Thanksgiving is always my favorite holiday. It’s all about family, food and football. What’s not to love?
One of my most memorable Thanksgiving days in 1988, my freshman year of high school, when I attended my first ever Texas home game.
My brother and I went down to Austin to visit my sister for Thanksgiving. We had brunch at Kerby Lane Café and then went to the game that night.
It ended up being a not-so-great night for the Horns. The Aggies built a huge 28-0 lead that included “Blitz Brothers” blocked field goal attempt which Aaron Wallace blocked and John Roper returned for a touchdown.
The Aggie defense also stifled Texas’ run game, limiting Eric Metcalf to just 67 yards on 22 carries (2.4 ypc) and the Horns were forced to become a one-dimensional passing team. Kerry Cash caught a touchdown pass before halftime and that started a comeback which would fall just short with Texas losing 28-24.
I honestly did not remember the final score of that game, I had to Google it. I did remember how excited I was to get to watch Metcalf in his final home game that night. I remember being on the field after the game and Britt Hager’s nameplate had been nearly ripped off his jersey. I fought off the temptation to go ask him for it only to watch another kid ask, and get, that nameplate a few minutes later.
But what I remembered most about that night was the excitement in the stadium before the game and during the comeback. You could feel the energy of the crowd and it was intoxicating.
The game is no longer played on Thanksgiving Day. The uniforms have changed. The conferences have changed. There is so much that is going to be different when the Horns and Aggies square off again this year. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the electricity in the stands.
Whatever it is I thought I felt that night in 1988 will surely pale in comparison to what is going to happen at Kyle Field Saturday night.
