1975 Texas A&M Aggies football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1975 Texas A&M Aggies football Southwest Conference SWC 12 11 10–2 6–1 Emory Bellard 4th Tom Wilson 1st Wishbone Melvin Robertson 4th Kyle Field SWC co-champion Liberty Bowl L 0–20 vs. USC The 1975 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1975 NCAA Division I football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Emory Bellard, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, sharing the SWC title with Arkansas and Texas. Texas A&M was invited to the Liberty Bowl, where the Aggies lost to USC. The team was ranked second in the nation after ten games before losing its final two contests. Texas A&M played home games at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. Season summary The 1975 Aggie football team started its season with ten wins. Its tenth victory came on the day after Thanksgiving Day (Friday, November 28, 1975) over the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field before a national television audience (ABC). The Aggies were ranked second in the nation after the game against Texas, but starting quarterback Mike Jay suffered a back injury in the 20–10 win over the Longhorns. The next game came eight days later, a Saturday, December 6, matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks that had been rescheduled from its typical early November time frame per a request by ABC Sports. With Jay injured, Texas A&M backup quarterback David Shipman was called upon to play against Arkansas, who was ranked 18th in the nation. The Aggies were trailing 7–0 at halftime and lost by a final score of 31–6. The Aggies, Razorbacks and Longhorns all finished 6-1 in SWC play. With each team going 1-1 vs. the other two, Arkansas was awarded the berth in the Cotton Bowl since it had gone the longest since its most recent appearance (1965 vs. 1967 for A&M and 1973 for Texas). Before the loss at Arkansas, Texas A&M had appeared headed to Dallas for New Year's Day. Instead, the sixth-ranked team faced the unranked USC Trojans in the Liberty Bowl. USC, playing in a bowl other than the Rose Bowl for the first time, had been ranked in the top five teams nationally in early November, but they struggled late in the season and came into the bowl game with a 7–4 record.Boyles Bob, Guido, Paul The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia 2009 Skyhorse Publishing 1602396779 327 https://books.google.com/books?id=eNThHqwUK7kC&pg=PA327 The Aggies suffered a 20–0 loss and finished the season ranked #11. The 1975 Liberty Bowl was the final game for USC coach John McKay, as his success had earned him a job with the NFL expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Farmer Sam He took the money and ran -- to Tampa https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-12-sp-mckay12-story.html December 29, 2013 Los Angeles Times January 12, 2007 The 1975 team was bolstered by the play of four-year starter and running back Bubba Bean, who became the first Aggie featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Bean was selected to play in that year's Senior Bowl, where he caught an 82-yard touchdown pass. He rushed for 944 yards on the season and scored a team-high 8 touchdowns.1975 Texas A&M Aggies Stats https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/texas-am/1975.html#all_rushing_and_receiving Sports-Reference.com December 29, 2013 Bean finished his college career with 2,846 yards rushing.Bubba Bean '75, Football http://www.aggielettermen.org/ernest-bean-75-football-trainer/ https://archive.today/20131229054347/http://www.aggielettermen.org/ernest-bean-75-football-trainer/ dead December 29, 2013 Texas A&M Letterman's Association December 28, 2013 Bean was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the ninth pick in the first round of the 1976 NFL draft.Bubba Bean https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/bubba-bean-1.html Sports-Reference.com December 29, 2013 Schedule 1975 AP September 13 w y 8 Ole Miss Kyle Field College Station, TX 7–0 47,021 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-marshall-news-messenger-aggies-blank/134251769/ The Marshall News Messenger Aggies blank scrappy Rebels, 7–0 September 14, 1975 October 28, 2023 Newspapers.com September 20 w y y 11 LSU Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA rivalry 39–8 69,445 https://www.newspapers.com/article/victoria-advocate-texas-am-overpowers-l/134249743/ The Victoria Advocate Texas A&M overpowers LSU, 39–8 September 21, 1975 October 28, 2023 Newspapers.com September 27 w y 8 Illinois Kyle Field College Station, TX ABC 43–13 45,524 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-odessa-american-texas-am-displays-p/169102170/ The Odessa American Texas A&M displays power in 43–13 win over Illini September 28, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com October 4 w y y 6 Kansas State KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS 10–0 37,100 https://www.newspapers.com/article/longview-news-journal-wildcats-upset-bi/169102219/ Longview Morning Journal Wildcats' upset bid falls short October 5, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com October 11 w y 6 Texas Tech Jones Stadium Lubbock, TX rivalry 38–9 52,254 https://www.newspapers.com/article/wichita-falls-times-aggies-crush-t-tech/169102266/ Wichita Falls Times Aggies crush T-Tech, 38–9 October 12, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com October 18 w y 5 TCU Amon G. Carter Stadium Fort Worth, TX rivalry 14–6 34,210 https://www.newspapers.com/article/austin-american-statesman-tcu-wasnt-jok/169102333/ The Austin American-Statesman TCU wasn't joking; A&M escapes with 14–6 scare October 19, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com October 25 w 5 Baylor Kyle Field College Station, TX rivalry 19–10 53,693 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-aggies-bump-bears/169102395/ The Shreveport Times Aggies bump Bears October 26, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com November 8 w 4 SMU Kyle Field College Station, TX 36–3 49,809 https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald-texas-am-still-unbea/169102452/ Omaha World-Herald Texas A&M still unbeaten after mauling Mustangs November 9, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com November 15 w y 3 Rice Rice Stadium Houston, TX 33–14 67,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/brownwood-bulletin-ag-defense-shines/169102546/ Brownwood Bulletin Ag defense shines November 16, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com November 28 w 2 Texas 5 Kyle Field College Station, TX rivalry ABC 20–10 56,679 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent-aggie-defense-shines-i/169101871/ The Post-Crescent Aggie defense shines in 20–10 win over Longhorns November 29, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com December 6 l y 2 Arkansas 18 War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR rivalry ABC 6–31 52,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/morning-world-bull-heroics-help-porkers/169101430/ Monroe Morning World Bull heroics help Porkers shock Aggies December 7, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com December 22 l y y 6 USC Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl ABC 0–20 52,129 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-uscs-liberty-punc/169102088/ The Commercial Appeal USC's Liberty punch makes McKay a winner in end December 23, 1975 March 29, 2025 Newspapers.com Roster 1975 Texas A&M Aggies y 44 Sr Bubba Bean RB y Sr Ed Simonini LB Garth Ten Napel LB Emory Bellard References Texas AandM Category:Texas A&M Aggies football seasons Category:Southwest Conference football champion seasons Texas AandM Aggies football