Everything HC Mike Elko said ahead of Texas A&M's Week 9 home test vs. LSU
14th-ranked Texas A&M (6-1 4-0 SEC) is still atop the SEC standings after defeating Mississippi State 34-24 on Saturday afternoon. Head coach Mike Elko and his team are now 3-0 on the road in SEC play. They are set to return to Kyle Field for the season's biggest game so far against 8th-ranked LSU.
One of the main storylines coming out of the win was the play of starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who struggled in the pocket due to bad footwork and mental mistakes. At the same time, the raucous environment caused by the ringing cowbells, a Mississippi State tradition, surely disrupted his timing on several throws that led to two interceptions.
On Monday, Elko, along with several players, including linebacker Scooby Williams, took questions from the media ahead of the game. The Tigers are also 6-1 and undefeated in conference play after defeating Arkansas 34-10 on Saturday night, making this the game to watch in Week 9.
Here is everything Mike Elko had to say on Monday afternoon ahead of the game.
Elko on what it took to come out of Starkville with a victory
Mike Elko: "I thought there would be more teams playing more meaningful games. ... When it was a four-team playoff, you basically went into the season prepared on how you were going to get knocked out of the playoff race and had to keep going."
"Now that you're in a 12-team…— TexAgs (@TexAgs) October 21, 2024
Elko on LB Scooby Williams' career performance on Saturday
"He has a tremendous personality. He's a great kid. He's really bright."
"Everyone noticed it because he made a few more impact plays, but he has been really good for us this year."
Elko on his definition of "success"
"It's constant conversation about where success comes from. We spend so much time talking about where success comes from. You can spend the whole week focusing on what play you're going to make, the celebration or how you're going to look in the uniform, or you can focus on all of the little things that will allow you to make the play."
Elko on facing his former boss, LSU head coach Brian Kelly
"Brian (Kelly) is a really, really, really successful head coach that isn't into the self-promotion business. He's the winningest coach in Notre Dame history."
"He had a ton of success everywhere he went. I have a ton of respect for who he is."
Elko on preparing for LSU
"They're extremely talented. They've gotten more and more comfortable with the defense."
"Some of the nature progression and growth, you've seen that from them from start to finish."
Both teams are extremly talented on both sides of the ball
"You see these high-level players on both sides of the ball for both programs that get to go up against each other. ... There are a lot of those types of matchups when you look at this game."
Elko on the weekly challenge of SEC football
"The challenge is the week-in, week-out in this league. You cannot help but get into situations where the game is on the line coming down the stretch. Your ability to make those plays is everything. ... That's just SEC football."
"Going on the road in this league is tremendously challenging, no matter who, no matter where."
"That's SEC football. It's a challenging road to navigate."
Elko on his trust of QB Conner Weigman despite his poor performance
"We trust Conner (Weigman), and Conner should trust himself because he's really talented. We want him to go through his progression and make the throws he's capable of making."
"He knows he has to protect the football. ... We're not shying away from throwing the football."
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything HC Mike Elko said ahead of Texas A&M's Week 9 home test vs. LSU
