BATON ROUGE, La. — Texas A&M coach Mike Elko is not significantly keen on what the Aggies had been or what they failed to perform throughout a long time of underachievement. He’s all in regards to the 2025 Aggies, who’re 8-0 after beating LSU 49-25 on Saturday night time.
Texas A&M scored 35 straight factors to tug away, empty out Tiger Stadium and have a good time with a big contingent of the twelfth Man within the Southeast nook of the stadium.
“I maintain saying this: It is not in regards to the previous,” Elko stated. “We bought to cease, like, worrying in regards to the previous, excited about the previous, speaking in regards to the previous. I am excited for what this crew is doing proper now.
“This crew is doing a little actually particular issues.”
The third-ranked Aggies are 8-0 for the primary time since 1992 after their first win at LSU as an SEC member. Texas A&M has scored 40 or extra factors in 4 consecutive street video games for the primary time in crew historical past, which ties the SEC report, and put up the best factors complete in opposition to a ranked LSU crew at Tiger Stadium since Georgia scored 52 in 2008.
“They tried to place a quote up there that I stated that Loss of life Valley was underwhelming,” quarterback Marcel Reed stated. “And shoot, I assume it was. They did not do a lot to me.”
What stood out about Texas A&M’s rout is how unlikely it appeared at halftime, when No. 20 LSU led 18-14. The Aggies had gone by a depressing, albeit traditionally acquainted, second quarter, once they had a punt blocked by the tip zone for a security, threw two interceptions and had been outscored 11-0.
Texas A&M hadn’t actually been stopped, outgaining LSU 258-189 on the half, however its errors created a deficit for the primary time this season. The Aggies’ solely win of their earlier 10 video games whereas trailing on the half got here in opposition to LSU final season.
“I stated, ‘You are the higher crew, however it’s important to play higher soccer, and should you do not play higher soccer, you are gonna let one slip away tonight,'” Elko stated of his halftime message.
Added Reed: “Elko undoubtedly stated some issues. I can not actually keep in mind each element. It was aggressive, although, for certain.”
Reed felt Texas A&M was the superior crew from the beginning of the sport, however the Aggies needed to show it. They did with their most full quarter of the season, outscoring LSU 21-0 and outgaining the Tigers 132-14. The spotlight got here from KC Concepcion, the star large receiver who returned a punt 79 yards for a landing.
Texas A&M punted simply as soon as within the second half and compelled 4 consecutive LSU punts. Elko credited the sturdy end to energy and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt, who held the identical position at LSU from 2000 to 2021 till being ousted through the teaching transition from Ed Orgeron to Brian Kelly.
“Moffitt wished this sport simply as unhealthy as anybody else,” stated Reed, who completed with 202 passing yards and two touchdowns, and 108 speeding yards and two scores. “I keep in mind Thursday, he form of introduced in a tackling dummy with Brian Kelly’s face on it. Yeah, this one was an necessary one to him.”
Some LSU followers chanted for Kelly’s firing within the closing minutes because the Tigers, who started the season with nationwide championship aspirations, misplaced for the third time in 4 video games. LSU had been 20-1 in night time video games underneath Kelly.
“20-2,” Elko stated when a reporter requested about Kelly’s report.
LSU is 4-5 in its previous 9 SEC video games.
“Our followers are disillusioned like every fan base could be,” stated Kelly, who turned 64 on Saturday. “It stops with the pinnacle coach, in order that duty falls with me.”
Elko is keenly conscious of what Texas A&M has been, and what locations like Tiger Stadium have represented for this system. He was the Aggies’ defensive coordinator in 2019 when LSU, enjoying in Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow’s closing house sport, thumped the Aggies 50-7 on the way in which to the nationwide championship. Texas A&M had different losses on this constructing, each large and small, stretching all the way in which again to 1994, once they received 18-13.
“I instructed the youngsters this the opposite day: I used to be the place to begin guard on my highschool basketball crew the final time [Texas A&M] received right here,” Elko stated.
He stopped in need of saying he anticipated an 8-0 begin, or such a dominant win in such a home of horrors for previous Aggies groups. However Texas A&M’s totally different paths to victory this season — a last-minute comeback at Notre Dame, grinder victories in opposition to Auburn and Arkansas, a number of blowouts — make Elko assured that his crew can examine all of the bins of a championship contender.
Texas A&M enters an open week earlier than a November that may decide whether or not it secures its first Faculty Soccer Playoff look.
“There’s undoubtedly nonetheless a variety of issues to be confirmed, and I really feel like lots of people on this nation nonetheless do not respect us as a crew,” Reed stated. “So no, we’re not attempting to show anyone unsuitable. We’re simply going to go show ourselves proper.”