COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mike Elko does not like speaking concerning the previous, so he is doing every little thing he can to deal with the current.
This Texas A&M group just isn’t the identical one which misplaced its final 4 video games in opposition to Energy 4 groups final yr after beginning 7-1. This Aggies group is ranked No. 3 and 9-0 for the primary time since 1992, and simply the fifth time in class historical past, after Saturday night time’s 38-17 win over Missouri.
Texas A&M is the one group within the nation with three street wins over groups ranked within the Related Press ballot, together with a win over now-No. 10 Notre Dame in South Bend. After seeing what it takes to win video games like this on the street late within the yr after final yr’s struggles, Elko struck a well-recognized chorus.
“Is that this our weekly final yr query?” he requested. “I do not know concerning the previous. I do know that that is 4 street video games that this group has gone on the street and received. We’re 4-0 this yr on the street and we have solely received one left, so we’ll end this yr with a profitable file if my math is correct.”
In Texas A&M’s first yr within the SEC, it completed 11-2 as Johnny Manziel received a Heisman Trophy. In each season since then, nonetheless, the Aggies have received 9 or fewer video games, with followers’ least favourite quantity being eight — with 5 8-5 seasons and one at 8-4. In 9 of their 13 seasons within the league, they’ve appeared within the AP prime 10 however completed the season ranked solely 4 instances, together with simply twice within the prime 15.
On Saturday, the Aggies completed off a three-game street journey, surviving a 45-42 shootout with Arkansas, then carrying down each LSU and Mizzou till their stadiums emptied out.
They did it by harassing freshman quarterback Matt Zollers, who completed 7-of-22 for 77 yards and a fumble that led to an A&M landing. They chipped away on the Missouri protection, with Marcel Reed throwing for 221 yards and two scores, with solely two passes touring greater than 10 yards. Then they only stored carrying the Tigers down.
“I challenged them at halftime,” Elko stated, noting he was not happy that his protection gave up 207 speeding yards. “I challenged each side of the ball — just one aspect of the ball responded — that we needed to exit and management the road of scrimmage higher.”
The Aggies rushed for 220 yards and 9.6 yards per carry within the second half, and Missouri by no means threatened their 14-0 halftime lead. In consequence, Texas A&M’s 6-0 begin within the SEC is their greatest convention run since they began 7-0 within the Massive 12 in 1998, their final season to win a convention title.
“From a CEO perspective, clearly I imagine that is what this program is able to,” Elko stated. “I feel that is why we’re right here. We’re right here as a result of we imagine the ceiling of this program is admittedly excessive. It is why we took the job. It is why we got here right here as a household. … That is type of what everybody has been speaking about with this program for a very long time. So for 9 video games we have lived as much as it and we have to go end.”
The Aggies return house subsequent Saturday to face 3-6 South Carolina, then host 1-9 Samford earlier than touring to Austin to face Texas on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Rueben Owens, who ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to Missouri, together with a 57-yarder that was A&M’s longest run of the season, says there’s one phrase that’s the Aggies’ focus from right here on out.
“End,” he stated. “That was the phrase for spring. For fall camp. End. Final yr we did not end, so all week it was end, end, end.”