Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said ahead of Week 13 contest against Samford
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With all the news about Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko receiving a new contract right before kickoff against South Carolina, everyone knew that no matter the outcome, questions were going to be asked in the post-game press conference. However, that was halted before Mike Elko even said a word, and everyone had to wait until Monday.
Well, Monday is here, and with the opponent being Samford, a one-win FCS team, most of the questions were going to center on his contract, staying focused on the overall goal, and lessons learned from the come-from-behind victory over South Carolina. To be blunt, the scouting report from the outside looking in is simply to go beat them. The talent differential is just too significant, and several Aggies will likely get to play in Kyle Field for the final time in their collegiate careers.
It has been a good few days for Mike Elko. They remain undefeated, he secured a long-term contract, all but guaranteed themselves a CFP berth, and logged a prediction to flip two of their biggest 2026 targets. Most importantly, they avoided any major injuries on Saturday.
Things are changing in Aggieland, and Coach Elko will be the man to lead them into a new era for years to come. Below is everything he had to say during the Monday press conference.
Coach Mike Elko on the start of the South Carolina game
“We started OK. At the start of the game, the first two drives were a little bit back-and-forth. Then we had the turnover. From the turnover to the half, it was some of the worst football we’ve played in my time here, going back to when I was a coordinator too.”
Coach Elko on the mood at halftime
“We went into halftime, and I told the guys I was extremely proud of the locker room composure. There was a lot of positive talk.”
“There wasn’t a lot of arguing. There was a sense of ‘we’ve got to fix this.’ That was the first sign.”
Coach Elko on Samford
“This is an opportunity for us to take the maturity step and play the game at the level we’re capable of playing, regardless of who we’re playing.”
Coach Elko on what makes teams successful
“If you look around, the thing that makes seasons successful is your ability to make plays in those moments to win football games, and that’s what this team is doing.”
“Everybody is getting into these situations and these moments where the teams that will have success are going to find ways to make plays to win games.”
Coach Elko on Cashius Howell
“That play he made at the end of the game to win that game is an elite-level play. We dropped him, and that was the scheme, but there’s a lot of guys who drop in that spot and don’t make that play.”
“Great players can find ways to help you win football games, and he certainly did that on Saturday.”
Coach Elko on his contract extension
“It meant a lot to see the commitment that the university had, not only to me but to the commitment to the program, the staff, the support staff, the auxiliary staff and the players.” “It will allow us to run this program in a manner that allows us to chase championships year in and year out.”
“I’m thankful to the people behind the scenes who believed enough in what we were doing.”
More from Elko and his extension
“Once we knew the athletic department and the university were willing to commit to the program in the manner they were, we were never really going anywhere.”
Coach Elko on contract bonuses
“One of the biggest things we were able to get done is a bonus structure for the assistants that’s kind of married to the bonus structure that’s set up for me.”
“We were able to get that done immediately, and that will go into effect immediately. … That was really important for me.”
Coach Elko on Jared Zirkel
“Jared (Zirkel) is back to full health. Randy (Bond) is still our guy.”
Coach Elko on Senior Day
“There’s not a ton of them left. There’s probably a bigger mix of guys from the 2021 class.”
“There is a blend now of kids. To all of those kids, it’s a credit to who they are as people that they stuck through it, went through a coaching change and went through the ups and downs… It’s a special group.”
Coach Elko on Nate Boerkircher
“He’s a really good player. He makes it easy. He’s a pure tight end.”
Coach Mike Elko on maintaining consistency
“You’re dealing with 18-21-year-olds. They’re not, by nature, the most consistent group on the planet. That’s not just Texas A&M football players. That’s 18-21-year-olds everywhere.”
“Our process is we’re a blue-collar group. We’re a physical group… If we ever walk away from that blueprint, it’s going to be really hard for us to have success. That’s just who we are at our core.”
Coach Elko on Marcel Reed
“He led us to a comeback and a win. That probably should hold a lot of stock with Heisman voters, I would hope. He has elevated himself week in and week out.”
“There has been a lot made about other people around the country when they had a chance to step up and make plays. They were certainly rewarded for it, and I’d like to see our quarterback rewarded for it.”
Coach Elko on Trey Zuhn III
“He’s everything you want an Aggie to be.” “This place means an awful lot to him… It’s awesome to see it working out for him. It’s really cool when kids believe in you and make a decision to come back for another year to see them rewarded with success.”
Coach Elko reflects on his past and the present
“As I was sitting at my desk next to the bathroom (in a trailer at Stony Brook), I did not envision an extension like the one I just signed or being the head football coach at Texas A&M.”
Coach Elko on the offensive line rotation
“We go into every game with a rotational plan, and then as the game unfolds, you try to find what’s going to allow you to have the most success. Coach (Adam) Cushing does a tremendous job. We discuss the initial plan, and then he takes it over.”
Coach Elko on Tyler Onyedim
“He jumped out really early to us as a kid that had really good athleticism, really good twitch and was a really good fit for our system.”
“I thought that was the best second half he has played since he has been here. There were times when he really took over the game.”
Coach Elko on his mentality about finding ways to win
“We talk too much in general about style points. I would love for us to cruise to victory every single week, but let’s not forget we were picked to finish around eighth or ninth in the conference.”
“We talk a lot about the margins and doing what it takes to find the margins to win football games, and that’s what we’ve been able to do.”
Coach Elko on his team not panicking
“We won that game six months ago and because of what we did in the winter. We didn’t win that game because I went in at halftime and said something.”
“That’s not how this works. … I have to be calm and collected so they’re not frantic.”
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything Texas A&M football’s HC said ahead of Week 13
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