Elko, Aggies Talk Texas at Weekly Press Conference
Nov 25, 2024 | Football
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, captains Taurean York and Trey Zuhn III, and quarterback Marcel Reed met the media on Monday as the Aggies prepare to host No. 3 Texas Saturday night in the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown.
Quotables: Mike Elko
OPENING COMMENT:
Thanks everybody for coming out. You know, obviously a very disappointing Saturday. Didn't get the start that we had hoped for. It's very, very challenging when you allow the ball to go over your head. We discussed that in the post game. There's not a lot of solutions for that. You have to keep the ball in front of you in the secondary, and we didn't do a good enough job of that to start the game. I thought we got back into a rhythm. Obviously battled, got the game tied. Didn't really kind of come out on defense the way we wanted to after that, but then got the lead and put ourselves in position to win the game. And, unfortunately couldn't do it. And so it was a disappointing night. It's a disappointing result. It's not what any of us had hoped for obviously. But the football gods blessed us with another chance. This game was always going to mean something. You guys have been asking me about it since the day I got hired. And now it means everything. We have that opportunity to kind of right the last two wrongs in SEC play and go out with a bang and put ourselves in the SEC Championship game. And so that's the focus. That's the task at hand. Obviously we're excited and ready for the challenge.
SINCE MOST OF THE PLAYERS ON BOTH TEAMS WERE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE LAST TIME THIS GAME WAS PLAYED. DO YOU THINK THEY GRASP JUST HOW MUCH THIS MATTERS TO THE FAN BASE FOR BOTH TEAMS? AND HAVE YOU SAID ANYTHING TO THE PLAYERS ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS MEANS?
Yeah, I think both. I think one, they do understand. I think when you grow up in this state and you go through the ringers of recruiting and all of that stuff, I think you understand what these two schools are all about and what they mean to each other. Obviously--we've talked about this with other games, too, and this one's magnified to the hilt because alumni play a role in it, too, and all of that--but, I think when you talk about proximity to school, knowing the people on each side of it, that always adds to the rivalry. And so that always kind of adds a different element. All the Texas kids that'll be playing in this game against each other. Obviously we try to educate them, we educate them on what it means and what it's all about, for sure.
NOW THAT IT'S ACTUALLY HERE, IS IT NICE THAT YOU CAN STOP TALKING ABOUT IT AND ACTUALLY PLAY THE GAME?
Just in general, and I've said this from day one, when you have two programs as large as these two programs are as close to each other as they are, it doesn't make a ton of sense for them not to play. So it always felt weird not playing. And so now, to be playing and to be playing for what we're playing for? Yeah, I'd imagine will be pretty electric Saturday.
WITH KYLE FIELD BEING ONE OF THE BETTER ENVIRONMENTS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL--
The best environment in college football.
THERE YOU GO. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING IT TO BE LIKE ON SATURDAY NIGHT? CONSIDERING THE STAKES AND THE OPPONENT?
The best it's ever been. No, I mean, listen, you get a primetime TV game against your rival, in a game that is for the SEC Championship? I would imagine that will break the rafters a little bit. I would imagine attendance will be really large. I know ticket pull was really large. There will be a lot of excitement, a lot of electricity in the air for sure Saturday night.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LOSING A FOOTBALL GAME, THEN QUICKLY FINDING OUT THAT THIS NEXT ONE IS EVEN BIGGER THAN YOU IMAGINED, YOU PREACHED ALL YEAR ABOUT KEEPING THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING. WHAT WAS THE MESSAGING TO THE PLAYERS, AND HOW DID THEY RESPOND TO KNOWING THAT, HEY, THE GAME THAT EVERYONE'S ALREADY BEEN WAITING FOR IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST OF THE SEASON OFFICIALLY?
We kind of caught wind of it a little bit in the locker room. I wasn't 100% sure post locker room against Auburn, but I kind of had an idea with how things had broken out. You have some of those tiebreakers in your mind a little bit. And so I when I talked to the team after the game, we obviously talked about the disappointment and what we didn't do right. But quickly shifted to, I told them in the locker room I'm 90% sure this game still means everything. And then we found out quickly after that I was right on that. And so, yeah, this game was going to be important to us no matter what. For it to be important on both levels--important within the terms of Texas A&M and what we stand for and the rivalry part of it, but now also in terms of our individual goals of getting to Atlanta--it's what you hope for. You hope to get to the last game of the year playing for everything. And we're in the last game of the year and playing for everything.
A GAME LIKE SATURDAY CAN BE SUPER EMOTIONALLY DRAINING ON PLAYERS. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE TURNAROUND, GETTING UP FOR A GAME AND JUST KIND OF BALANCING EMOTIONS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND KIND OF KEEPING IT HARNESSED FOR SATURDAY?
It's on a lot of levels that that you're talking about. I think one is we've got to be really, really, intentional about how we recover. I think that's going to mean a lot. And that's emotional and physical recovery. You know, we got back at four in the morning. That was the highest player load we've had, obviously, because of the overtime and all of that stuff. And so I think the things that we do this week to get them back, to get their mind back, their bodies back, that'll be really, really important. It's going to help that classes go away on Wednesday, Thursday so we can kind of push back our start times a little bit and get the body cycles back caught up steep-wise. That'll be good for us.
In terms of the emotions of it, we've played in some big games this year. I think we'll lean on some of that a little bit. Obviously this one's bigger. But we've had games where they were highly-anticipated primetime matchups and you just focus on the things that you have to do to be successful. That's the thing we talk about all the time. Sometimes kids get wrapped up in 'what's it going to feel like if I make a play', 'what's it going of feel like if we win the game', 'what's it going of feel like if we don't win the game', and what we try to do is, okay, well, none of that matters if you don't focus on the things that are going to help you have success. And so we try to be extremely process-driven during the week and stay locked in on the things that really matter to give ourselves the best chance to go out there and win Saturday night.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN FROM TEXAS' OFFENSE, THEIR PASSING GAME IN PARTICULAR, AND HOW IMPORTANT IS HAVING A HEALTHY SECONDARY GOING TO BE?
They're extremely talented. I think without question it will be the best one we've seen all year. Coach Sark's always done a really good job offensively, in particular with the passing game and in particular with the downfield passing game. And so they present a lot of different challenges. They do a really good job scheming up matchups and leverage. They can attack you on on every phase of it with a lot of really talented players, from the tight end to the outside wide receivers to the running back, to the quarterback--who's a tremendous player as well. And so it's a full-field challenge. You've got to cover them sideways and vertically, really, really well to have success. That's a challenge and we've got to get ready for it.
A COUPLE MINUTES AGO, YOU USED THE PHRASE ‘WHAT WE STAND FOR’. AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR REFLECTION, BUT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU WERE HIRED A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK. WHAT'S THE BIGGEST THING YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO INSTILL?
We always talk about this. There's always two levels in my brain, right? And so the coach in me is extremely disappointed with the recent two games, the two SEC games, and not getting the job done and having an opportunity and not getting it done. And so from a coaching perspective that stings. And that stings just like it should. And it stings like it should for the fans, and the players, and everybody. The CEO part of me knows what this was when I took over. And what we've done from a culture standpoint, what we've done in terms of putting this thing back on a steady track, heading back in an upward trajectory, getting this program back in a direction that we wanted to go so that we can ultimately get it where we want it to be consistently, we've made a lot of strides, a lot of strides. Now we got to go out there and win Saturday and put it all on display. But no matter what, that part of it has gone in a really, really strong direction.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR MAKING IT INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF WAS A BIG GOAL. KNOWING THAT YOU'RE IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN DESTINY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU GUYS?
It means that we're in control of our own destiny. I don't know if that's a simplified answer, but, again, it goes back to both sides of it, right? From the big-picture standpoint, it's important that we understand it's the first time we've been in this position. We joined this league in 2012, we've never been in this position where we control our destiny to Atlanta (in) the last game of the year. First time ever. So from that standpoint, obviously part of that is an accomplishment in and of itself. And then we've got to go out, we've got to finish it and get ourselves to Atlanta. In terms of the rest of that conversation, that's way beyond my brain right now. My brain is on like first- and second-down Saturday. So, I'm a little bit more locked in on that than I am beyond this game. But, I do think obviously we can't lose sight of where we've come from. Now we've got to go finish.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT TEXAS' DEFENSE WHAT'S MADE THEM SO EFFECTIVE? THEY'VE GOT HIGH NUMBER OF TURNOVERS FORCED AND REALLY LOW YARDAGE ALLOWED.
Yeah I think they've got really talented players. It starts there. They've got a really good scheme. Coach K (Pete Kwiatkowski) has been running a really good defense for a really long time going all the way back to Boise State. And I think they do a really good job structurally. They've been together four years. A lot of those guys have played a lot of football, so they're very comfortable with each other and what they're trying to do and they do it at a really high level. They've got some really long, athletic front guys that cause some problems in terms of vision and throwing lanes and some of that. That's kind of I think led to a lot of the turnovers. And they're pretty good in the secondary.
Quotables: Marcel Reed
SINCE YOU WERE PROBABLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THE LAST TIME TEXAS AND TEXAS A&M PLAYED, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS RIVALRY AND JUST HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF IT?
You know, I really (didn't) understand the significance. Now I do. I did watch the game, I watched Ryan Tannehill when he played all the time. Obviously he was a Tennessee Titans player and I was a Titans fan. I grew up watching him a lot. But, yeah, now I understand the rivalry. A lot of people know that football in Texas is just different. This game coming back is going to be really big for our university, their university and just the state of Texas.
TEXAS IS REALLY GOOD AT FORCING TURNOVERS, ESPECIALLY GETTING INTERCEPTIONS. JUST HOW CRITICAL IS YOUR DECISION MAKING AND ALL THAT GOING TO BE THIS WEEKEND WHEN YOU GUYS ARE ON OFFENSE?
I never go into a game thinking about how good a team is at forcing turnovers. I just go into the game knowing what I've got to do, my job, and my responsibility--going through each progression, each read, play by play.
AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE THE QUARTERBACK IN THIS GAME, ONE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PROBABLY REMEMBER FOR A WHILE?
It means a lot. It's something of you dream of as a kid, being in the SEC, being a quarterback. You never know when it's going to happen, but it's here now. I've got a job to focus on and go win this game.
11 GAMES IN, 8-3, WHAT IS THE MINDSET OF YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR TEAMMATES WHERE YOU'VE GOT ONE SHOT FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE WANTED AND WORKED FOR HERE THIS WEEK?
I think the mindset for me and the team is just that we're in the playoffs now, you know? A lot of people wait until the 12-team playoff bracket drops and all that stuff, but we're in it now. I mean, it's really for us win or go home at this point. And we know that we've got to win if we want to advance. So, yeah, it's win or go home.
CAN YOU COMPARE THE TEXAS DEFENSE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER BETTER DEFENSES YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS YEAR?
I think I would say Auburn's closest similarity in my opinion, just because of the skill level in the secondary. Kind of a comparison (too) to Arkansas, South Carolina at the front. They've kind of got a mix of all types of guys, great athletes who can go out there and play and make plays. But we've just got to go out there and take care of our job.
WITH KYLE FIELD BEING ONE OF THE BETTER HOME ADVANTAGES IN THE COUNTRY, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE LINE AND CONSIDERING THE OPPONENT WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING ON SATURDAY NIGHT OUT OF YOUR FAN BASE?
I'm expecting what we've been getting all season. The 12th Man always shows up and shows out, so hopefully we can break the record, I don't know what it is, but hopefully we can break this record and get loud and rowdy.
BACK WHEN YOU FIRST COMMITTED, WHAT DID YOU IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO PLAY IN A GAME LIKE THIS WOULD BE LIKE?
Exactly what it's going to be like. A bunch of fans, juices flowing, everybody coming out fired up. I mean, it's just a really big rivalry. It's not LSU anymore. It's Texas now. And it's an in-state rivalry. I imagine it to be like Auburn/Alabama, Michigan/Ohio State, one of those...that's the exciting part about it, just being in this kind of environment, on a Saturday night in Kyle Field and playing Texas. It's something you always dream about.
DO YOU GET A SENSE THAT THE GUYS, ESPECIALLY THE GUYS FROM OUT OF STATE, HAVE A FEEL FOR WHAT THIS GAME MEANS TO YOUR FAN BASE AT TEXAS A&M? JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WHOLE RIVALRY AND PLAYING TEXAS.
Out of state guys probably have a grasp on how much it means to the state, but there's no doubt in my mind the guys who are from the state of Texas, we understand the significance of this rivalry and the interstate battle between the two teams. So we know it's very personal. It means a lot to everybody in the state.
THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS YOU GUYS KNEW THERE WAS NO MORE MARGIN FOR ERROR. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVEN THOUGH YOU LOST, YOU GUYS STILL CAN PLAY FOR THE SEC TITLE. WHAT'S THE SWING OF EMOTIONS BEEN LIKE FOR YOU GUYS KNOWING YOU LOST A TOUGH GAME BUT THINGS ARE STILL OUT IN FRONT OF YOU?
Well, let's just say this. I wasn't a happy camper after we lost, but when I found out that we had a chance to still go the SEC Championship, it gave us a little bit of hope. And the mood after the game was actually pretty uplifting. Everybody knew that we battled. We came up one play short. I mean, that's just how it goes sometimes in football. But to understand that we have an opportunity to still go play in Atlanta, that's God's gift. So we've got go take advantage of it.
TOUCHING ON THAT...HOW DO YOU PREPARE MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY FOR A GAME AND AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS?
Stick to what's got us here all year. Stick to our winning formula that we have, that Coach Elko set out a long time ago, and just do our thing. There's gonna be so much noise. So many people have texted me already, and it's only Monday, talking about the game. It's just time to focus on us and get down to the nitty gritty, the details that's going to go win us the game.
AS A CAPTAIN, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO THE THIS WEEK TO TRY AND GALVANIZE THE LOCKER ROOM HEADED INTO WHAT IS ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST GAME YOU ALL HAVE PLAYED?
It's the biggest game of the season at this point because we have so much at stake...It would have been awesome to come back from 21-0 on the road, but who knows, we might not have the same mindset that we have right now if we win that game...But as far as this game, it's time to go. This is our last chance to go seize the opportunity, seize greatness and go play in Atlanta. So we've gotta make the best of it.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS TO THE GROUP TO BE THE FIRST TEAM TO RESTORE THIS RIVALRY AFTER 13 YEARS?
It's awesome. We have a chance to go make history on Saturday night and we know the significance of it. Of course, we're playing for a spot in the SEC championship, so it's what we've dreamed of. That's what we've talked about for a long time. The opportunity's here. Now it's time to go seize it.
I KNOW YOU'RE FROM COLORADO, BUT YOU HAVE THE A&M BACKGROUND...HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE NEED TO EXPLAIN TO SOME OF YOUR TEAMMATES WHO MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY WHAT THIS GAME IS ABOUT?
I think at first some of the guys weren't fully grasping what this game means and how important it is, but now that we've gotten close and now that it's game week, I think everyone understands how big this game is and how much they need to lock in and focus for this game.
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?
This is the biggest game of the season.
WHAT HAVE THE SWING OF EMOTIONS BEEN LIKE THE LAST COUPLE DAYS? YOU LOSE A TOUGH FOUR OVERTIME GAME, BUT THEN YOU FIND OUT YOU STILL HAVE A SHOT TO MAKE THE SEC TITLE GAME AND EVERYTHING.
Really tough loss, but it's really motivational to know that our entire season is still in front of us. We've got to handle business on Saturday. We're playing for the SEC Championship and for a spot in the college football playoffs. So now we've got to go all out this week.
SINCE YOU PROBABLY UNDERSTAND THE RIVALRY MORE THAN MOST, EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN IT LAST HAPPENED, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE CROWD TO BE LIKE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND THE ATMOSPHERE?
It's going to be the most amazing atmosphere that I've ever experienced. I can't wait for that.
WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THIS GAME HAD THE IMPLICATIONS IT DID BEYOND JUST THE RIVALRY, WHAT WAS THE MESSAGING FROM COACH ELKO AND THE REST OF THE COACHES?
We're playing for the SEC Championship right now. We're playing for the College Football Playoff. So we've got to go all out this week and we can't leave anything off the field.
DO YOU TRY AND IMAGINE WHAT THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE LIKE THIS WEEK?
I've been dreaming of playing in this game ever since I was a kid. When I started playing football--I was born and raised an Aggie--I've been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life. So it's finally here and it's such an honor to get to play in it.
