If Saturday’s mega-matchup between No. 5 Georgia and No. 1 Texas is indeed the biggest game in Royal-Memorial Stadium history , as many suspect, the evidence for that argument must be overwhelming. Unassailable.
After all, we’re talking about 130-plus years of UT football here. We’re talking the biggest event of the 19th, 20th or 21st century! Out of 954 victories — the fourth-most of any program in America — some were bigger than others, obviously. But a lot of those big games happened off campus.
This is an honest-to-goodness, top-five matchup right here at the corner of San Jacinto Boulevard and DeLoss Dodds Way. They’re bringing in Spoon to play a pre-game concert on the LBJ Lawn, for Bevo’s sake. Forks and knives were used to carve up the Horns’ first six opponents.
To hear the players describe it, Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) could be anybody — a directional school, Meh U., whoever. Umm, these are the Dawgs, the new SEC royalty. “Hey, what’s that coming down the tracks? It’s a huge machine that’s Red and Black.”
“I mean, we respect them,” UT’s defensive switchblade Jahdae Barron said. “But at the end of the day, we don’t fear them.”
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Related: Texas HC Steve Sarkisian challenging Longhorns fans to rock DKR next Saturday against No. 5 Georgia
It must be big on some level. Attendance wise, it’ll blow away the previous marks for games of this magnitude, mostly because the stadium itself is now super-sized. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is welcoming every major recruit on his wish list. With Formula 1 racing also in town, it’ll be tight quarters at the Four Seasons down on Cesar Chavez.
“Great opportunity to showcase what our program is about, great opportunity to showcase what our fan base is about, but also during the day, great opportunity to showcase what the University of Texas is about and what the city of Austin has to offer,” he said.
It’s only the third time Texas has hosted a top-five matchup. Better dig into the previous two to see if this is truly apples to apples.
1970: No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 1 Texas
The first top-five meeting was a raucous get-together between then-Southwest Conference blood rivals. No, not Texas A&M. Arkansas. The Horns came in undefeated having used the Wishbone to break the Aggies one week prior on Thanksgiving. The Hogs got tied as well, 42-7.
“They were calling it the Big Shootout again but it wound up being the Big Murder,” Dan Jenkins wrote in Sports Illustrated.
Memorial Stadium, as it was simply known then, hosted a record crowd of 68,000. Most of those fans spent the game chanting “Woo Woo” in honor of UT’s brilliant fullback Steve Worster. The Horns won it all in 1969. They would go on to win another national title that season.
“It was the most inspired Texas team we've met," Arkansas coach Frank Broyles admitted afterward. “And you'd have to say the best.”
Related: Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives tough injury updates on S Derek Williams, WR Isaiah Bond before Georgia clash
2006: No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Texas
Texas fans were still over the moon from having won the national title in 2005. “He’s going for the corner… He’s got it!,” ABC’s Keith Jackson told the world as Vince Young raced into UT history.
Young had run to the NFL by the time the Buckeyes came to town. The two teams had met in September 2005 as part of a home-and-home contract. Everyone in burnt orange knew that Texas’ No. 2 ranking was mostly because of what happened the year before. This No. 2 ranking in 2006 was of the honorable-mention variety.
With Young gone, redshirt freshman Colt McCoy was now in the spotlight. Asked what to expect, McCoy said beforehand, “Go out and play. Have fun. Give the fans an opportunity to cheer and have fun and lead my team to victory.”
The Buckeyes had fun. It wasn’t much fun for the other 89,422 in attendance. Ohio State won 24-7 in rather workman-like fashion. Texas would go on to finish 10-3, a respectable record after winning it all. What Texas fan doesn’t love the Alamo Bowl?
Related: Georgia QB Carson Beck presents most threatening challenge yet for No. 1 Texas and its high-flying defense
Other games came close, but not this close
Texas has hosted plenty of other big games at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The 1990 game against No. 3 Houston was big; Texas was ranked 14th that week. The 1996 Virginia game is only remembered for Phil Dawson’s winning field kick as time expired.
The 2012 West Virginia game was memorable — not to mention remarkably loud. It was the Mountaineers’ first visit to Austin as a member of the Big 12. West Virginia was ranked 8th, Texas 11th.
There’s no question, this Saturday is the biggest matchup in DKR’s modern era. The stadium has never been bigger with more than 100,000 fans expected. The ambiance has never been better. Let’s be honest, Broyles wouldn’t dig “Thunderstruck.” Or the burnt orange smoke canisters. Or the drone show.
OK, the drones are cool. Keep the drones.
Related: How a Texas student photographer captured an instant iconic image of Longhorns football inside DKR
But more than anything, Texas should keep the pedal to the metal, AC/DC’s version or the helmets-and-shoulder pads variety.
“We’re lucky, man,” Sarkisian said. “And I think you (reporters) should feel lucky that you get to cover what's going on in college football right now. And, you know we’ve got it. We get that show here Saturday night.
“I’m happy for our fans that that we kind of get to be part of that prime-time excitement and show off what DKR is all about. Just the goal is that you're on the winning end.”
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