Quarterback Marcel Reed ignited the Lone Star Showdown early, trashing Austin and promising payback at Kyle Field despite a rocky history against the Longhorns' elite defense.
Even the most passionate Texas Longhorns fan will admit ...
You gotta admire this braggy Aggie's guts - even though he 'hates'' yours.
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed has officially thrown the first punch in advance of the 2026 Lone Star Showdown ... and the season hasn’t even started.
Reed couldn't meekly and politely settled in with the usual rivalry script about respecting Texas and taking every game one week at a time and all that gibberish.
Instead, he ...
1 - Attacked the Longhorns’ signature color.
2 - Dismissed Austin.
3 - Promised payback when Texas visits Kyle Field on Nov. 27.
“I hate the color orange,” Reed told USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer.
That’s the kind of quote that delights Aggies, infuriates Longhorns and gets taped to a locker before Thanksgiving.
The fun part of this? "Infuriated Longhorns'' fans should also see the fun in the "hate.''
The problematic part of this - for the Aggies? Texas currently owns the receipts.
Reed is 0-2 against the Longhorns, averaging 163 passing yards with three interceptions and zero touchdown passes across those losses.
Texas A&M’s 2025 defeat to its rival also began a miserable two-game finish. The Aggies subsequently lost 10-3 to Miami in the College Football Playoff, ending an 11-2 season. Reed threw four of his 12 interceptions in those final two games.
That ending shouldn’t erase his broader production. Reed completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025.
He added 493 rushing yards and six scores, producing 3,662 total yards while starting all 13 games.
Those numbers explain why confidence follows him. The Texas tape explains why the confidence might seem hollow.
Reed also declared that the Longhorns “are gonna have to pay” when they travel to College Station.
He’ll get that opportunity in the regular-season finale, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
First, however, No. 8 Texas A&M must avoid staring five exits down the highway.
The Aggies open against Missouri State on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. ... a few hours after the Longhorns' 2:30 home opener against Texas State.
Both teams should win big.
And then? Eventually?
Rivalry swagger is great theater. Reed hates the Longhorns. The Longhorns now hate him.
And we're lovin' every minute of it.
