I can vividly remember my first game at Kyle Field, when Baylor's Walter Abercrombie ran wild over the Aggies in a 24-6 Bears victory in 1978.

I was shoe-top level on the fourth row, goal-line, and I loved every minute of it.

So over the last 20 years, a lot has changed at Texas A&M, and mostly for the better. The Aggies have dominated this state in football, winning 15 of the last 25 games against the Texas Longhorns and 11 of the last 14. A&M has been to 12 bowl games, two Kickoff Classics, two Pigskin Classics and still, to this day, stopped Bo Jackson four times at the goal line.

The stripes on the jersey sleeves have been replaced with Nike swooshes. And Kyle Field caretaker Billy Pickard has changed out of maroon polyester and into stylish khaki.

But for all of the unbelievable changes, for all of the sparkling new facilities, there are some things that I miss from the last two decades of Aggie football. They are my "Old Army" recollections.

I miss the coziness of a two-decked, sold-out stadium. I remember my dad working any connection he had to scrape up two tickets to an Aggie football game in the 1970s. You were lucky just to get into Kyle Field, much less have a good seat.

While progress and the explosion of the A&M student body dictated the addition of the third decks and again with The Zone at Kyle Field, it's nice not to see any open seats when the ball is kicked off.

Even in the rain during the '98 home opener, the old days of Kyle Field came back to mind. The fans weathered the weather and stayed for the entire game. R.C. Slocum remarked how special he thought the crowd was for the Louisiana Tech game. It was simple: The fans were glad to have a seat.

I miss  -- and all of you do as well  -- the Thanksgiving Night games with Texas. This game was supposed to play on this night.

Cowboys in the afternoon. Aggies and Horns at night. Standard holiday procedure.

But in the name of television, we are now forced to tailgate at 8 in the morning.

Some night game memories with the Horns?

Lumber, Scott Polk, lumber, in '84.

Run, Leeland, run, in '93.

Snap the ball, Horns, in '85.

I miss all of 1985. It was a combination of everything falling into place for the Aggies en route to their first Cotton Bowl appearance in 18 years. There were the three night games in November on ESPN, and, of course, Jackie Sherrill's birthday party at Kyle Field against Texas.

The '85 Texas game still produced the most electric atmosphere I've ever witnessed at Kyle.

I miss option football. From the wishbone days with Emory Bellard to Bucky Richardson running over linebackers, it was power football at its finest.

The Aggies may not have been fancy in their offensive schemes, but they had an identity, a system, and it worked. In fact, the 1975 and 1991 option teams have to be considered the two best A&M squads of the modern era.

I miss the striped jerseys and white helmets. Oh sure, they were ugly. Don't care. They were unusual, and they represented Ed Simonini, Curtis Dickey, Mike Mosley, Bubba Bean and Tony Franklin. They were Lester Hayes, Pat Thomas and Tank Marshall.

David Walker on the pitch to Dickey. Watch the stripes dance back and forth into the end zone.

I miss Keith Jackson. Yes, he still is calling games for ABC, but his heyday was in the 1970s and early 1980s when he and Frank Broyles would call the lone game of the week.

Ate breakfast in a Rodeway Inn coffee shop booth next to Broyles and Jackson prior to the '83 Texas game. It was a major thrill, and unfortunately, the last time Jackson called a game from College Station.

I miss Sherrill's V-neck sweaters and monogrammed gray pants.

I miss the 12th Man Kickoff Team, 11 walk-ons strong.

I miss the Blitz Brothers, with Aaron Wallace and John Roper standing up on the outside. Wallace's fingers twitched as he anticipated the sack. Roper twitched all over.

I miss John Jenkins. Oh, not as a person, because he was basically an egotistical goofball. But when Jenkins brought his freak show that was the run-and-shoot to Kyle Field, the Wrecking Crew shined like no other time.

Teams like Miami, Florida State and Nebraska have been credited with bringing the "press" defense to college football. Give me a break. The Aggies were pressing 10 years ago by necessity, thanks in part to the run-and-shoot.

I miss Rod Bernstine across the middle and the blast pass from Lance Pavlas.

I miss Bob Toledo's swinging gate play and Robert Wilson closing the gate in the face of an unsuspecting safety.

I miss Kevin Murray's flash, Rodney Thomas' dash and Patrick Bates' bash.

I miss Chet Brooks' words of wisdom and, well, just Steve McKinney's words.

I miss quarterbacks punting (Craig Stump), quarterbacks linebacking (Johnny Holland) and quarterbacks playing running back (Bucky).

I miss Bob Davie. A classy guy taking undue heat at Notre Dame.

I miss my dorm room.

I miss cold November games with Arkansas and sizzling September shootouts with LSU.

The upcoming A&M football schedules are outstanding, with Notre Dame, Washington, Clemson and Florida State set to play the Aggies after the turn of the century. But there's something to be said for regional, southern state rivalries.

I miss yell practice in the old horseshoe, and already I miss the Aggie Band forming at the north of Kyle Field.

I miss closing down University Street after wins over Texas and impromptu yell practices at Cain Hall.

I miss the Cotton Bowl when the game meant something.

Yes, I miss a lot of things about the way Aggie football used to be. On the other hand, there could be no better time to be an Aggie.

The football program is enjoying unprecedented success. There are no NCAA problems clouding the scene.

In a few weeks, a packed, cozy Kyle Field will welcome Nebraska in perhaps the biggest home game in school history. Who knows, Keith Jackson might even make a return appearance.