COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Thousands of Aggie football fans gathered to tailgate outside Kyle Field on Saturday for the first home game of the season.
While the pandemic has impacted many plans in Aggieland, one thing is for certain: The 12th Man Spirit lives on.
Their team ranked No. 6 in the nation in a recent AP poll, Aggie fans were not only excited but ready for a return to normalcy.
"Last year was almost heartbreaking," said Benjamin Knox, Aggie alum (Class of 1990). "But it's very exciting to be back and experience the Texas Aggie enthusiasm and spirit."
That's a sentiment also felt by Aggie alum Madeline Terolin (Class of 2008), an Aggie whose road to the game was quite a journey.
"I actually live in Cleveland, Ohio right now," said Terolin. "I just want them to beat the hell out of Kent State because they’re from Ohio and we need to show them what Aggieland’s all about!”
Indeed, with this year being The 12th Man's centennial, Saturday's game also landed on the 20th anniversary of the 'Red, White and Blue' game back in 2001.
Aggies wore red, white, and blue shirts to recreate the game, with each shirt color getting its own deck to simulate a giant U.S. flag.
"I'm really proud to be a part of the Red, White, and Blue game," said Aggie alum Shelby Schuester (Class of 2017). "To continue another great tradition at A&M and to continue to honor the military culture that’s so engrained here."
As Aggies reflect back on the nation's past, Saturday's game carried many different sentiments across the main campus.
However, one thing was shared among every Aggie Football fan: A sense of pride, as they watched their team hit the field just like old times.
Texas A&M's went on to win 41-10 against Kent State; their next home game is scheduled for Sept 18. where they will compete against the New Mexico Lobos.
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