`THE MOST DIFFICULT GAME'; AGGIE WIN OVER LONGHORNS EMOTIONAL AFTER BONFIRE DEATHS.

Byline: Bill Minutaglio Dallas Morning News

Four F-16 fighters flew in ``missing man'' formation over 86,128 people packed into Kyle Field on Friday for the game between the Aggies and the University of Texas. It was the largest crowd to ever attend a football game in the state, according to A&M officials.

The symbolic fly-over before the game's 10 a.m. kickoff was one of several emotional moments on a campus still scrambling for ways to find some measure of peace after the deadly collapse of a bonfire stack eight days ago. The tragedy left 12 people dead, several injured and two still hospitalized.

The football game, won by Texas A&M 20-16, seemed to serve as a cathartic experience for some students, players, coaches and the visitors who flooded into the Bryan-College Station area.

``This game doesn't make up for what happened last week,'' said Jeremy Rogerson, a sophomore from Carthage and a member of Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets. ``It just eases the pain. It takes your mind off of it.''

Rogerson, who helped fire the cannons that traditionally signal a score by the Aggies, knew one of the victims from the cadet corps - senior psychology major Jeremy Frampton. Traveling with other corps members on a chartered plane trip arranged by the university, Rogerson attended funeral services for his friend on Tuesday in Turlock, Calif.

On Friday, Aggie players had special bonfire memorial patches affixed to their helmets, commemorative ribbons were painted over the on-field A&M symbols and stadium flags flew at half-staff.

There was also a moment of silence in the pre-game ceremonies - a moment finally punctuated by the thunderclap from the roaring F-16s flying overhead. As the fighters passed over the stadium, one suddenly veered toward the heavens to represent the so-called ``missing man.'' The jet pilots were all former Texas A&M students.

While the thousands of fans began trooping into Kyle Field hours before game time, the enormous scoreboard displayed sobering images of the long line of mourners who continued to visit the site of the bonfire tragedy on the other side of campus.

``I've been doing this for 10 years and this has been the most difficult game we've ever had to do,'' said Mike Caruso, who was directing the pre-game and half-time itinerary for the university.

Given the enormity of the crowd, an already complicated set of logistics was compounded by the arrival of former President Bush, Gov. George W. Bush and Texas first lady Laura Bush.

Two Aggie roommates had asked university officials for permission to take the field and release a dozen white doves before the game. Lauren Harms and Shaleah Hester - both from the Class of 2002 - said they wanted to do something to expedite the healing process.

``It's still a very, very difficult thing for so many of us,'' said Harms. ``It's very important to us that we remember the victims in some way.''

If there was a silver lining to the day, she said, it was in her belief that the fierce rivalry between A&M's Aggies and the Texas Longhorns had been tempered by the nightmarish realities of what happened in the bonfire tragedy.

``What happened last week brought us together as a state,'' said Harms.

Any Longhorns traveling from the University of Texas toward College Station would have been hard pressed to miss the signs dotting the city and A&M campus. On the outskirts of the Aggie campus was a large sign: ``Horns, Thanks For Your Care And Support.''

Standing on the sidelines, 1985 A&M graduates Steve and Dianna Wimberley said they were impressed by the way the University of Texas had shown solidarity. ``It's really raised my respect for that campus,'' said Wimberley, wearing a bonfire memorial button that said ``They Live On.''

As he prepared for half-time ceremonies that featured tributes by the A&M and Texas bands, cadet Eric Sacher said that he and many other students had mixed feelings about the game.

``It's kind of melancholy. The memory of what happened will still be around for a long time,'' said Sacher, a senior from Houston and one of the 400 cadets who belong to the Aggie band. ``It's changed the way a lot of us look at things.''

At half-time Sacher and other corps members waited patiently as the Longhorn band played music not normally heard at half-time - ginger versions of the intermezzo from Bizet's ``Carmen'' and ``Amazing Grace.'' Members of the Longhorn band also clutched Texas A&M banners and then doffed their hats and slowly, silently, left the field.

The Texas A&M band performed its signature march, ``Noble Men of Kyle'' and then band members formed a silent formation of the block letter ``T'' from the school's logo. Without a word and with the only sounds coming from the clicking of boot spurs, the entire band marched away.

``I think this game is a big turning point for everyone,'' said Sacher.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1 -- color) Texas A&M student Chip Thiel, in wheelchair, watches as his school's team beat the University of Texas Longhorns. Thiel was injured - and a dozen people were killed - when a pre-game bonfire collapsed.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

(2) Texas A&M football players wore decals on helmets and hats to honor those killed.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press