Aggies Turn Attention to Arkansas at Weekly Press Conference

Texas A&M held its weekly press conference on Monday as the Aggies turn their attention to Arkansas. Visiting with the media this week along with Mike Elko were running back Le'Veon Moss and tight end Theo Melin-Öhrström.

Quotables: Mike Elko

OPENING COMMENT:

From our perspective, just start with our players of the game. So you guys have that stuff. Offensive lineman was Trey Zuhn, he had another really good week for us. Starting to play really consistent football. I thought from a defensive line standpoint, Nick Scourton probably had his best game. Played really well this game, played really well against Florida. Our offensive player of the week was Jahdae Walker. I thought he made some really big catches down the stretch to help us keep that thing the way we wanted it. Defensive player of the game was Shemar Turner. I thought that was his most disruptive night. Also really played with tremendous effort throughout the game. Was proud of that from him. And then our special teams player of the game was Randy Bond, obviously stepping up and making four field goals was a great bounceback game for him.

Going back and reviewing the game, it's not a whole lot different than what we talked about after the game. I'm proud of how we played to win. Winning a football game when you're not playing your best is something that doesn't always happen, and we were able to do that. But I think every aspect of the game we were just very choppy. Offensively we scored on six of nine possessions, but four of those scores were field goals and three times when we didn't score we went three and out. Then we came out with a chance to ice the game and we fumble, right? And so if you look at it from a big-picture standpoint, it's just choppy all over the place. So a lot of areas to get better there.

Defensively I thought we started well. We knew they were going to throw a lot of stuff at us coming off of a bye week, and I thought we handled it well in the beginning of the game and going in at halftime, team that had scored a lot of points only had three. Then we came out and played a horrendous third quarter, allowed them to get back in the game and get an awful lot of momentum. And we continue to have problems with giving up explosive touchdowns, they're coming differently now. This one was a busted coverage and a reverse. So we got the run issues I think sorted out, now they're popping up in different areas. And so we've got to continue to work to improve that. Was proud of the defense for after those two possessions stepping up. At the point at which that punt gets blocked, and the defense has given up two straight touchdowns, for them to go out the way they did, get the three-and-out, force the field goal, get the field goal miss...there was a positive in that as well. And I thought special teams was very similar.

Randy had a great night kicking. I think Tyler White's been awesome this year punting the football. They attempted two onside kicks. One, I think even if it had stayed in bounds, we'd have been fine on. And then Donovan Green makes the big one at the end to ice the game. But we gave up a blocked punt and we kicked the ball out of bounds again. So it just was one of those days. It wasn't all negative. But there certainly were too many negatives and things that we've got to work on and get fixed as we move forward.

ON SATURDAY'S OPPONENT, ARKANSAS:

As we turn our attention to Arkansas, 3-1 football team, 1-0 in the SEC, very similar to us, everything that they want in front of them. Offensively, obviously very familiar with offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Right now they're a top-10 total offense in the country. They're second in third-down efficiency nationally. So he's got those guys playing at a really high level. They went out in the transfer portal and got a really good quarterback who's a dual-threat kid that can throw the ball around really well. He's got an extremely big arm that jumps off the tape and can do a lot of things with his feet as well. Running back Ja’Quinden Jackson, who I remember from when I was here as a defensive coordinator leading Duncanville as their quarterback, a big physical running back, has been extremely productive this year for them. They've got an elite wide receiver corps in Andrew Armstrong and Isaiah Sategna. Both of those guys are dangerous. Like always, Arkansas has a lot of big dual-threat tight ends that can block and get out and catch the football. They've got an experienced offensive line. Sam Pittman, their head coach, I've got a lot of respect for him. Not only the job he does as a head coach and the kind of coach he is, but he's also an offensive line background. And so even going back as a defensive coordinator, just this offensive line is always extremely well-coached and does a great job.

And then defensively, on the defensive line, they bring back both defensive tackles, two experienced players, big physical guys at the point of attack. Landon Jackson at defensive end is another kid that feels like he's played an awful lot of football in the SEC. I remember his recruitment and he certainly has blossomed into an elite player. I thought they did a really good job in the transfer portal at the linebacker position. Xavian Sorey stands out, a kid who transferred in from Georgia, another high-profile recruit who's doing a really good job for them at the linebacker position. In the secondary it's another good mix, which seems to be what everybody is...a couple of returning starters, a couple of transfers, kind of blending it all together and playing good football.

And so it's going to be a big challenge for us. You know, it's a quasi home/road game, right? Which is always cool. The last year that we're going to play the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium. So I told our guys this morning in kind of a joking manner, if you're a Cowboys fan, it's the last chance you get to go up there and play a game in Cowboys Stadium. And if you're not a Cowboys fan, it's the last chance you go up to get to beat Jerry Jones' team in Cowboys Stadium. It works both ways, whether you like the Cowboys or not. And so we're excited for the opportunity, excited to go up there and put our best brand of football on display.

YOU TALKED AFTER THE GAME AND AGAIN NOW ON HAVING MANY THINGS TO WORK ON. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE MAYBE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO ON THE PRIORITY LIST GOING INTO THE HEART OF SEC PLAY?

You know, if it was that easy it would probably already have been fixed. It still just all boils down to consistency, right? And that's a coach-speak answer to some degree. But I don't think there's the same glaring issue that shows up every single week. So to that degree, I think there's progress and we're showing progress and we are improving. But there are holes that continue to show up in different areas. So to me, I think it's just the consistent focus to do what we're supposed to do every snap. And it's at every level. Part of that to some degree is expected with the new staff and new scheme and all that stuff, but part of that's got to be behind us now.

WHAT ARE SOME AREAS ON THE FILM WHERE MARCEL'S GROWTH, MAYBE FROM THE MCNEESE GAME TO NOW, ARE THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT NOTICE?

I think the one thing I want to say that I just think is so ironic, if you look at his stat line between the two games, they're almost identical. I think the difference in total yards between the Florida game and the Bowling Green game was a few yards. I think it's funny what expectations do, and it's funny what people think when they just...they hear Bowling Green so they anticipate a certain type of thing because of it. He's got a big arm. He's got tremendous athleticism. I still think there's some progressions, reads, checks that he's still working through. Those things have made tremendous strides from spring ball through fall camp, through playing against McNeese, Florida, and last week, the multiplicity of defenses and learning how to maneuver through all of that. And I just think he's a young quarterback who gets better every time he takes snaps under center.

IT SEEMS LIKE, LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF A&M/ARKANSAS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S BEEN AT AT&T STADIUM, THEY'VE JUST COME DOWN TO THE WIRE...WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT SEEMS TO BE CONSISTENT THROUGH THIS SERIES?

I think the environment plays a role. I think kids play their best football on that stage. I think everybody gets excited for playing in that stadium. Obviously this game means a lot to both teams. And we always seem to get their best. We always try to give them our best. And when two teams do that, you wind up with a lot of really close, entertaining football games. You know, obviously not as a coach, I don't remember any of them to be very entertaining. When I was here, they were all way too close for my liking. But, from the fans perspective, they're entertaining games and I certainly expect this to be another one.

HOW DISCIPLINED DO YOUR GUYS HAVE TO STAY WHEN FACING A QUARTERBACK LIKE TAYLEN GREEN?

I think when a player has the ability to make explosive plays it certainly enhances your focus level play to play. Because regardless of down and distance, area of the field, situation, he has the ability to make an explosive play either with his arm or with his feet. And that type of explosiveness creates a higher level of focus within your defense because you can't make mistakes. You make one mistake and it's seven points. So obviously that's usually a focus for you as a defense. But I think when you have a player like this who's as explosive as he is it probably just enhances the risk.