Before the Texas A&M Aggies head east next season, they'll make one more trip out west to take on Texas Tech for the final time in foreseeable future.
The Aggies won't call it a rivalry, as they'll say their only rival wears burnt orange. However, the Red Raiders have never been shy about expressing their displeasure with the Aggies -- positioning a landmark statue on the Tech campus with the horse's rear in the direction of College Station, according to the legend.
Rivalry or not, this in-state series has delivered some heated battles through the years.
No. 25 Texas A&M travels to Lubbock hoping to get back on track after two frustrating losses. But still loaded with veteran talent, the favored Aggies will test a young undefeated Tech team.
The West Texas crowd won't make it easy for A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Aggies in their first true road game of the season. Four of the top 10 attended games at Jones AT&T Stadium were when the Aggies came to town, and with recent renovations completed, this Saturday's contest may break the all-time record high.
There's bad blood between fans of both schools, and this season's victor will have more than just a year of bragging rights.
Texas A&M leads the series 36-32-1 and has won the previous two, but Texas Tech has claimed seven in the last 10 years. The 1990s was a decade of tight battles with eight contests decided by a touchdown or less.
Take a look back at some of those memorial matchups before the Red Raiders and Aggies' final annual conference showdown Saturday night.
• That's a Guarantee (2007)
Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and redshirt freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree rolled past the Aggies in Lubbock 35-7, but it's what occurred off the field that fans remember most. A victory guarantee made by A&M running back Javorskie Lane, Aggie head coach Dennis Franchione's controversial newsletter, and T-shirts sold by Tech students made national headlines the week leading up to the game.
• Corner Catch (2006)
The Aggies' ground attack controlled the clock, keeping quarterback Graham Harrell and the high-powered Red Raider offense on the sideline in the second half. Texas A&M's Layne Neumann nailed a 32-yard field goal to give the Aggies a 27-24 lead with 2:12 left to play. But Harrell marched Tech into Aggie territory, converting a crucial fourth down at midfield along the way. With 26 seconds left to play, Harrell hit wide receiver Robert Johnson in the corner of the endzone for the 37-yard go-ahead score, stunning the Kyle Field crowd and escaping with the 31-27 victory.
• Not This Time (2004)
In the second-straight overtime game at Kyle Field between Texas A&M and Texas Tech, the Aggies came out on top in another shootout. Tech quarterback Sonny Cumbie threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jarrett Hicks with 10 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 25. Texas A&M running back Courtney Lewis scored on a 25-yard run on the first play of overtime to give the Aggies a 32-25 lead. Cumbie's fourth-down pass was knocked down and the Aggies ended a three-game losing streak to Tech with the 32-25 victory.
• Special Teams Show (2002)
In one of the most exciting games in series history, it was the special teams that highlighted a wild shootout in 2002. Texas Tech rallied from an 18-point deficit, capped by Wes Welker's 88-yard punt return for a touchdown to put the Red Raiders on top late in the fourth quarter. Texas A&M quarterback Dustin Long drove the Aggies back down field to reclaim the lead with a then-Big 12 record seventh touchdown pass. A missed extra point allowed Tech to tie the game at 41 and force overtime. Long's 3-yard strike to Terrence Thomas put the Aggies ahead, but another missed extra point by John Pierson left the door open for the Red Raiders. Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury took advantage and threw his fifth touchdown pass to tie the game and Robert Treece's PAT gave Tech a thrilling 48-47 win in College Station.
• Torn Down (2001)
Texas Tech took down No. 17 Texas A&M in Lubbock, but it's the tearing down of the goal post that made this matchup the one of the most heated in the series. Texas A&M's turnovers proved costly in the 12-0 loss. Quarterback Mark Farris threw an interception in the endzone just before halftime and the Aggies fumbled in the redzone early in the fourth quarter. Following the Tech victory, students tore down the goal post and marched it to the section where A&M fans were seated. What followed was an ugly incident between fans of both schools.
90s MEMORABLE MATCHUPS
• Intercepted Upset (1999)
The Red Raiders did all their scoring in the second quarter and picked off A&M quarterback Randy McCown's pass with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter to seal a 21-19 upset of the No. 5 Aggies.
• Razzle Dazzle (1998)
Shane Lechler threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Campbell on a fake field goal, sparking Texas A&M's 17-10 victory over Texas Tech.
• Bouncing through (1997)
With 26 second left in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 13, Tech backup kicker Tony Rogers' 46-yard field goal was good after bouncing off the left upright to give the Red Raiders the 16-13 victory.
• Sammy Scores (1996)
Tech quarterback Zebbie Lethridge threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Morris midway through the fourth quarter as the Red Raiders rallied for a 13-10 win in College Station.
• Zach Attack (1995)
In the final year of the Southwest Conference, Tech linebacker Zach Thomas intercepted A&M quarterback Corey Pullig's pass and returned it 23 yards for the go-ahead score with 30 seconds remaining to give the Red Raiders a 14-7 win.
• Second Chance (1992)
The Aggies trailed by one late in the game due to a missed extra point. But A&M kicker Terry Venetoulias redeemed himself by nailing a 21-yard field goal as time expired to defeat the Red Raiders 19-17.
OTHER NOTABLE SERIES GAMES:
• Defensive Battle (1983)
The lowest scoring game in the series history was won by the Red Raiders 3-0 in Lubbock.
• All Tied Up (1960)
The only tie in the series history came in 1960 with the final score 14-14.
• Lone Loss (1953)
Texas A&M handed the Red Raiders their only defeat of the 1953 season, a 27-14 decision in Lubbock.
• Series Born (1927)
In the first meeting between the two schools, Texas A&M routed Texas Tech 47-6 in Lubbock. The Aggies went on to win the next five meetings as Tech didn't earn its first victory until 1946 in a game played in San Antonio.
