No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0 SEC) will hit the road again as it travels to Baton Rouge to face the No. 20 LSU Tigers (5-2, 2-2 SEC). The Aggies will be without safety Bryce Anderson and running back Le’Veon Moss for another week, but the “next man up” mentality has kept the team on track as they recover.
Unlike the preseason, expectations in Aggieland are sky-high among fans, while outsiders are bracing for an inevitable collapse. Coach Mike Elko is 15-5 in year two and on the verge of leading his team to the program’s first-ever SEC Championship Game. However, to get there, he must overcome the November slump that has haunted this team for over a decade.
Before that milestone, another challenge awaits: on Saturday night, Elko has a chance to do something Texas A&M hasn’t done in several tries—beat LSU in Baton Rouge. The home team typically wins this matchup, and although the Aggies are favored, they remain on upset alert. A win could go a long way in turning skeptics into believers.
On Wednesday night, Mike Elko previewed the Tigers during his weekly appearance on the Aggie Football Hour. Here’s everything he had to say:
Coach Mike Elko talks about winning
“One of the first things I learned in coaching is that winning is a lot better than losing, all the way around.”
“Everything just feels better when you win, so we always want to do that. That has always been the mission.”
Elko talks about the improvement of the offensive line
“They’re starting to play to the level they’re capable of, and they’re starting to control games.”
“We’ve done such a better job the last two weeks of staying between the chains with not having those negative plays and not having those sacks.”
Elko on the physicality of the team
“It’s a different kind of game when you’re playing the Aggies these days, and that’s good to see.”
Coach Elko on the defense, knowing they did not meet the standard against Arkansas
“In terms of the defense, there is no big moment. Those kids walk into the locker room after the game, and before I even say anything, they’re already talking about how that’s not acceptable. Everybody knows.”
Coach on Bravion Rogers’ development
“He’s a great kid and another great example of development in our program.”
“He’s continuing to work and continue to get developed. At some point, he’s going to show up at nickel, and we’re going to need him to win a football game. Right now, he’s impacting winning and impacting games on special teams.”
Coach Elko talks about the team’s mentality
“We always talk about third-and-1 being a mentality, and it’s a mentality that we’re not going to be stopped.”
Mike Elko lets everyone know who really makes the rules
“Why don’t you ask the boss lady back there about where we might be going and see what she says.”
“The decision-maker in the Elko household is the one back there (his wife), not the one sitting up here.”
Coach Elko has a friend in Reveille for life
“When she came out with the eye patch for the blackout, it was like, ‘OK. Me and Ms. Rev, we’re locked in forever now.'”
Elko on dealing with adversity
“There is going to be adversity. There is going to be challenges. There are going to be moments when that stadium makes what we’re trying to accomplish feel impossible.”
“How are we going to go out there and take the field when it’s time and make the plays to win the game?”
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday’s Aggie Football Hour
Reporting by Jarrett Johnson, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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