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USA Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Aggie War Hymn trolls Texas head coach in viral SEC media days moment
Steve Sarkisian might be the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, but the DJ at the SEC media days thought he bled Maroon and White, as the Aggie War Hymn echoed across the room in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday. Symbolic of professional wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin making his iconic entrance, Sarkisian walked up the stairs and to the podium as if he were born an Aggie. His confidence and swagger had everyone doing double-takes, as another hilarious moment entered the 131-year rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M. In a move that likely made Longhorn boosters and alumni spill their morning coffee, the soundtrack heard around the world joins the growing archive of memes that define the Lone Star Showdown. Longhorn fans shouldn't panic, though. Sarkisian isn't the first Texas head coach in 2025 to show some love for the Maroon and White. Texas baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle ripped a "Gig 'em" on national television during the NCAA Tournament this year, giving fans of both programs yet another reason to crank up the hatred meter. Schlossnagle's blunder provided the perfect ammunition for Aggie fans still feeling the sting of his sudden departure from the Texas A&M baseball program to the school's archrival in Austin, Texas. SEC media days are known for their historically memorable moments with a melting pot of coaching personalities previewing the upcoming season and answering questions from the media. Sarkisian, however, never had a chance to reach the podium before the Aggie War Hymn blared from the speakers. All jokes aside, the Longhorns still hold the most recent "last laugh" over the Aggies from last season's 17-7 win at Kyle Field. Texas A&M will have an opportunity to rectify last year's loss this season and gain the program's first victory over the in-state rivals since 2010. If head coach Mike Elko can lead his team to a massive victory in Austin, these memes will likely make another appearance on everyone's timelines by the time it is all said and done. If a poll were made specifically for the Aggie fan base, many would likely want to give that DJ a raise. While no reporters asked about it during Sarkisian's press conference, the thoughts swirling around his mind while walking up the steps as the Texas A&M fight song played would have likely warranted an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning said at SEC Media Days
No player, or coach for that matter, was as anticipated at SEC Media Days then Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Already a star, Manning is in the process of becoming a superstar/household name before our eyes. On Tuesday, in Atlanta, Manning met the assembled media, a throng that dwarfed the crowd around any other player at the event. Here is the transcript from Manning's question and answer period at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, thanks to the Southeastern Conference media department: Q. Obviously your first time at SEC media days. There's a lot of hype around you, but what do people maybe not know about you? ARCH MANNING: I feel like I'm a pretty normal guy. I like to hang out with my buddies, take golf. I take football pretty seriously. Other than that, just a regular guy. Q. What are some of the things you like to improve upon from your last season? What can you say about your receivers and this offense? ARCH MANNING: Our receivers are really good, really fast. We have a bunch of young ones, but having Wingo and D-Mo back will be good. I'm just really trying to improve as a leader this offseason. Q. Becoming more of a leader, your teammates have said how active a role you took. What was the impetus of that to try to kind of establish yourself this offseason? ARCH MANNING: I think as much as it wasn't always easy, those two years I kind of feel like I got a lot of respect from the team. Now being more of a vocal leader, they know it's coming from a place of love. When I get on someone, they know I'm not just being a turd. Q. With all the media attention that you've gotten this offseason, your entire career and today, all the scrums around you, has any of this started to feel almost normal at this point? ARCH MANNING: I don't know. Maybe so. I think I've had a lot of role models to look up to and how they deal with the media. I think Quinn did a really good job handling the media. But I'm here to play ball. This is very much so secondary. Q. Who is more competitive, yourself or Michael Taaffe? ARCH MANNING: That's pretty close. Q. Who talks more trash? ARCH MANNING: He's annoying competitive, though. He'll pick up a piece of trash, and be, I picked up the trash. I'm, like, okay. No, he's good. He picked me off last week in two-minute drill, which was annoying. But we're both pretty competitive. It gets competitive on the golf course too. Q. Who talks more trash? ARCH MANNING: Probably him. Yeah, probably him. Q. Going back to being part of the renewal of the Lone Star Showdown, you come in and you experience that, scoring a touchdown, what do you remember from that game? And how much are you looking forward to it being in Austin this year? ARCH MANNING: It was a privilege to have that rivalry back. I'm glad I got to impact the game a little bit. They're a really good team. That was a big-time atmosphere. I'm looking forward to that game. I got to spend some time with Marcel at MPA. He's a really good guy and good player. We're fired up to play them again. Q. Big touchdown in a key situation in that game. How did moments of success like that maybe help prepare you stepping into the role you'll have this season? ARCH MANNING: Anytime you can get reps in the game and make an impact to help your team win, it definitely builds your confidence for the following year. I think I'm going to try to build on that. Q. You talked about your role models. Yesterday your grandfather's jersey was displayed as part of the Ole Miss shrine. And with your family name, you're about to have your chance to shine and create your own legacy. What's that look like for you? ARCH MANNING: It was cool seeing that. I think I came here maybe when it was just opening with my grandfather to watch the Ole Miss-Boise state game opening week. But it's been cool looking up to him and my uncles and my dad. I've always wanted to play in the SEC. It's been a blessing. Q. Your dad's Ole Miss rival, Archie's jersey's here, Uncle Eli. I know you're a Texas Longhorn. What's your relationship you grew up, and what's your relationship with Ole Miss now? ARCH MANNING: It's a little bit different we grew up going to games. We had a place in Oxford, and I'd spend a lot of the summer there and go to at least a game a year. Also, I guess not as much, but they got a really good coach and really good team. I spent time with Austin a few weeks ago. He's a good guy. He's got a hell of an arm. They're in for good a year. Q. Your uncles are notorious for having really strong self-deprecating humor. You've shown flashes of that. What's a Thanksgiving dinner like around the Manning family household, just everybody ripping on each other or what's that like? ARCH MANNING: I think we play A&M the day after Thanksgiving, so it won't be much. I'll probably be with the team. But growing up it was fun watching football -- it's pretty much like every other family -- watch football, eat a lot, maybe go outside and wrestle, I don't know. It was pretty basic. Nothing special. Q. Obviously your family name is big everywhere but in Louisiana it's very big. You're playing for Texas now. Do you feel like you're also representing Louisiana? What does Louisiana mean to you moving forward even though you're playing in the state of Texas? ARCH MANNING: I try to bring as much New Orleans style to Texas. I learned a lot growing up in New Orleans. Been around a lot of good players. We have some other guys from the state of Louisiana with me at Texas. It's been fun. Going back every year to Thibodaux, the New Orleans culture and Louisiana culture is second to none. So it's always fun going back. Q. Obviously you played a lot with Quinn Ewers here last year. Now that you're the starter, has he given you any advice? What have you learned from Quinn? ARCH MANNING: I learned so much from Quinn in my two years behind him. I think he handled it like a pro. It's definitely not easy having me as the backup with all the media. I'm forever grateful for him. I actually texted him the other week for advice on two-minute, what kind of plays he likes to start with. Q. You said you've always wanted to play in the SEC. How has Texas been able to transition so well successfully in the SEC in two years, in the first year? ARCH MANNING: I think it's a credit to Coach Sark and the way he's recruited and built the program. We have a bunch of good players, and follow his lead. This is a big-time conference. It's tough each week. But I think we've done a pretty good job. I'm hoping to carry that forward. Q. Do you think your mobility caught anybody by surprise last year? You can really move. ARCH MANNING: My dad was pretty fast. My mom was fast, too. She's competitive. I try to mix it up a little bit when I can. Q. What's the hardest thing you've had to deal with in your time at Texas and this offseason? ARCH MANNING: I think I would say probably from going -- I played -- this is not a really big deal, but I played every year in high school. It was 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything. But from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough. I think more so now, just dealing with the media and stuff, I don't really care about all that. I'm just here to play football. That's kind of what I want my focus to be. Q. You and Garrett Nussmeier seem to have a pretty good relationship. How has it been? He's had one year as a starter under his belt. Have you all had those conversations or do you try to keep it away from ball? ARCH MANNING: No, Nuss was my roommate at that camp. I asked him probably 200 questions. I had no idea he was going to propose a week later. I'm excited for him. He's going to have a good year. They've got a good squad over there. Q. You talked about how hard it was not to play those first couple of years. Obviously we're in a different era of college sports where it's a super common thing to, okay, if I'm not playing right away I'm just going to go find somewhere I can play. Did that idea ever creep in? I have no doubt you had offers to do that, but was there ever any sort of consideration to do something like that? ARCH MANNING: No, that never really crossed my mind. I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still develop and growing as a football player and as a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
ESPN lists SEC head coach as Texas A&M's top archvillian heading into the 2025 campaign
For every college football superhero, there must be an opposing villain who aims to strike terror into his archenemy and cruelly laugh as he suffers defeat. Well, at least that is how the comics and movies tend to go. When it comes to rivalries in the Southeastern Conference, the teams on each side tend to feel this way about their teams. They are the ultimate superheroes here to save the day and stop their mortal enemies from becoming powerful and overthrowing them. The Lone Star Showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies is no different. In the first contest between the in-state rivals since Nov. 24, 2011, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian led his program to a 17-7 victory at Kyle Field in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Second-year head coach Mike Elko will aim to rewrite the narrative in favor of the Aggies this season, as Texas A&M brings in a transfer portal class that ranks above the Longhorns at No. 16, according to On3 Sports' 2025 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. Similar to Superman having Lex Luthor, Elko now has Sarkisian to deal with. Heading into a new campaign with a plethora of fresh faces on both sides, Texas A&M will look to take down its Darth Vader and bring home the Lone Star Showdown for the first time since 2010. In a recent article via ESPN, the publication discussed way-too-early archvillains for every college football team ranked in the top 25. As anticipated, the Longhorns' head coach was named as the No. 1 archenemy heading into 2025. "Sarkisian has done a masterful job reloading Texas to meet its potential. Last year, he took the Longhorns into Kyle Field and spoiled the Aggies' chances of getting into the SEC championship game, and this year, A&M visits Austin for the first time since 2010 where Arch Manning hysteria dominates the headlines and the Longhorns will be seeking a coronation for a playoff run. Sarkisian, an avowed fan of college rivalries and traditions, will look to push all the right buttons to ignite his team," ESPN college football reporter Dave Wilson said. While Manning will provide a spark for the Texas offense, the program's offensive line still has many question marks heading into the fifth season under Sarkisian. Although he did not get much playing time while Quinn Ewers was at the helm, this is now Manning's team to lead. For the Aggies, sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed will be called upon to lead the Maroon and White into Austin with confidence, as the program from College Station could potentially play spoiler and crush any hope Texas has of reaching this year's SEC Championship and College Football Playoff. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3 Texas A&M matchups included in The Athletic's Top 100 college football rivalry rankings
Texas A&M's vast rivalry history extends beyond the Lone Star Showdown against the Texas Longhorns, as the Aggies spent the majority of their football history in the Southwest Conference (1915-1996) and the Big 12 (1996-2011) before joining the SEC ahead of the memorable 2012 season. While the return of Texas A&M vs. Texas made headlines last season after the decade-plus drought during the Longhorns' first season in the SEC, the Aggies have become bitter rivals with the LSU Tigers, which includes the historic 7-OT game during the 2018 season, which served as the 57th meeting between both programs, and only heightened the hatred between the fanbases. Both rivalries will continue on the gridiron as long as all three teams stay in the SEC, and are still considered two of the greatest rivalries in college football history. On Monday, The Athletic released its top 100 college football rivalry rankings, which included three Texas A&M rivalry matchups, including the Aggies' longtime yearly matchup with the Baylor Bears. No. 74: Texas A&M vs. Baylor Known as the "Battle of the Brazos," Texas A&M currently leads the series 68–31–9, and while both programs have not played since the 2011 season, the Aggies dominated the Bears 55-28 behind a dominant performance from wide receiver Ryan Swope. No. 71: Texas A&M vs. LSU The first meeting between Texas A&M and LSU took place in 1899, resulting in a 52-0 victory for the Aggies. However, LSU has since won four National Championships, and currently leads the series 32–24–3. While Texas A&M defeated the Tigers 34-23 in one of the best comeback wins of the year, the Aggies have not defeated LSU in Death Valley since the 1994 season. No. 15: Texas A&M vs. Texas The Texas Longhorns have dominated the Lone Star Showdown since the early 2000s, while the Aggies won ten out of eleven games from 1984 to 1994. During the first matchup since the 2011 season, Texas was the better team on paper, and while the Aggies had their chances, the Longhorns didn't allow an offensive touchdown, leaving a sold-out Kyle Field with a decisive 17-7 victory. In 119 meetings, Texas leads the series 77–37–5. Texas A&M will travel to Austin for its regular-season finale in 2025. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Historic College Football Rivalry Gets Major Update
All eyes will be on the Texas Longhorns in 2025 as they attempt to reach their third consecutive College Football Playoff. Texas will enter the season as one of the highest ranked teams in the country. While several starters from last year departed for the NFL, the Longhorns are confident in the many new faces poised to break out in 2025. Advertisement Quarterback Arch Manning is preparing for his first season as the full-time starter and the hype surrounding him is at an all-time high. Steve Sarkisian's staff also landed a few immediate impact starters via the transfer portal, including former Cal tight end Jack Endris. While all eyes will be on the Longhorns to see if they can live up to the hype, many Texas players have one primary game in mind. Texas A&M will be traveling to Austin in November to face Texas. On Thursday, schedule details were released for this historic Lone Star Showdown. The Longhorns will host the Aggies on Friday, Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. This is a slight change from last season where the two teams played on Saturday. However, many fans are ecstatic that the game will be on Friday as it was typically always played on the day after Thanksgiving in the past. This matchup will also mark the first time that the Aggies will travel to Austin for a college football game since 2010. It has the potential to break an attendance record. Advertisement The Longhorns defeated the Aggies at Kyle Field last season, 17-7. Texas will likely enter the matchup as the favorite, but we're all aware that anything can happen in rivalry games. For now, fans can rejoice in the game taking place on Friday evening. Related: Where Each Longhorn Was Drafted or Signed Following the 2025 NFL Draft
