS It was the year the Aggies BEAT HELL OUTA t.u. It was the year the Aggies BEAT 'BAMA IN THE COTTON BOWL ''A funny thing happened on the way to the Cotton Bowl." The latest Aggie joke opener has a different ending, and any Texas Aggie can fill in the punch line. A decade of anecdotes about the Aggies came to an end on Thanksgiving Day, 1967. A &M's 10 -7 win over Texas provided the first Southwest Conference champion- ship in Aggieland since 1956 and first Cotton Bowl ap- pearance since the 1942 Dallas classic. The cataclysmic 20 -16 win over Alabama included deeds of which legends are wrought. Coach Gene Stallings stressed one idea since he re- turned to his alma mater in December, 1964. He summed it in three words —make something happen. The Aggies gave the phrase added meaning in 1967, in fashion that will be told, written and revered for years to come. In Stallings' words, it was done by a team not blessed with a lot of talent, one which had to play over its head Saturday after Saturday. Such words might have reduced the effectiveness of a team not possessing the spirit and desire of the '67 Aggies. That spirit and desire was graphically displayed when four straight losses failed to discourage the Aggies. The pre- season prediction mirage drew the Aggies as SWC crown contenders. The four -game baptism of fire that followed virtually erased the picture. Though a few points short in three of the four losses, the Aggies were left at the foot of a steep grade of six games, including foes such as slippery Texas Tech, dan- gerous TCU, an Arkansas team that had become virtually omnipotent in its own land, occasion- matching Rice and super- Texas, the hands -down conference favorite. Stallings instituted personnel changes and a cohe- sive unit developed along with a flair for the underdog role and the unusual. The remarkable Aggies scaled the mountain of six straight victories by doing the right thing at the right time. Doing the right thing at the right time is what Stall- ings calls a big play. It started with QB Edd Hargett's 15- yard TD run against Tech with three seconds left. The Aggies continued producing big plays in a vic- tory march on which the opposition did virtually every- thing best — except score the most points. Saturday after Saturday, with nothing taking the pressure off, the fantastic climb continued. Critics viewed A &M's task of out - playing the effort against Texas monumental. But experts said that was what would be required for the Aggies to take Alabama's Crimson Tide to the cleaners. Aggie annuals are full of grid greats —from Joel Hunt, Joe and Chip Routt, John Kimbrough, Derace Moser and Bill (Jitterbug) Henderson to Bob Smith, John Crow, Charley Krueger and Jack Pardee. Legendary coaching performances by Charles B. Moran, D. X. Bible, Homer Norton and Paul Bryant were recorded. Memory will also enshrine Gene Stallings and his gutty '67 Aggies. THE AGGIES ARE BACK — Published by Alpha Delta Sigma, National Professional Advertising Faternity, Journalism Department, Texas A &M. Copies may be ordered at that address. $1 per copy prepaid. Larry Stegent is carried off the field by cheering Aggies after the Baylor win. `' '1 /� I I _ � 0 sM J 1 1 V I V First downs 15 16 Rushing yardage ......................112 2 100 100 Passing yardage .....................176 169 Return yardage 157 161 Passes . ..x.15 -25 -2 12 -25 -0 A&M _ Punts ... 9 -40 8 -48 Yards penalized .. 10 22 The Aggies and Southern Methodist opened the 1967 season at Kyle Field in front of 34,000 in the stands and countless numbers on nationwide tele- vision. It was a thrilling game for the TV watchers but for the partisan in- person crowd, it was thrilling for only 39 seconds. The Aggies were sluggish, the Mustangs weren't much better and when the fourth quarter rolled around, the score stood SMU 13, Aggies 10. With about two minutes left to play, quarterback Edd Hargett got the Aggies moving and it was second down from the SMU 42 with about some 50 seconds to go. Then, a combination that was to click seven more times before the season was over, made its initial ap- pearance in the Aggies' attack. Hargett hit Bob Long in the end zone with a per- fect aerial and the score read 17 -13 with 43 seconds remaining in the game. What happened after that seemingly game- clinch- ing play only Frank Merriwell could have topped. SMU's All- American end Jerry Levias single - handedly wrecked the Aggies. Levias ran the kickoff back into Aggie territory and then acted as a decoy as the Mus- tangs passed their way down to the 10 -yard line. Then, with four seconds left, he became a pass - receiver again and made a miraculous catch on a last - chance pass and the game was over. SMU 20, AG- GIES 17. 71 ff" T i . I , v , Charlie Riggs boots the first of his season record eight field goals. SMU quarterback Ines Perez is stopped after a sneak around the Aggies' right end. Buster Adami helps make the stop. The Aggies second game was played in the Cotton Bowl. It had been originally scheduled as the opening game of the sea- son but when the TV game with SMU was scheduled late in the spring, the Purdue game was the second of the year. The Boilermakers had been picked in pre- season pails to figure prominently in the Big Ten conference title picture. The Ag- gies had been picked as contenders in the SWC but aftor the loss to SMU Aggie jokes were more abundant than ever. Therefore, the Aggies went into the game as solid underdogs. The Maroon and White didn't comply with the oddsmakers and kept with the Indiana team up to the final gun. The Aggies took the initial lead on a Charlie Riggs field goal. But Purdue bounced back to grab a 7 -3 lead and then added another touchdown before halftime. The third quarter saw Purdue grind out yardage on the ground and forsake the passing game. Purdue's quarterback Mike Phipps had thrown 30 aerials in the first half. However, the Aggies didn't letdown and with a little less than two minutes left in the game the score stood 24 -20 Purdue. The Aggies last -ditch try came from that same Hargett to Long combo but this time it failed. Hargett's pass came down just short of Long's fingertips and the game was over and the Aggies had dropped their sec- ond game. Aggie tailback Wendell Housley moves for a short gain in second - quarter action. A&M 18 69 267 17 -34 -2 0 25 5 -40.8 142 P � 24 First Downs _ .. 22 — Net Yards Rushing . ....146 14 , n ^O Net Yards Passing _ ....... Passes (Com.- Att.- Inter.) Fumbles . 283 ...18 -37 -2 .. 0 Yards Penalized 47 M _ L Punts, Averaera ge ...5 -35.4 Return Yardage .. 84 The Aggies second game was played in the Cotton Bowl. It had been originally scheduled as the opening game of the sea- son but when the TV game with SMU was scheduled late in the spring, the Purdue game was the second of the year. The Boilermakers had been picked in pre- season pails to figure prominently in the Big Ten conference title picture. The Ag- gies had been picked as contenders in the SWC but aftor the loss to SMU Aggie jokes were more abundant than ever. Therefore, the Aggies went into the game as solid underdogs. The Maroon and White didn't comply with the oddsmakers and kept with the Indiana team up to the final gun. The Aggies took the initial lead on a Charlie Riggs field goal. But Purdue bounced back to grab a 7 -3 lead and then added another touchdown before halftime. The third quarter saw Purdue grind out yardage on the ground and forsake the passing game. Purdue's quarterback Mike Phipps had thrown 30 aerials in the first half. However, the Aggies didn't letdown and with a little less than two minutes left in the game the score stood 24 -20 Purdue. The Aggies last -ditch try came from that same Hargett to Long combo but this time it failed. Hargett's pass came down just short of Long's fingertips and the game was over and the Aggies had dropped their sec- ond game. Aggie tailback Wendell Housley moves for a short gain in second - quarter action. A&M 18 69 267 17 -34 -2 0 25 5 -40.8 142 .... INTO ANOTHER —A sharp bank by Wen- dell Housley provided an elusive moment of daylight quickly plugged by the LSU Tigers. The Texas Aggies found the Sugar Bowl champs their toughest game of the 1967 sea- son. LSU managed the biggest winning mar- gin of the season over A &M. The_ third game saw the Aggies outplayed as they dropped their third straight game 17 -6 to the LSU Tigers at a packed Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. It was the only game all year that the Maroon and White were definitely out of as the Tigers built up a 17 -0 lead in three quarters. Hargett must have felt like a gladiator of old as the LSU defensive line made like lions and caught the junior quarterback several times. The 66,000 fans roared their approval each time. LSU probably could have scored more but spots of good play by the Aggie defense and Tiger mistakes held the score down. This game, however, proved to be one of the turning points of the season. Coach Stallings realized that a change for the better was needed and he and his staff set out to make some changes. Unfortunately, the changes couldn't help the Ag- gies in this game and they went down to loss number three. Charlie Riggs' final seconds pass to Long was the only score of the night for the Aggies. The Aggie iokes really started to circulate as the Aggies flew back to College Station. FROM ONE TIGERS' CAGE .... —Larry Stegent fled the grasp of a trap ringed by Louisiana State players, courtesy of a block by Carl Gough (58). The juant didn't last long and wasn't enough as the Aggies were caged, 17 -6. LSU M 6 First Downs ........::::::............ Rushing Yardage .. .. 17 ....194 13 121 Passing Yardage .. .. 92 92 104 104 V Passes Attempted .................... Completed . ..... .......................... Intercepted 17 8 1 22 9 1 I 7 Total Yardage ......................... 286 225 /I L V I Punta ..... ... . Fumbles Lost .. ........ ............. ....5 -36.1 1 7 -43.1 2 The_ third game saw the Aggies outplayed as they dropped their third straight game 17 -6 to the LSU Tigers at a packed Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. It was the only game all year that the Maroon and White were definitely out of as the Tigers built up a 17 -0 lead in three quarters. Hargett must have felt like a gladiator of old as the LSU defensive line made like lions and caught the junior quarterback several times. The 66,000 fans roared their approval each time. LSU probably could have scored more but spots of good play by the Aggie defense and Tiger mistakes held the score down. This game, however, proved to be one of the turning points of the season. Coach Stallings realized that a change for the better was needed and he and his staff set out to make some changes. Unfortunately, the changes couldn't help the Ag- gies in this game and they went down to loss number three. Charlie Riggs' final seconds pass to Long was the only score of the night for the Aggies. The Aggie iokes really started to circulate as the Aggies flew back to College Station. FROM ONE TIGERS' CAGE .... —Larry Stegent fled the grasp of a trap ringed by Louisiana State players, courtesy of a block by Carl Gough (58). The juant didn't last long and wasn't enough as the Aggies were caged, 17 -6. Ae &M 1 , ABM Fla. St. First downs .. 13 20 Rushing yardage .. 63 194 Passing yardage ....188 221 Passes attempted .................... 21 25 Passes completed 10 15 Passes had intercepted .. 2 2 Total had 251 415 (U / / ��, ,/, J • ( `./1' / Punts: No. - Avg. .... .._7 for 47.1 6 for 39.8 Fumbles: No. Lost .. 2 3 • Penalties: Yds. . 61 82 Rain and Florida State presented the Aggies with their next competition on Oct. 7. The Aggies played their second home game of the year on a rain- drenched Kyle Field and an equally - wet 20,000 fans. This game was similar to the SMU game, not so much in score but in frustration. The Seminoles scored with about two minutes remaining and nipped the Aggies 19 -18. At the end of the third quarter, two things end- ed —the rain and the Aggies' lead. As the fourth quar- ter started, Florida State scored and took a 13 -12 lead. Edd Hargett brought the Aggies back and it was 18 -13 AM. This, however, wasn't enough as was evidenced by a Florida State galloping across the Aggie goal line a few minutes later. In this game, Coach Stallings started making some of the changes he had been thinking about. Rolf Krueger went to fulltime duty at defensive tackle and Bill Kubecka was installed at middle guard. These two moves proved out to be good ones be- fore the season was over. One change was needed after this fourth straight loss; a switch from loss to victory. Aggie fans knew things had to get better, but the Aggie jokes kept rolling along. Rover Ivan Jones puts a stop on a Florida State runner in the second quarter of the Seminole win. Larry Stegent runs through a hole in the Florida State line but runs into a Seminole defensive back. A& M 2 g First downs By rushing .... Te xas A8M Tex Tech .. 13 28 1 20 � By Passing .. By penalty .. 12 0 4 4 Net Yards Rushing .................. 59 324 Net Yards Passing . ..___.... 233 84 Passes (C. -Att.- Inter. Punts (Avg( . ...15 -34 -1 9 -45 5 -18 -3 . 3 -45 TuA 24 Fumbles lost .............................. ..... 0 0 _ Penalties ....10 -75 5 -33 Return Yardage ... ..... _._........... 79 77 Aggie tailback Larry Stegent (25( picks up a first down as Tech linebacker Ed Mooney prepares to bolt the long gains. The fifth game of the year produced what was to be an Aggie trademark for the remainder of the sea- son —the big play. One could sense an attitude of assuredness in the Aggie players as they were ready to take the field at Lubbock's Jones Stadium to meet the Texas Tech Red Ra iders. Tech had beaten Texas earlier in the year and were picked as favorites to beat the 0 -4 Aggies. A record - setting 48,240 fans were on hand to see this second SWC game for both teams. What they ob- served was a see -saw battle for three quarters and all but 53 seconds of the final quarter. At that point, Tech took a 24 -21 lead and it looked like the Aggies had lost another game to the score- board clock. Nobody gasped too much when Ross Brupbacher covered a 'squibble' kick at the A &M 41- yard line. They started to get a little anxious when Hargett coolly dropped back and hit Larry Stegent with a 21 -yard first down pass. Everybody relaxed when the Aggies didn't go any further and 11 seconds showed on the clock. Yes, every Tech fan said the Aggies couldn't catch up now —oops —Bob Long grabbed a Hargett pass at the Tech 15 -yard line. With three seconds remaining, Hargett logged the first steps for the Aggies on their road back. The length of those steps was 15 yards and win number one was history, A &M 28, Tech 24. Texas Tech halfback Mike Leinert (40( is surrounded by practically the whole Aggie defense after a short gain. •. Tackle Don Schneider and fullback Wendell Housley go over offensive strategy wtih offensive coaches Bud Moore and Lide Huggins. The Aggies were picked as six -point favorites over Texa3 Christian as the sixth game of the year ap- proached. It was another road game and this contest at Fort Worth's Amon Carter Stadium was a must win for the Aggies. The SMU loss had eliminated any letdown by the Maroon and White; it was win or no Cotton. For three quarters, the Aggie defense had kept the 7 -0 lead held up for A &M. TCU, however, started a drive late in the third quarter, and when the last 15 minutes had begun the Frogs were deep in Aggie ter- ritory. The TCU quarterback elected a pass play for their scoring attempt. He rolled out and threw towards the corner of the end zone and completed the pass. There was one thing wrong, the player that caught the pass started running the other way. When Bill Hobbs stopped running, he was in the other end zone and his 100 -yard interception return had put the Aggies ahead 14 -0. TCU kept trying, but the Aggie defense or a costly penalty stopped the Horned Frogs each time. Wendell Housley capped this fine Aggie perfor- mance with a 26 -yard burst up the middle and the final count was 20 -0 Aggies. After this game, Aggie jokes subsided a little more as the Maroon and White had won their second straight game and were near the SWC lead. Amiga— FN Aggie defensive back Ross Brup- bacher intercepts a pass intended for Frog end Bill Peterson in first - half action. /O A9M A&M First downs ... .. 13 18 _ L Passing yardage ...................... 95 57 157 Return yardage ...................... 177 55 Passes .. Punts .pena ...5 -13 -0 15 -34 -2 10-36 I ) O Fumbles lost 9 0 C V lize............_..._.......955 Yards penalized .. 55 80 0 •. Tackle Don Schneider and fullback Wendell Housley go over offensive strategy wtih offensive coaches Bud Moore and Lide Huggins. The Aggies were picked as six -point favorites over Texa3 Christian as the sixth game of the year ap- proached. It was another road game and this contest at Fort Worth's Amon Carter Stadium was a must win for the Aggies. The SMU loss had eliminated any letdown by the Maroon and White; it was win or no Cotton. For three quarters, the Aggie defense had kept the 7 -0 lead held up for A &M. TCU, however, started a drive late in the third quarter, and when the last 15 minutes had begun the Frogs were deep in Aggie ter- ritory. The TCU quarterback elected a pass play for their scoring attempt. He rolled out and threw towards the corner of the end zone and completed the pass. There was one thing wrong, the player that caught the pass started running the other way. When Bill Hobbs stopped running, he was in the other end zone and his 100 -yard interception return had put the Aggies ahead 14 -0. TCU kept trying, but the Aggie defense or a costly penalty stopped the Horned Frogs each time. Wendell Housley capped this fine Aggie perfor- mance with a 26 -yard burst up the middle and the final count was 20 -0 Aggies. After this game, Aggie jokes subsided a little more as the Maroon and White had won their second straight game and were near the SWC lead. Amiga— FN Aggie defensive back Ross Brup- bacher intercepts a pass intended for Frog end Bill Peterson in first - half action. Game number seven was a visit by Baylor's Bears to Kyle Field. The Aggies were picked as favorites but Baylor had tied Arkansas and Coach Stallings considered the Bears a tough test for the Aggies. The 21 -3 win was a smooth team effort as the Aggies took over the SWC lead with this victory. It was another good performance for the Aggie defense who made it a string of eight quarters without giving up a touchdown. The Harget -to -Long combination again clicked in this game as the Aggies were the first team in 67 to score in the air against Baylor. Baylor had picked off a lot of enemy passes going into this contest, but they met a match in the Aggies' revamped secondary. Ross Brupbacher and Tommy Maxwell had be- come fulltime defensive backs in the Tech game and they proved they had learned their job well, with some key interceptions. In fact, these changes along with one other really made the title picture look better at this point in the season. Larry Stegent was now running from the tail - hack slot and his rushing yardage proved that was a good change. All of a sudden, the Aggies were a threat and those Aggie jokes weren't funny any more. it ; �. rV t � Baylor quarterback Alvin Flynn (17) falls to the turf while being pursued by Bill Kubecka and Rolf Krueger (74). Aggie flanker -end Bob Long crashes into the end zone with the Aggies' first score after a pass from Edd Hargett. MULM� f"" Baylor A 1' A& ' / // //� 1.�' First downs .......................... Rushing yardage Passing Yardage .....................282 Returns .......... ............................109 Passes ........ ....... ._..........�_....���.�� Punts Fumbles Lost Yards penalized - 21 _.118 20 -36 -6 ...4 -36 2 7 12 151 105 133 7 -12 -0 11 -39 0 99 Game number seven was a visit by Baylor's Bears to Kyle Field. The Aggies were picked as favorites but Baylor had tied Arkansas and Coach Stallings considered the Bears a tough test for the Aggies. The 21 -3 win was a smooth team effort as the Aggies took over the SWC lead with this victory. It was another good performance for the Aggie defense who made it a string of eight quarters without giving up a touchdown. The Harget -to -Long combination again clicked in this game as the Aggies were the first team in 67 to score in the air against Baylor. Baylor had picked off a lot of enemy passes going into this contest, but they met a match in the Aggies' revamped secondary. Ross Brupbacher and Tommy Maxwell had be- come fulltime defensive backs in the Tech game and they proved they had learned their job well, with some key interceptions. In fact, these changes along with one other really made the title picture look better at this point in the season. Larry Stegent was now running from the tail - hack slot and his rushing yardage proved that was a good change. All of a sudden, the Aggies were a threat and those Aggie jokes weren't funny any more. it ; �. rV t � Baylor quarterback Alvin Flynn (17) falls to the turf while being pursued by Bill Kubecka and Rolf Krueger (74). Aggie flanker -end Bob Long crashes into the end zone with the Aggies' first score after a pass from Edd Hargett. MULM� f"" A �� / / 7 6 -Ark. L First Downs . ............................... 17 19 Net Yds. Rushing .......................... 116 93 Net Yds. Passing .......................... 180 205 Fumbles lost ... ............................... 0 1 M 33 Yds. Penalized ....................... 50 0 Punts, Average .. ....35.2 41.8 _ Return Yardage .. ... 160 79 A trip to the Ozark mountain wilderness of Ar- kansas faced the Aggies in their eighth game. The Aggies evened their season slate at 4 -4 and kept their conference lead 4 -1 with a 33 -21 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. It was a gratifying win for the Stallings crew who were really making something happen in the 1967 season. Arkansas Coach Frank Broyles had never tasted defeat at thel hands of the Aggies and the Razorbacks hadn't lost a homecoming game in six years. These streaks ended as did the Aggie scoring drought against the Hogs. The 33 points represented the first scoring by A &M on Arkansas in three years. This game produced a unique first quarter. The entire 15 minutes were taken up by a drive by both teams. The Aggies however, had the only successful one and took an early 7 -0 lead. Hargett kept from the pass for the first half and the Aggies fell behind 14 -7. But the second half saw the junior quarterback complete 13 passes and the Aggies came roaring back. The fourth quarter was the Aggies' this day as they piled up 19 points to bury the Razorback hopes. Nobody wanted to admit it, especially most of the 41,000 in attendence, but the Aggies were now a dis- tinct threat for the SWC crown. Larry Stegent blasts up the middle for first -down yardage in the fourth quarter of action. ik It w t V MMOU k- 1w3 af -st) 0 r The Aggie defense, led by Ross Brupbacher 1331, stops Arkonsos halfback David Dickey. A&M-19 koj - 3 After a much - needed week off, the Aggies in- vaded 1- 46uston's Rice Stadium to meet the tough Rice Owls. It was the ninth game of the year for the Aggies and the first time since the SMU game that the Maroon and White had a chance for a winning record. They made good on the chance and the 18 -3 victory made them 5 -4 on the year and 5 -1 in the SWC. For awhile it looked like Rice might be able to put a halt to the Aggie bandwagon ala 1957 as the Aggies took a slim 3 -0 lead to the dressing room at halftime. When Rice ran a Steve O'Neal punt back for 53 yards, it looked like maybe the Owls were going to repeat that upset win of 10 years ago. However, the Aggies stiffened and the Owls had to settle for a field goal and it was 3 -3. A Rice upset was not to be as the Aggie defense came up with its finest performance of the year and stopped several scoring efforts by the Owls. While the defense was shining, the offense finally got untracked. When Stegent blasted up the middle with about four minutes left the game was out of reach for the Owls. The win left the Aggies the only SWC team with one conference loss as TCU upset Texas and a show- down had been setup for Turkey Day. The Aggies had four days to prepare for the game that meant all the marbles. Edd Hargett hits end Tommy Maxwell for the Aggies' first TD against Rice. HARGETT ELL PIEDFORT N 3 V A&M Rice First Downs .. .. .. 11 12 By Rushing 6 8 By Passing ............................ 5 4 By Penalty ............................ 0 0 Yards Rushing ..........................123 149 Net Yards Passing .................... 93 67 Passes (Com.- Att.- Inter.) ........9 -41.8 9 -38.3 Punts, Avg . .............................9 -41.8 9 -38.3 Fumbles Lost ............................ ... 3 3 Penalties .................... ....3 -15 3 -25 Return Yardage ........................108 157 After a much - needed week off, the Aggies in- vaded 1- 46uston's Rice Stadium to meet the tough Rice Owls. It was the ninth game of the year for the Aggies and the first time since the SMU game that the Maroon and White had a chance for a winning record. They made good on the chance and the 18 -3 victory made them 5 -4 on the year and 5 -1 in the SWC. For awhile it looked like Rice might be able to put a halt to the Aggie bandwagon ala 1957 as the Aggies took a slim 3 -0 lead to the dressing room at halftime. When Rice ran a Steve O'Neal punt back for 53 yards, it looked like maybe the Owls were going to repeat that upset win of 10 years ago. However, the Aggies stiffened and the Owls had to settle for a field goal and it was 3 -3. A Rice upset was not to be as the Aggie defense came up with its finest performance of the year and stopped several scoring efforts by the Owls. While the defense was shining, the offense finally got untracked. When Stegent blasted up the middle with about four minutes left the game was out of reach for the Owls. The win left the Aggies the only SWC team with one conference loss as TCU upset Texas and a show- down had been setup for Turkey Day. The Aggies had four days to prepare for the game that meant all the marbles. Edd Hargett hits end Tommy Maxwell for the Aggies' first TD against Rice. HARGETT ELL PIEDFORT N 3 V The Kyle Field stands started filling up three hours before gametime as the showdown between the Ag- gies and Texas was ready to begin. There wasn't a seat to be had as 50,000 plus anxiously awaited the opening kickoff. The first half was strangely like the Rice game as the record- setting toe of Charlie Riggs gave the Aggies a 3 -0 lead. The first thirty minutes was filled with the Aggies getting close and Texas going no- where. At the start of the fourth quarter, Texas quarter- back Bill Bradley scored on a keeper play over left tackle and Texas had a 7 -3 lead. What happened next, to quote losing Coach Darrell Royal was, ''all the ;j. Just a scant 16 seconds after the Texas fight song had echoed through the Brazos Valley, Hargett cocked his talented arm and threw a pass in the direction of Bob Long. Long caught the pass and won a foot race to the goal and bedlam filled Kyle Field. The longest pass play of the '67 SWC season had put the Aggies in front. The Aggie defense held off several more Texas tries at a successful touchdown drive as every play turned out to be a big play. As the final gun sounded, the A &M students swarmed onto the field in victory. Every one of the marchers must have taken one final look to the south scoreboard and read the figures that capped the 1967 regular season —TEXAS A &M 10, TEXAS 7. A&M -10 t. u,. - 7 M. I it Aggie defensive back Tailback Larry Stegent (25) finds running room around Texas' right end and gallops for a short gain. Longhorn tailback Ted Kay steps high as he moves through the Aggie line. Ross Brupbacher (33) prepares to stop Kay. T.U. AdM First Downs ................................. . 14 9 . By Rushing . .......... . 9 3 By Passing .... .... 5 6 By Penalty 0 0 Net Yards Rushing ......................200 74 Net Yards PC 's ing ......................134 203 Passes (Com. -Att.- Inter.) ........8-21 -4 9 -17 -1 Punts, Average ....................6 -44.5 9 -41 Fumbles Lost ............................. 2 1 Penalties ............ .. .......... ............... 2 -20 3 -15 Return Yardage ............................ 91 21 M. I it Aggie defensive back Tailback Larry Stegent (25) finds running room around Texas' right end and gallops for a short gain. Longhorn tailback Ted Kay steps high as he moves through the Aggie line. Ross Brupbacher (33) prepares to stop Kay. By Mickey Herskowitz Executive Sports Editor The Houston Post The adventure books are filled with such legends, but the Texas Aggies, those feisty, bootstrap Texas Aggies, actually brought it off Monday in the icy gloom of the Cotton Bowl. Under skies the color of dirty dishwater, before a noisy, giddy, swaying New Year's Day crowd of 75,000, the Aggies went Bear - hunting with a switch. Down come proud and favored Alabama 20 -16, in the improbable climax to an Aggie season that must have been scripted by Alfred Hitchcock. They milked the suspense out of it so flagrantly that you would have to accuse the Cadets of over- acting. The victory was not safe and snug and wrap- ped in a maroon blanket until the game's next to last play, when Curley Hallman, the Alabama Aggie, the kid who grew up on the other side of the bridge that leads into Tuscaloosa, reached up and fetched the last desperate pass thrown by Snake Stabler with 22 sec- onds left, from his 36. Take that, Alfred. Now this is where the switch came in. The Ag- gies got off their game plan at the half, stuck to the frozen, painted earth and played the brand of high - voltage, fourth quarter defense that brought them to this time and place and grand appointment. Edd Hargett, the tough and artistic quarterback, the guy with a cooler hand than Luke, lofted the ball 22 times and completed half of them for two touch- downs. But he only passed once, on paper, in the entire blessed second half, when leggy characters named Larry Stegent and Wendell Housley hitched up and knocked 'Bama off its milking stool. It was Housley, in the third quarter, who plowed through the Alabama line, breaking tackles like they were crepe ribbons at a supermarket opening, and sped 20 yards for the touchdown that turned out to be the clincher. That made it 20 -10, and the Crimson Tide rolled only part of the way back. Back in the sovereign state of Alabama Monday the astonished news spread and the anguished cry went up and a great pall must have settled upon the land. From Gadsden to Cuthbert, to the population centers of Mobile and Birmingham and Cedar Bluff, the townsfolk lifted their eyes and lowered their voices and asked: "What hath Bear Bryant wrought ?" One of his own chillun stood across from him, on the other sideline, and masterminded the victory that kept Alabama's seniors from scoring a post- season hat trick — consecutive wins in the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls. What's more, Eugene (Bebes) Stallings, a slender, deep- voiced, dark - haired carbon of Papa Paul, be- came the first former Bryant player to defeat the old man. The Aggies, back in the Cotton Bowl for the first time in 26 years, had beaten Alabama 20 -16. Gene Stalling took his inheritance, all that he learned from the man he calls "Coach Bryant," back to the Brazos bottoms. Bob Long grabs a pass for good yardage in the freezing weather. Alabama A &M First downs ......................... .. 14 13 Rushing yards ....135 4 114 Passing yardage .. ....179 143 Return yardage .................. .... 60 130 Passes ............ ........................16 Punts .�............................... -26 -3 11 -22 -0 10- Bum 1 6 Fumbles lost ..6 2 1 — Penaltiee s ... 37 37 83 3 By Mickey Herskowitz Executive Sports Editor The Houston Post The adventure books are filled with such legends, but the Texas Aggies, those feisty, bootstrap Texas Aggies, actually brought it off Monday in the icy gloom of the Cotton Bowl. Under skies the color of dirty dishwater, before a noisy, giddy, swaying New Year's Day crowd of 75,000, the Aggies went Bear - hunting with a switch. Down come proud and favored Alabama 20 -16, in the improbable climax to an Aggie season that must have been scripted by Alfred Hitchcock. They milked the suspense out of it so flagrantly that you would have to accuse the Cadets of over- acting. The victory was not safe and snug and wrap- ped in a maroon blanket until the game's next to last play, when Curley Hallman, the Alabama Aggie, the kid who grew up on the other side of the bridge that leads into Tuscaloosa, reached up and fetched the last desperate pass thrown by Snake Stabler with 22 sec- onds left, from his 36. Take that, Alfred. Now this is where the switch came in. The Ag- gies got off their game plan at the half, stuck to the frozen, painted earth and played the brand of high - voltage, fourth quarter defense that brought them to this time and place and grand appointment. Edd Hargett, the tough and artistic quarterback, the guy with a cooler hand than Luke, lofted the ball 22 times and completed half of them for two touch- downs. But he only passed once, on paper, in the entire blessed second half, when leggy characters named Larry Stegent and Wendell Housley hitched up and knocked 'Bama off its milking stool. It was Housley, in the third quarter, who plowed through the Alabama line, breaking tackles like they were crepe ribbons at a supermarket opening, and sped 20 yards for the touchdown that turned out to be the clincher. That made it 20 -10, and the Crimson Tide rolled only part of the way back. Back in the sovereign state of Alabama Monday the astonished news spread and the anguished cry went up and a great pall must have settled upon the land. From Gadsden to Cuthbert, to the population centers of Mobile and Birmingham and Cedar Bluff, the townsfolk lifted their eyes and lowered their voices and asked: "What hath Bear Bryant wrought ?" One of his own chillun stood across from him, on the other sideline, and masterminded the victory that kept Alabama's seniors from scoring a post- season hat trick — consecutive wins in the Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls. What's more, Eugene (Bebes) Stallings, a slender, deep- voiced, dark - haired carbon of Papa Paul, be- came the first former Bryant player to defeat the old man. The Aggies, back in the Cotton Bowl for the first time in 26 years, had beaten Alabama 20 -16. Gene Stalling took his inheritance, all that he learned from the man he calls "Coach Bryant," back to the Brazos bottoms. Bob Long grabs a pass for good yardage in the freezing weather. Flo In a dramatic climax to a thrilling Cotton Bowl victory for the Aggies, "teacher" Paul Bryant picks up "student" Gene Stallings in a congratula- tory gesture. Coach Stallings and the five graduating seniors accept the huge Cotton Bowl trophy at the awards banquet. r 1:11i1�11?l1' i::� `iti's Ii�4l1 L2 HEAD FOOTBALL COACH From rags to riches .... from the basement to the penthouse. That's the spiraling upward surge that young Gene Stallings took the Texas Aggies on in the scant period of three football seasons. When Stallings took over the gridiron reins at Ag- gieland in December, 1964, the Aggies were coming off a 1 -9 season and a decade -long championship dearth. After three seasons under the dynamic and dedicated Texan, the Aggies own the 1967 Southwest Conference championship and a storybook apprentice- over - the -mas- ter bowl win. The 'Stallings Story' is one of devotion to duty, con- centration on details and positive thinking. Stallings had one goal in mind when he arrived back at his alma mater —to rejuvenate Aggie football and restore the pride and tradition of winning at Aggieland. It was a pride and tradition he knew as end and tri- captain of the 1956 team. That he matched Coach Paul Bryant's own A &M championship timetable bears out what the Alabama coach said when Stallinqs was lured off his staff by A &M: "He's the top young college coaching prospect in Ameri- ca." Texas Aggies believed Bryant then. The few skep- tics have since joined the fold. Stallings calls his 1967 champions "the biggest 'Big Play' football team with which I've ever been associated." To list the 'big play' feats of the 1967 season would make a book in itself. The epic grew in 1968, in a 20 -16 win over Bryant's Crimson Tide in the Cotton Bowl. Stallings is a native of Paris, Tex., where he was an all- around athlete and leader. He captained football, basketball and golf squads at Paris High. He entered Texas A &M in the fall of 1953, played on the Fish eleven and then won three varsity letters un- der Bryant. He was all -SWC his junior season and tri- captain of an unbeaten championship club his senior year. Following his final varsity game he was married to the former Ruth Ann Jack of Paris. They have four child- ren: daughters Anna Lee, Laura Nell and Jacklyn and one son, John Mark. When Bryant went to Alabama after the 1957 sea- son he took Stallings along as an assistant. When Stall- ings was hired by A &M he had become Bryant's assistant head coach. Stallings motto for his Aggies bounces out of a sign on the office wall behind his desk: "Make Something Happen." In three short years he did just that with his Texas Aggie football team. Gam, sW&,9A un BARLOW IRVIN Athletic Director MARVIN TATE Associate A. D. WALLY GROFF Business Manager S. M. MEEKS Equipment Manager Aqw"i F &Aiq staff A aM A* to-TA M ATM JACK HURLBUT Quarterbacks LOYD TAYLOR Offensive Backs AAh ELMER SMITH Assistant Head Coach DEE POWELL Defensive Coach RALPH SMITH Ends BUD MOORE Offensive Coach DON WATSON Linebackers JAKE HELMS Freshmen BILLY PICKARD Trainer LIDE HUGGINS Defensive Backs AqqimDmW#kAk-, WC Team, 11 GRADY ALLEN Defensive End BILL HOBBS Linebacker Best Player TOMMY MAXWELL LARRY STEGENT Safety Halfback Soph. of the year COTTON BOWL AWARDS EDD HARGETT Outstanding Offensive Player Cotton Bowl BILL HOBBS Outstanding Defensive Player Cotton Bowl BOB LONG Flanker DAN SCHNEIDER Offensive Tackle STEVE 0 "NEAL Punting Specialist EDD HARGETT Quarterback Best Player ROLF KRUEGER Defensive Tackle 1967 TEXAS A &M FOOTBALL STATISTICS - (REGULAR SEASON) I ' f 1 f 1 t iENU TEAM STATISTICS PC A &M FIRST DOWNS (Total) TD 136 By Rushing 99 59 By Passing 14 74 By Penalty 9 3 RUSHING (No. of Rushes) 1 433 Yards Gained 0 1,438 Yards Lost 0 375 Net Gain 108 1,063 PASSING (No. Attempted) 15 226 Completed No. 108 Had Intercepted 0 8 Net Yards Gained 27 1,638 TOTAL PLAYS (Rush & Pass) 0 659 Net Total Offense 24 2,701 PUNTS (Number) 0 81 Had Blocked 18 0 Yards Punted 0 3,402 Average Yards Per Punt 13 42.1 PUNT RETURNS (Number) 0 29 Yards Returned 13 235 KICKOFF RETURNS (Number) 10 -8 27 Yards Returned 8 475 INTERCEPTIONS (Number) 27 Yards Returned 2 423 FUMBLES (Number) 26 Fumbles Lost 2 12 PENALTIES (Number) 54 Yards Lost, Penalties 1 489 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing TC YG YL Net Avg. Sallee 56 224 3 221 4.0 Stegent 161 623 55 568 3.5 Housley 56 199 3 196 3.5 Brupbacher 29 88 3 85 2.9 Maxwell 1 1 0 1 1.0 Hargett 115 271 265 6 .05 Harris 1 0 0 0 0.0 Long 1 0 1 — 1 —1.0 Riggs 13 32 45 —13 — 1 .0 Totals 433 1,438 375 1,063 2.5 *Texas Passing Hargett Riggs O'Neal Totals *Texas Pass Receiving Stegent Long Maxwell Sallee Buckman Harris Brupbacher Housley Adams Totals *Texas TD 0 5 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 8 Opp. 187 95 84 8 491 1,929 220 1,709 254 128 27 1,691 745 3,400 64 0 2,516 39.3 47 333 27 566 8 40 27 12 33 330 LP 16 31* 26 16 1 22 0 —1 15 31• PA PC PI Pct. Yds. TD LP 208 99 7 .476 1,526 14 80* 17 9 1 .530 112 1 21 1 0 0 .000 0 0 0 226 108 8 .478 1,638 15 80* 2 No. Yds. TD 0 LP 2 27 365 2 0 45 2 24 541 8 0 80* 1 18 250 2 0 38 0 13 133 0 0 25 25 13 197 0 10 -8 24 8 92 2 15 2 23 0 15 2 21 1 12 No. 1 16 0 16 8 108 1,638 15 80* Scoring TD XP -1 XP -2 FG Long 8 0 0 0 Stegent 7 0 0 0 Riggs 0 18 -15 1 -0 10 -8 Housley 3 0 2 -0 0 Hobbs 2 0 0 0 Harris 2 0 0 0 Maxwell 2 0 0 0 Hargett 1 0 2 -0 0 Buckman 0 0 1 -1 0 Totals 25 18 -15 6 -1 10 -8 Punting No. Yds. Avg. O'Neal 81 3402 42.1 * LSU & TCU. , Punt Returns No. Yds. TD Long 8 94 0 Housley 2 35 0 Cooley 3 32 0 Hallman 4 26 0 Stegent 4 20 0 Harris 4 15 0 Whitmore 2 8 0 Hobbs 1 3 0 Brupbacher 1 2 0 Totals 29 235 0 *Arkansas * *SMU Kickoff Returns No. Yds. TD Stegent 16 292 0 Housley 5 117 0 Harris 2 34 0 Long 1 26 0 Buckman 1 4 0 Brupbacher 2 2 0 Totals 27 475 0 *SMU Interceptions No. Yds. TD Hobbs 7 162 2 Brupbacher 5 167 0 Jones 3 36 0 Adami 3 17 0 Maxwell 3 6 0 Hallm» 3 14 0 Whitmore 1 20 0 Piper 1 1 0 Sooy 1 0 0 Totals 27 423 2 *TCU Fumbles Recovered (opponent's) (Krueger -3, Adami, Piper, Allen -2, Brupbacher, Maxwell, Moorman-1) 1967 RECORD A &M Opp. Sept. 16 SMU* 17 20 Sept. 23 Purdue (Dallas) 20 24 Sept. 30 At LSU 6 17 Oct. 7 Florida State 18 19 Oct. 14 At Texas Tech* 28 24 Oct. 21 At TCU* 20 0 Oct. 28 Baylor* 21 3 Nov. 4 At Arkansas* 33 21 Nov. 18 At Rice* 18 3 Nov. 23 Texas* 10 7 191 138 Pis. 48 42 39 18 12 12 12 6 2 191 LP 62* LP 22* 22 ** 12 12 16 5 8 3 2 22* LP 39* 38 19 26 4 2 39* LP 100* 71 17 12 6 7 20 1 0 100* 12 Attend. 34,000 27,500 66,000 20,000 48,200 37,166 37,720 41,000 58,000 49,200 418,786 *Southwest Conference Game. Best Individual Games Rushing: Stegent, 29 carries for 138 yards vs. Baylor. Passing: Hargett, 17 completed of 34 for 267 yards vs. Purdue. Pass Receiving: Long, 4 for 143 yards and I TD vs. Texas. Long, 4 for 45 yards and 2 TD's vs. Baylor. Several caught 5 in one game. Punting: O'Neal, 7 for 330 yards and 47.1 average vs. Florida State. Kickoff Returns: Stegent, 3 for 61 yards vs. Florida State. ®R The product of many man -hours of blood, sweat and blisters, the 88 -foot Aggie Bon- fire awaits majestically the moment it will be set afire. This symbol of the Aggies' everburning desire to "beat the hell outa t.u.'' takes longer to burn than it does to build. Nuff said Company A -1 prepares to haul in a big one. An ALENCO Crane is brought In to help with the task. I -'rig ImX of W, on BumpMnvcbrm aya DMA nigRA 1967 has proven to be the year of the Aggies, bumper stickers and "enthusiastic ". dorm signs. Alpha Delta Sigma, national advertising fraternity of the journalism department, printed six different bumper sticker designs. More than 6000 were sold and appeared throughout the state. The post- season favorite was the one reading "67 Year of the Aggies, (Sorry T'sips)." Dorm signs were numerous and bed sheets were scarce as the win- ning streak was extended week after week. Some signs fell victim to "The Censor'' and were removed after only a short appearance. A 1 iA .wz 'Guess they'll have to start making 'fender stickers'.'' _ Y 1 ,` Company B -2 marches past the reviewing stand &M Imo, Ft. WwA, -Howtm o�, Co�pnTn�� When the Aggies come to town they come in style and in number. Marching to the music of the 270 -plus Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, the Corps of Cadets invaded Ft. Worth and Houston this year on the two annual Corps trips. 7. 14 . •- -r" } } • y 1 w � ��,, .y , �� �. ♦ t I rr f Aggies five do a little girl - watchin' from Aggie -1. TIC FM W Texu -Aqqi,6 13amA The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band has the dis- tinction of having never lost a halftime. The 272 -piece unit operates on a strictly voluntary basis, with all routines math - matically equated by computer. Lt. Col. E. V. Adams has directed this world's largest military marching band at A &M for the past 22 years. c' NOOK , Row- i — ILIA Ss. � Lt. Col. E. V. Adams, director of the Aggie Band for 22 years. The Aggie Band, performing in the rain, wins another halftime a' the Florida State game. Even the opponents stand and cheer at the spectacle of the "Marching T' formation of the Aggie Band. 1967 AGGIE FOOTBALL RECORDS A�'M CAREER RECORDS SET BY EDD HARGETT Passing: Most Attempts - 473 Most Completions - 231 Most Intercepted - 26 Most Yardage - 3,058 Most Touchdowns - 24 OTHER INDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS Pass Receiving: Most Touchdowns - 11, Bob Long Punting: Best Average - 42.1, Steve O'Neal Scoring: Field Goals (Tie) - 8, Charlie Riggs Interceptions: Yardage (Tie) - 177, Bill Hobbs INDIVIDUAL SEASON RECORDS Passing: Most Touchdowns - 14, Edd Hargett Pass Receiving: Most Touchdowns - 8, Bob Long Interceptions: Most Yardage - 167, Ross Brupbacher Scoring: Field Goals - 8, Charlie Riggs INDIVIDUAL GAME RECORDS Passing: Most Touchdowns (Tie) - 3, Edd Hargett Total Offense: Most Plays - 49, Edd Hargett Interception Yardage - 122, Bill Hobbs (TCU) Congratulations to THE AGGIE CHAMPS LOUPOT'S TRADING POST AT THE NORTH GATE • COLLEGE STATION SIN r r � t� ,J w„ After the victory against Baylor, Yell Leader Barney Dawson is carried away for the traditional dunking in the fish pond following a victory. Even when the Aggies are out- scored, the yell leaders get a drenching from a steady downpour that plagued the game against Flo,rida State. Left to right are Barney Dawson, Wayne Porter, Neal Adams, Mike Baggett and Robert Segner. WE All Head Yell Leader Neal Adams gets what's coming to him, but it's all part of winning a game. The lights go out at Kyle Field and it's every man for the nearest girl — preferably his date. While most Aggies are content with the darkened situation, there's always some good stag Aggie bud with a match or lighter who has ''a better idea." 111 1 I I I 1 Before each home game the Aggies are challenged by having to instruct the thousands of dates arriving on the campus in the ways and traditions of Texas A &M. With less than 24 hours to do this, they must take advantage of every minute, and midnight yell practice helps to accelerate the learning process. The cheaper seats are not always the most comfortable, but it's a good way to become more acquainted with your Aggie neighbor —or his girl. Five young ladies become temporary "yell widows" as their yell - leader dates lead the student body in "sawing varsity's horns off." 9 ^ r- Even a drenching rain doesn't dampen the unexcelled spirit of The Twelfth Man at the Florida State game. The Aggies have never lost a game. However, they have been outscored at times. Standing be- hind them through every contest is the ever - faithful 12th Man, composed of the entire Texas A &M student body. Aggie seniors form the traditional "boot line" after the A &M -t.u. halftime. W A"4p _T" t 1 T � The Aggie Band leads a joyous Twelfth Man across Kyle Field after the 10.7 victory over t.u. Sometimes an Aggie must stand, watch, and wait .. . But he is always yelling, and yelling, and yelling . With his efforts usually well rewarded. 11 MW Fk Ia Spectators aren't the only ones wl o expressed joy at the 10-7 outcome on Thanksgiving day. �( ; �` a - •r�,r;�r#� , ` % ` '.'� y„r `ms " f.+ ry'� .« `j s�`' f 6A r a' ` „� ,T y r �► OF .i ii ` •f � � i ./� Y. �.�/�..` �! � �' h x r.y , ,t +i � • . , y + - r� � j,� `� ,. rAA. What do you mean he's still wet behind the ears ?" fn The "Elephant Walk'' prior to the t.u. game signals the last chance these +� seniors have to be the "Twelfth Man." Al `s Miss Reveille III, the only SWC mascot never stolen, watches proudly as the Aggies defeat TCU. This was the cipy the Aggies won a double- header. The Ags beat Rice on the field, and listened to TCU beat t.u. on the radio. f . '� ` � • 4 � mss. ✓` . ^ t � A What do you mean he's still wet behind the ears ?" fn The "Elephant Walk'' prior to the t.u. game signals the last chance these +� seniors have to be the "Twelfth Man." Al `s Miss Reveille III, the only SWC mascot never stolen, watches proudly as the Aggies defeat TCU. This was the cipy the Aggies won a double- header. The Ags beat Rice on the field, and listened to TCU beat t.u. on the radio. l 0 C r te-■ �� For those who know the score . .. FIRST BANK & TRUST BRYAN BRAZOS COUNTY'S LARGEST AND MOST PROGRESSIVE BANK 101 NORTH TEXAS AVE. MEMBER F.D.I.C. PHONE (713823 -8031 FIRST BANK & TRUST c ahgratulatia0s t 0 COACH GENE STALLINGS, HIS STAFF � „ the 3�gl�t «rg �exas,�l99les" For The Outstanding 1961 football Season WE'RE BUILDING NEW FACILITIES TO SERVE YOU BETTER,- - But Why Wait For A New Bldg. -- We're Ready to Handle All Your Automotiue Needs Today. CADE MOTOR COMPANY - Ex i 1=1 IL IE l"'l COMMERCIAL ALUMINUM WINDOWS, DOORS, AND WALL SYSTEMS RESIDENTIAL ALUMINUM WINDOWS AND SLIDING GLASS DOORS ALENCO HYDRAULIC CRANES AND ACCESSORIES RLBRITTon EnoinEERIf1G CORPORRTlon PO. BOX 3309 BRYRn. TEXR8 77801 (713)822-0121