Battle lines used to be drawn on Thanksgiving Day in the state of Texas.
One side of the family wore burnt orange while the other wore maroon. Dessert could get heated. Afternoon naps were filled with dreams of decimating the other team.
The coveted Texas A&M vs. Texas annual rivalry may be no more. (Although, maybe we'll see it again sooner than we think.) But, in 1993, the 100th meeting between the historic programs, R.C. Slocum's Texas A&M Aggies were in prime position to take home a Southwest Conference championship.
Jack Mackovic's Texas Longhorns weren't going to lie down and hand it to them. As 21-point underdogs, they had nothing to lose and jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
A frigid crowd at Kyle Field needed something to turn up the heat. Leeland McElroy was just the man for the job.
Leeland McElroy's 100-Yard Kick Return TD vs. Texas
https://youtu.be/ASq5X75ij6U?t=5405
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McElroy was Devin Hester before Devin Hester. The best advice any opposing college football team could receive was to kick it as far away from him as possible.
Texas must have lost the message in the mail.
The Longhorns kick to the running back, who receives the ball two yards deep in his own end zone in the second quarter. He takes it out, reads the field behind a wall of Aggie blockers and explodes to the right side. By the time he reaches midfield, the UT kicker is the only man to beat.
McElroy zips past him to go untouched across the goal line.
Just like that, TAMU led 7-6.
The 100-yard kickoff return touchdown gave the Aggies the spark they needed. McElroy's housed kick was also his third of the season, tying an NCAA record at the time.
The Aggies would go on to win the game by a score of 18-9. A spot in the Cotton Bowl awaited.
The victory secured a third-straight SWC Championship and a remarkable 22-0 conference record during that span.
Texas came into College Station hoping to play spoiler. Unfortunately for them, they didn't get the memo.
