Here is everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said following the 52-10 win over McNeese State
Texas A&M (1-1) earned new head coach Mike Elko his first victory with the program, blowing out the visiting McNeese State Cowboys on Saturday afternoon to the tune of 52-10 behind the 1-2 punch that Aggie running back Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels provided throughout the afternoon.
However, starting quarterback Conner Weigman entered the game under fire from the fan base after the worst performance of his Aggie career against Notre Dame last weekend. He threw for 100 yards and two interceptions, and his footwork was off on nearly every throw, resulting in high throws throughout the night.
Like most quarterbacks, facing a lesser opponent usually does the trick after a rough outing. Weigman was much more efficient in the pocket, leading the Aggies to five scoring drives while completing 11 of 14 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns while producing nearly 50 yards on the ground.
Pulled after the first half, Weigman looks ready to head to Florida to face the Gators next week, but he needs to continue working on releasing the ball at a quicker rate. Defensively, A&M held the Cowboys to just 10 late points, while cornerback Will Lee and safety Marcus Ratcliffe recorded the Aggies' first two turnovers after reeling in an interception each.
After the win, here's what Mike Elko had to say before preparing to face the Florida Gators.
Mike Elko's opening statement
"Obviously, first of all, thank you to the #12thMan. It never ceases to amaze me when you come out at 11:30 on a Saturday morning and see 90,000 strong."
Elko on the Aggies "playing to their standard" in Saturday
"From our guys, I'm proud of the way we handled it. When we get into these games, it's really important to play to your standard, and I think we did that."
Elko on Conner Weigman's performance on Saturday
"Conner (Weigman) is going to respond. We talked about that. There is a lot more to the season than just responding today."
"We will go back to work and do it again."
Elko on QB Marcel Reed's performance in the second half
"Conner was efficient. He did what we asked him to do."
"Marcel (Reed) is still working on consistently functioning the way you want him to. He made some good throws, and I think there are some throws he may want back… It was his first time in this offense, too."
Elko on freshman Terry Bussey's continued imrovement
"Terry Bussey is an extremely talented kid. We have known that for a long time. Every day, he is getting better as a receiver."
Elko on the 12th Man Kickoff
"That is something special to this program."
"It was great for those guys… The 12th Man connection at this university is special."
Elko on WR Moose Muhammad's continued development
Muhammad: "He had a much better week of preparation… We challenged him to do the things to needed to do. He did that."
"When he does that and he's consistent, he can help us."
Elko on the younger players on the roster continued development
"Those are talented kids. They will have to help us and help us this year. It's really good to get those guys out there."
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Here is everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said following the 52-10 win over McNeese State
