Texas A&M Head Football Coach Mike Elko
(Ref: Recapping he Arkansas game)
“I thought we did the things you need to do to win football games, we won the turnover margin, we were good on 3rd down. We were good getting off the field on 3rd down. We did a really good job scoring touchdowns in the red zone, we didn't give up the touchdown in the red zone, and when you're able to play like that, you're going to be able to win football games, so it's nice to have an Arkansas game not come down to the wire like every other one that I've been part of has.”
(Ref: On the improvement of the Offensive line)
“I think they are gelling more, I think they are starting to understand playing together more. They are able to establish the run and our run averages and efficiencies are a lot higher. They have done a better job of protecting Marcel with the exception of the end of the LSU game when we were forced to throw as much as we were. We have done a better job of creating clean pockets in time for him to throw the football. There's a lot of growth still to be made and still to be done, but it is good to see that group coming together and getting better every week.”
(Ref: On facing Missouri)
“I think they are playing really good football, they’re 12th in the country, only giving up 2.6 yards a carry. So they have been really effective stopping the run and did a really great job against an elite tailback last week which nobody has been able to do so far. Offensively I think it starts with the quarterback. He’s playing elite football and really running the offense at a high level and because of that you have skill kids on the outside that can create separation and get open and have a really talented running back.”
(Ref: On moving the Oline around)
“Lamont Rogers was playing at a really high level and I think he’s got more of an ability to move people around and we think Wilkin can play tackle or guard, I think he is a physical lineman and that’s his skillset as well. Its allowed us to get more mass and physicality across the front line.”
(Ref: On Twafiq Byard)
“Obviously Tawfiq was a kid that we had a lot of confidence in when we brought here. he went through some injuries in the spring, went through some injuries in fall camp, then reaggravated himself again right as we were headed into the season. It's just good to see him finally healthy and playing it as the player that we hoped he could be when he got here”
(Ref: On his confidence in KJ Edwards)
“We wouldn't play them if we weren't you know, credit him to rising to the challenge, you know, credit troop for making sure that that's the culture within the running back room. It gets really hard in this conference if you just throw them out there to run the ball, and every time he's out there, you're giving it to him. You can't get away with that in this league. He’s got to be able to do it all in order for him to be on the field. There were a couple times where he picked up some blitzes on Saturday night, he did a really good job putting his face in there. I think his form and techniques getting really better and he’s certainly willing to be physical and do those things, He just has to keep working and getting better.
(Ref: On Landon Rink)
“I think he continues to get better and continues to grow. Obviously, a young kid that we had a lot of expectations for this year, and I think he's taken the most of his opportunities and we felt like earned the right to go out there with the first group on Saturday. And I think he responded and played a really good game.”
(Ref: On Lamont Rogers)
“From our perspective, he was he was one of the best in-state tackles that year, really athletic and we felt like had a lot of growth potential. He was a basketball player and had kind of been a dual sport kid and so he hadn't really been committed all into football. So, we saw what he was, and we also, I think, felt like projecting what he could be. We continued to recruit him all the way through and ultimately were able to land him at the end, which was really critical for us and our class. Since he's been here, it's just been awesome to see his growth. I think he's really matured as a football player, I think he's matured as a young man. I think he's really grown into who he is, his self-confidence, everything. It's really great to see him having success because you love that for kids who believe in you and put so much work into it, you love when you see them awarded like that.
(Ref: On Lamont Rogers Growth)
“Learning how to play offensive tackle in an SEC style offense, everything that comes with it, blitz pickup, identification of targeting, there's a lot that goes into O line play that's not just me blocking you. There's a little bit more to it than that, A lot of that was a little bit over his head when he first started. I think he would tell you that but he has worked incredibly hard to get himself up to speed to, to be at a point now where I think he's able to allow it to slow down a little bit and use his physical skill set the way he's capable of. We always kind of knew once that happened, he would be good, and it's been good to see that happen for him.
(Ref: On TK Norman)
“We knew that Mario was going to be limited so we wanted to get TK some opportunities and the most opportunities for him was going to be at the slot. Credit to him for shifting over and learning it in the week and putting himself in a position to go out and get these opportunities. When you get guys who go down you have to get guys to step up so it was great to see him do that and make some explosive plays and he was really excited and twitchy to be out there.”
(Ref: On the decision to use David Alano as both a kickoff specialist and place kicker)
“Just him being really good at both and consistent and confident and he's done it before. I think one of the fears with that has always been for me the ability for the leg to hold up over the course of the season when you're performing both duties.
When you don't know how that's going to go for a kid or you have two kids that are equal, it's always best to kind of split that up in my opinion. David was clearly the better at both in our opinion and then he had done it before the collegiate level, and so he didn't have that concern or fear of him lasting through the whole season, because we've seen it done that way for him before.”
(Ref: On the challenges that Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons brings)
“He's really good and he delivers the ball really accurately. He's comfortable throwing it in the tight windows, he's got a lot of confidence in his arm and his ability to make throws and then he obviously has a ton of comfortability with Caden Lee, who came over from Ole Miss with him. You see that connection operated at a really high level and they've got a lot of really talented outside receivers as well that can really stretch the field. He's playing really good football.”
(Ref: On if he saw improvement in the pass rush versus Arkansas and the ability to get pressure on the quarterback)
“We saw improvement. I think game flow allows that; we still got to get better. There are still areas that we need to get better and improve and continue to disrupt the quarterback. That'll be a big piece this week with a quarterback playing as well as he is. If he doesn't get out of rhythm, we're going to really struggle to control him.”
(Ref: On if the group feels different getting a solid win after back-to-back losses)
“I don't know that that's relief, though. I think that when you win, things are better,
I don't think there's any dispute behind that. I don't know that we ever stopped working, but you definitely feel mojo, you feel confidence, you feel more positive vibes in and around it when you win.”
(Ref: On his personal relationship with Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz)
“I've known [Drinkwitz] for a long time, I have a ton of respect for him. I think he does a phenomenal job and I think he's done a great job building that program. He's been at it for a long time and they're consistently one of the best teams in the conference and certainly present a lot of challenges in every aspect of the game.”
(Ref: On Kiotti Armstrong’s performance Saturday and what it took to get him to the level he is playing at)
“I just think it's the nature of young kids learning. I think they would all, moment of honesty, tell you they thought they were doing it at a certain level and then realized as they started getting more game action ‘wow okay, there's more to this than just going out there and playing’, right? There is the preparation piece and the technique piece and the fundamental piece and the focus piece and there's so much that goes into young kids being ready to go out there and play. I just think it's been the natural growth of a young kid learning what all it takes to go out there on an SEC football field and be successful. With each week that he gets confidence and he has more success, you're starting to see his talent flash a little bit more each week. We know that he is talented and we know he has the ability. Any opportunity just gives him a chance to show it a little bit better.”
(Ref: On Marcus Ratcliffe moving around on defense versus Arkansas)
“I think a combination of Tawfiq [Byard], a combination of where we were at linebacker and a combination of Chance Collins’ development. It's probably a combination of a lot of things and Marcus is a kid that gives us a lot of flexibility in terms of what he can do. I think we'll continue to be creative in the way that we use those guys to get opportunities for all of them.”
(Ref: On the importance of having David Alano’s range)
“It's obviously more comforting. I was talking to Coach Daherty, our special teams coach today and this isn't to throw shade at anybody, but there were a couple times last year where I thought we functioned really well in the two-minute operation at the end of half and weren't able to finish it the way we wanted to and left some points on the board.
That was probably one of our less efficient two-minute operations at the end of half and then all of a sudden go out and gets erased because he draws a 57-yard field goal. So, it's a little bit of just an eraser sometimes when you don't put the drive together exactly the way you want it to go or the way you script it to go. That's a huge confidence boost for the team, when you make that kick right before half and we were able to get 10 points in a row with that field goal and then the touchdown on the first drive coming out. Anytime you can double up around halftime, it stretches your lead, but it's also huge from a momentum standpoint in the game. It's a huge weapon for sure.”
(Ref: On why it is important for the team to have joy after a win)
“Because that means we're not listening to you guys and I just mean the noise, right?
We talk a lot about trying to isolate ourselves from everybody's opinions, everyone's thoughts, and not that I mean that in a disrespectful way, you guys are certainly entitled to them. But when you play college football and you play high profile sports nowadays, the noise around your performance gets so loud, right? When you start talking about words like relief, the relief would come because we're not going to hear bad things from you. That's what where relief would be from. Joy would be because together we collectively accomplished something that we set out to do and so we're going to celebrate that with joy and with each other because that's all that matters. The only reason you would feel relief after a win is because there would be positivity from the outside world, right? And I don't care about the outside world enough to worry about relief.”
(Ref: On if he has had to warn players about social media and things that can be said in the outside world)
“As a coach who is very aware of the world that we live in, I think the way you have to isolate your team is way different now than it was 15 years ago. I told our guys a couple of weeks ago that when I retire from this game, what I'm going to do is I'm going to go debate all of the talking heads in college football just to really make it clear to everybody who knows things about football and who doesn't. That's one of my goals when I get out of this coaching business. It's just how you have to manage the modern athlete and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I don't think it's good, bad or whatever, it's just part of society today. It's just a part of mentally preparing your kids to go out and play at the level they're capable of. There's always been a motivational mental side of the game. I think social media is just a big piece of that nowadays.”
(Ref: On if he feels that Marcel Reed had a mental breakthrough against Arkansas)
“I think sometimes people think that's all on us or on him from a decision-making standpoint or a play calling standpoint. Sometimes people give you opportunities to run and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you're successful in it, sometimes you're not, sometimes the defense wins and the running lanes aren't there and the escape lanes aren't there. It's not just a matter of making a conscious decision for him to run. It doesn't really work like that in football. When he gets an opportunity to play the game that way, to be free and loose and be able to use his legs, which are a huge weapon for him, and be able to make some throws in scramble situations, he does those things well, for sure. Those opportunities have to be there for him in order to do it too, it's not always just a matter of want to.”
