COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas Longhorns gave their cross-state rival a goodbye present Thursday that added an appropriate — and agonizing — footnote to Texas A&M’s disappointing final football season as a Big 12 member.
Texas moved 48 yards in the final 1:48 to set up Justin Tucker’s game- winning, 40-yard field goal as the time expired to give the Longhorns a 27-25 victory at Kyle Field in the 118th and final scheduled meeting between the longtime rivals before A&M joins the Southeastern Conference next season.
The drive was Texas’ longest scoring march on a night when the Longhorns’ offense managed just 237 yards but benefited from four A&M turnovers. It trumped an A&M rally from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit and allowed Texas (7-4, 4-4 Big 12) to hand A&M (6-6, 4-5) its fifth loss of the season when the Aggies squandered a double-digit lead.
“This is by far the most painful loss we’ve had since I’ve been here,” A&M safety and senior captain Trent Hunter said.
A&M led this one 13-0 before Texas rallied to take control of the game with a 17-0 surge in the third quarter. Thanks to two long returns, including one for a touchdown, the Longhorns needed to move just 27 yards to get those game-turning 17 points.
A&M began the season with a top-10 ranking. In those defeats when A&M squandered double-digits leads, the Aggies have been outscored by a combined margin of 76-7 in the third quarter.
