Texas A&M’s Impressive Start to the Season
Texas A&M is off to another incredible start to the season, just like last year. However, the Aggies faltered in a big way in the month of November and second-year head coach Mike Elko is looking to avoid that outcome. He joined The Hardline on Sportsradio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) to discuss A&M’s start to the season, its success in close games, previewed the Aggies’ showdown at LSU and gave his thoughts and the NCAA’s peculiar ruling on athletes and sports betting.
Success in Close Games
Below are highlights from the interview, edited lightly for clarity. I know it’s a forever pursuit, but it does appear you guys are getting better in close games. There’s no recipe for it, but what are your thoughts on that topic? Mike Elko: I mean, this is becoming more and more like the NFL every year. I think NIL has really leveled the playing field. And so you’re seeing more and more close games in college football every single week, and the ability to make plays, manage the game, manage the clock in the fourth quarter is becoming a much bigger piece of the game. And so it’s something you work on a lot, emphasize a lot. Obviously, I’m sure everybody does, and we’re fortunate we’ve had some playmakers make the plays we needed down the stretch to win us some games.
Upcoming Matchup with LSU
What are your thoughts going into your matchup with LSU? Elko: I think they’re a really talented team. They’ve got a lot of NFL players on there. They’re the best defense that we’ve seen this year. They’ve got multiple players who are going to be first-round draft picks. And so when you’re looking at it through my lens, I would say it’s going to be a really daunting challenge in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Preparing for the SEC
Every week in the SEC is something, but do you do anything differently to make sure everyone’s ready to go right away? Elko: Yeah, I think it’s consistency. I think the thing that you learn in this conference is you’re going to have to go on the road and play in some really challenging environments, and that’s just part of SEC football, and that’s every single week. And certainly, this one’s on the high end, for sure. LSU is a great team, and it’s a great atmosphere, and it’s going to be a great environment, but that’s life in this league. We knew that coming into the year that our success was going to be driven by how we did in some of these big road matchups, and it’s just another opportunity.
Learning from Last Year
Do you use last year at all? Things fell apart a bit in November last year, so how do you climb the hill in a different way? I’m curious what goes into your thought as you build through a season like this. Elko: Yeah, I think two things on that. I think one is, at this time last year, we beat LSU to go 5-0 in the SEC. Hopefully that happens again. That’d be a good way to start the month of November. I said this a lot in the offseason, we got into a position that I’m not sure our program was ready to be in last year. I don’t think anyone thought we were a potential SEC champion coming off of the two years that we had coming off of the offseason turnover on the roster, and it was a credit to our kids that we had gotten into that position, but we certainly didn’t handle it the right way down the stretch. You live, you learn. I think this year, we came in expecting to be a team to compete for this championship all the way through. And so from that perspective, we’re in exactly the position we hoped to be in. And now it’s just finishing it the right way over these next five games.
NCAA’s Ruling on Athletes and Sports Betting
Right on the heels of the NBA gambling scandal, you see that the NCAA allows college athletes now to bet on pro games like you guys don’t have enough to worry about. As head coaches, is that something you sit down and you just hope they ease up on stuff like this? Elko: I think somewhere in this whole thing, there needs to be an overriding support system that looks at what we’re really doing to some of these 18-to-21-year olds. They’re getting their NIL earnings, and that’s great for them, but maybe not the right time to introduce a new way to spend it all, right? You just kind of wish there was somebody out there who realized what we were asking of these 18-to-21-year olds from a maturity standpoint, and we can maybe create a little bit of guardrail around them and protect them from from kind of themselves, a little bit.
Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Conclusion
Texas A&M’s impressive start to the season is a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication. With their success in close games and their upcoming matchup with LSU, the Aggies are looking to make a statement in the SEC. However, the NCAA’s ruling on athletes and sports betting has raised concerns about the well-being of college athletes. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the Aggies navigate these challenges and come out on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Texas A&M’s current record?
A: Texas A&M is off to another incredible start to the season, with a current record of 5-0 in the SEC.
Q: Who is Texas A&M’s next opponent?
A: Texas A&M’s next opponent is LSU, who they will face in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Q: What is the NCAA’s ruling on athletes and sports betting?
A: The NCAA allows college athletes to bet on pro games, which has raised concerns about the well-being of college athletes.
Q: How does Mike Elko prepare his team for the SEC?
A: Mike Elko prepares his team for the SEC by emphasizing consistency and the ability to make plays, manage the game, and manage the clock in the fourth quarter.
Q: What is the significance of Texas A&M’s matchup with LSU?
A: The matchup with LSU is significant because it will be a daunting challenge for the Aggies, and a win would be a great way to start the month of November.
