THOSE GOOD OL' BAYLOR GAMES Two decades ago, no team gave the Aggies more fits on the field than Baylor By Rusty Burson

Stumbling through an early morning workout recently at the Student Recreation Center, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation between two freshmen mapping out Texas A&M’s 2001 season. Both had serious concerns about road trips to Kansas State and Oklahoma, and one conceded the possibility of tough games at Texas Tech and Colorado.

One thing they both vigorously agreed upon, however, was that Oct. 6 was a guaranteed win for the Aggies.

"Why even play the game?" one fish asked his buddy.

"Yeah, I know, dude. Have we ever even lost to Baylor? We own those guys."

Perhaps Kevin Murray's greatest game came against Baylor in 1986.

As if my receding hairline and shortness of breath didn’t already make it abundantly clear we were from different generations, I decided to chime in and prove it. To me, it seems like just yesterday that the Texas A&M-Baylor showdown was annually one the games of the year in the Southwest Conference.

To them, the SWC is as archaic as John Mellencamp, Rocky movies and Mary Lou Retton.

"Baylor used to be pretty darn good," I said. "As a matter of fact, I remember when Baylor pretty much owned Texas A&M."

Based on their bewildered looks, I could have just as easily told them I had fought in the Civil War. I was quickly reminded "not long ago" to me represented an eternity to them. And to be fair to the Britney Spears-loving, laptop-toting crowd on campus today, most of them weren’t even alive when Baylor began an eight-year stretch of supremacy over the Aggies in 1978.

The Bears went 6-1-1 in games against A&M from 1978-85, including a 39-point win at Kyle Field during Baylor’s 1980 SWC championship season. Of course, this is ancient history to today’s students on both campuses, many of who were mere toddlers the last time Baylor beat A&M in ’85.

"It pains me to hear when people talk about the Baylor-A&M game around here now, and they never give Baylor a chance," said Walter Abercrombie, one of the all-time Aggie killers. "I guess that’s because my class never lost to A&M. That has been a source of pride for all of us who were in my class."

Abercrombie, now the director of education and special projects of the American Football Coaches Association in Waco, made his collegiate debut at Kyle Field in 1978 and rushed for 207 yards in Baylor’s 24-6 win over then 12th-ranked A&M. It was the last game Emory Bellard coached at A&M, and it was the beginning of a series of heartaches for the Aggies in the "Battle of the Brazos."

During his career at Baylor, Abercrombie rushed for 609 yards against the Aggies, leading the Bears to four straight wins.

"Coach (Grant) Teaff used to play the "Aggie War Hymn" in our stadium the week prior to the game, and everybody would be so pumped up about playing A&M," said Abercrombie, who is also part of Baylor’s radio crew today. "Because of the proximity of the two schools, we loved playing that game. It was a great rivalry, and I have a lot of great memories from that series."

R.C. Slocum’s memories of that time period are more haunting than happy.

Johnny Holland was more concerned with the Bears than the Longhorns.

"I remember driving back from Waco after losing to Baylor," said Slocum, a defensive assistant in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. "I can also remember walking off this field down here after losing to Baylor. They had some very good teams and very good athletes, and it was always a battle against Baylor."

Even when the Aggies began turning things around in the mid-1980s under Jackie Sherrill, the Baylor game represented much more of a challenge to A&M than the annual Thanksgiving showdown against Texas. From 1984-86, the outcome of the A&M-Baylor game was determined by an average of 3.3 points per game. During that same stretch, the Aggies beat Texas three consecutive times, winning by an average margin of 23.3 points.

"When I was in school, they had a great football team, with very talented players," said former A&M star linebacker Johnny Holland, now an assistant coach with the Seattle Seahawks. "I can remember facing some tremendous athletes when we played Baylor. Probably, from a players’ standpoint, the Baylor game was bigger to us than the Texas game, because Baylor had such a standout program. We were handling Texas, but Baylor gave us fits."

Holland was part of perhaps the greatest A&M-Baylor game ever to be played – at least from the Aggies’ perspective. Led by Cody Carlson on offense and All-American Thomas Everett on defense, the Bears stormed into Kyle Field on Oct. 18, 1986 and built a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The Aggies were fortunate it was that close. The Bears had a chance to completely bury A&M in the opening quarter, but Todd Howard stopped Baylor’s Matt Clark a foot short of the end zone on a key fourth-and-goal play late in the quarter.

From then on, it was all Murray’s magic. Playing perhaps his finest game in an A&M uniform, Kevin Murray rallied the Aggies from their early deficit, passing for 308 yards and three touchdowns. The remarkable rally was completed with Tony Thompson’s juggling 4-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter, giving the Aggies a 31-30 victory.

It may have been the most exciting game in the history of the 97-game series, and it was later voted the 1980s game of the decade in the SWC by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.

"If you ask me, out of all the games since I’ve been at A&M, to list the top games, that ’86 Baylor-A&M game would be at the top," Slocum said. "That’s one of the best games that’s ever been played, particularly at Kyle Field."

Said Holland: "I would probably say that’s the biggest comeback game I’ve been a part of at any level. Murray was something else, and that was a magical day."

What strikes Holland as particularly amazing is that Baylor has not won a game in the series since A&M’s magical comeback in 1986. Fifteen years. Not one Baylor victory. There have been close games, such as the 14-11 A&M win in 1989 and the 19-13 victory in ’92. There was even a 20-20 tie in 1990 at Kyle Field, which was the Aggies’ only home blemish from late in 1989 to the close of the 1995 season.

But even with some close calls, the Bears have not broken through. And in recent years, the series has been decidedly one-sided. The Bears are coming off the worst two-year stretch (3-19) since 1970-71. Baylor has now endured five consecutive losing seasons and had an overall record of 13-44 during that span.

"When you look at what has happened with the Baylor program, then it becomes pretty clear why we’ve not only lost to A&M for many years in a row, but also to other teams we regularly play against," Abercrombie said. "Baylor has struggled through several coaching changes. The program is struggling to come back from not having the continuity there. It’s not surprising when you really look at the situation of the team.

"A lot of credit should go to Coach Slocum and the job he’s done with A&M. You look at what he’s done, and it’s been amazing how many victories he’s put together. But I just long for the days when this series against the Aggies is much more competitive. I have no problem losing to A&M, because it’s a great program. But the domination is something I have trouble dealing with. Hopefully, Baylor can make things more competitive."

Perhaps that day is coming soon. Kevin Steele has upgraded the Bears’ talent in his three years at the school, and Slocum says he believes he is the right man to get the ship righted in Waco.

"I have a lot respect for Kevin Steele," Slocum said. "He’s a good coach, and I think he’s a good and honest man. He’s doing what should be done at Baylor."

Assistant Baylor head coach Scott Smith, who went 3-1 against A&M as a BU player from 1977-80, also believes the time is coming when Baylor will not be viewed by A&M fans as an automatic victory.

"Coach Slocum and his staff have done such a great job over the years," Smith said. "It’s our job now to get (the series) back to the level where it once was. We’re on track, I believe, to do that. But it’s one day at a time. So, we just have to keep chopping wood, and hopefully, we’ll get there. I vividly recall what a great, competitive rivalry it once was."

Me, too, although my youthful Rec Center buddies are still staring at me as if senility has set in.