Birth of a rivalry: The first Aggies-Lobos football game

Their average weight was around 147 pounds and most of them had barely even touched a football. But in November 1893, the newly formed football team at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts laid down the gauntlet, challenging the University of New Mexico team to a match in Albuquerque on New Year’s Day.

With no bowl game or other aspirations, and with both colleges only a few years old, it was all about territorial pride. They weren’t even called “Aggies” yet, just the “boys from the Agriculture College,” while the Albuquerque team called itself the “University eleven.”

Neither team was particularly experienced, having only played a handful of games against local teams. Nevertheless, both teams were ready to ignite a New Mexico rivalry.

Emerging from rugby in the 1870s, football had grown in popularity particularly on college campuses, despite it being quite dangerous. Players wore hand-made protectors for their shins, noses, and mouths, but no one wore helmets or heavy padding of any kind. Injuries - from black eyes to broken bones - were almost expected, and by the 1890s dozens of men had actually died playing the game, mostly from head or neck injuries.

Scoring was different too. Touchdowns were worth four points, with two points for the extra kick.

Wanting to get in on the fun, in the fall of their senior year, the four men of the New Mexico College of A&MA’s first graduating Class of 1894 – Oscar Snow, Ralph Larkin, Fabian Garcia, and Lemuel McGrath - put together an 11-man football team, with Snow procuring a ball and supplies.

Their classmate William Clute had emerged as the local expert in the game and served as captain. They played one match on Thanksgiving Day against a Las Cruces team before the big one against Albuquerque.

Much of the account of the first match-up comes from the Albuquerque Evening Democrat (although the Ag College’s student newspaper The New Mexico Collegian had its own post-game coverage).

The Ag College team arrived on New Year’s Eve after a seven-hour train ride. On game day, the team had a light lunch and then “donned the padded pants and sleeveless jackets and prepared for the fray,” first stopping at a nearby photography studio to snap their only team portrait before heading to a scrappy field outside of the university campus.

And with a whistle, the game began “between Captain Fred Whiteman’s University eleven and Captain Clute’s Agricultural college team.” The Ag College’s own professor A.J. Wiechardt served as referee, according to the Albuquerque paper impartially and fairly.

The “Las Cruces lads”got the ball first but it was Albuquerque who scored first, with a dramatic running TD in the 27-minute.

“A few minutes later Whiteman got a kick at the ball sending it for a number of yards along the ground…the two teams were struggling on the ground for the ball, when Clayton took advantage of an opening and pulled out of the jam with the ball under his arm and amid tremendous cheering made a touchdown, Raymer {who had broken his thumb a few plays earlier} kicking the goal. Score 6 to 0 in favor of the University lads.”

The Ag College team got close to scoring before the half. The newspaper said “The visitors had blood in their eyes, for the crowd was cheering the kids to the discomfort of the big ones from the Mesilla Valley, and they played with all their strength.” But it was Albuquerque who scored again with a touchdown and extra kick - score 12 to 0.

At the half the “tin horn brigade led by Will Moore marched in circles throughout the field.” Not at all like a formal marching band, a typical “tin horn brigade” could include an often-chaotic variety of cheap horns, whistles, and other noisemakers.

The second half got off to a quick start when “Whiteman caught Clute square in the breast as the latter passed the ball to Walker and the doughty captain went to the ground. …the teams were struggling on the ground, when Armstrong, one of the best at the Universities, was pulled out with a wrenched leg and had to retire.”

Shortly after, Clute - the son of an academic and the chief architect of the first team - finally got the Ag College on the board, scoring the first intercollegiate TD in Aggie history.

“The visitors were then within a few yards of their goal, and a few minutes later by sheer strength, a touchdown was made in the favor by Clute, who also kicked the goal in 18 minutes. Score Albuquerqies 12, Las Cruces 6.”

“On resuming play, the boys tugged away for a few minutes, when Chs. McDonald, of the locals, grabbed the ball and by a heroic run made the touch down in ten minutes, no goal being kicked. Score 16 to 6 in favor of the Universities.”

“The remainder of the half was quickly played, coming to an end in favor of the Albuquerquies by Ames making the {last} touch down. Whiteman failed to kick the goal. Just then time was called and with cheering the plucky fellows who attend the university marched off the field victorious by the score of 20 to 6.”

There has been some confusion over the years as to the final score, with NMSU and UNM providing different scores. According to the Albuquerque Evening Democrat, the University won the game definitively 20-6, but the New Mexico Collegian reported an 18-6 score (remember, it’s four points for a TD, two points for the extra kick).

But there was no doubt who won the day, although at some cost to their health.

The University captain Whiteman was himself almost bedridden with “rheumatism,” and reported a lengthy injury list. “Armstrong is limping to school, and it will be a long time before he can play football again, if ever. Raymer’s hand is very sore but getting along. Clayton’s hurt under the eye is healing up. My team is so beaten up I’m afraid it will be impossible for us to play again.”

As for the “Ag College boys,” they alleged the Albuquerque team had fielded some local men who may not have been students, thus giving them a not insignificant size and strength advantage.

But otherwise, they had few excuses, pointing to fumbles that led to touchdowns.

Class of ‘94 halfback Ralph Larkin said he was not “ashamed of what we did, although we got beaten. We made the University boys play the hardest game of foot-ball they have ever played. We were laboring under a great disadvantage playing on their grounds, for they were very poor grounds. Also, they had about 500 people to yell for them, which was a great advantage. And they could play foot-ball better than we did!”

The Ag College players called for a rematch which did not happen until 1898 when the Aggies avenged the 1893 loss with an 11-0 win.

By the time New Mexico became a state in 1912, the two schools had reportedly only played six times since that first game. After that the Aggies won most of the games - including in 1917 with a 110-3 pummeling by NMSU - until 1938, when NMSU began a 18-year drought against the Lobos.

Since that first game, the teams have played 115 times, with the Lobos ahead 75-35-5 (UNM won last year, 38-20).

Christopher Schurtz is a local historian and a board member of the Dona Ana County Historical Society. He can be reached at cschurtz@nmsu.edu