Everything HC Mike Elko had to say after Texas A&M's 34-24 over Mississippi State
Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) has reached 4-0 in the conference for just the second time since entering the SEC at the start of the 2012 season after defeating Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4 SEC) 34-24 on Saturday night. While the Aggies were highly efficient on 3rd down throughout the game, starting quarterback Conner Weigman struggled to find consistency through the air after throwing two costly interceptions.
Defensively, the Aggie secondary struggled to contain Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren. The freshman completed 12 receptions in the first half while burning A&M for a late touchdown before the second half. While it wasn't completely surprising, head coach Mike Elko kept it brief with his halftime message, stating the defense had failed to live up to the program's standard.
The message came through as defensive coordinator Jay Bateman made several adjustments while sending consistent pressure from every angle to disrupt Van Buren's timing. A win is a win, especially on the road in the SEC, and the Aggies will certainly take this victory before facing LSU at home next Saturday.
After the game, Mike Elko, wide receiver Jabre Barber, and linebacker Taurean York spoke to the media. Here's what Elko had to say.
Elko on the Aggies toughness against the Bulldogs
"When you come on the road in this conference nothing is ever going to come easy.... I thought we battled and scraped and found enough plays to win."
Elko on the Aggies' lack of consistency on offense
"The first drive of the first half was poor and the last drive was of the half was poor. In between that we played well."
Elko on Texas A&M's performace on 3rd down
"It was critical, obviously. We were choppy on offense. We never got the run game going like we wanted to."
Elko on the unit that stuck out on defense
"I thought it was our best game at linebacker."
Elko on Conner Weigman's up and down performance
"I thought going into halftime he was in a good spot. I think in the second half he just got a little bit fast. I kept telling him on the sideline to slow down."
A win is a win, especially in the SEC
"In this day and age it's always relief is the first feeling. The goal is to win. All the sudden you have some success. Expectations change. It wasn't pretty. I know that. The kids know that. But let's not take away the highlights of what the kids have done."
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything HC Mike Elko had to say after Texas A&M's 34-24 over Mississippi State
