Texas A&M's
50-0 season-opening win over Missouri State surprisingly resulted in dropping one spot to No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and two spots to No. 10 in the AP Top 25, but this early in the season, these rankings are pointless, and third-year coach Mike Elko is well aware of that fact. This Saturday, the Aggies will host Arizona State, which is coming off an equally dominant 70-7 win over Morgan State.This week, Mike Elko, along with starting left tackle Tyree Adams and transfer linebacker Ray Coney, spoke to the local media and shared their thoughts on Saturday's win. Elko and Adams both acknowledged that the offensive line's early struggles will be addressed this week, while the second-half turnaround was both encouraging and telling
of what to expect against the Sun Devils.
Starting quarterback Marcel Reed's impressive 2026 debut proved that his preseason praise was warranted, finishing 21/30 for a 70% completion rate, 233 yards and two touchdowns, while making several NFL-level throws. After the O-line improved, Texas A&M's running game found life, rushing for 150 yards in the second half and three touchdowns.
Arizona State transfer quarterback Cutter Boley's career-high 387 yards and 6 touchdowns are notable, but given the competition he was facing in Week 1, Texas A&M's defensive line and loaded secondary are expected to give him issues and force him to make perfect throws from the pocket.
Ahead of Saturday's early kickoff, here is everything Mike Elko said during his weekly Aggie Football Hour.
Mike Elko praises Texas A&M's deep defensive line rotation
"We have more bodies to put into the (defensive line) rotation than we've ever had. We have some really good ones."
"There are more names that we feel like should be on the field than we've ever had before. That's a good sign."
Mike Elko on the biggest difference between Week 1 and Week 2
"The biggest improvement happens between Week 1 and Week 2 because Week 1 is so new."
"If we're doing it the right way, we're going to get ourselves in a position where we're better every week. That's the goal."
A three-star or five-star recruit? It's all about the tape
"Would you rather have a three-star or a five-star? I want kids who I think are going to be NFL players because I don't even know what their stars are. More times than not, my kids tell me what our kids are ranked because I just watch the tape and take the kids I think can help us."
Mike Elko remains completely focused on the task at hand
"The reason why I think I can get it done at Texas A&M is because I'll be the guy who comes in and doesn't care about the opinions of people who don't know as much as I do because I'm going to do what I think is right every single day and put everything I have into what I think can make us successful."
Mike Elko on Texas A&M's O-line's growth process
"We want every unit to be at its best immediately, all the time. That's not how it works. The offensive line had the most turnover… It should be the unit that you see the most growth, and you saw that within the first game."
"That's not to say there are no excuses, but they're going to grow."
Is Texas A&M a CFP contender? Time will tell
"Everybody is so anxious to figure out if our team is good enough. Everyone has the things they're worried about. Everyone has the things they're nervous about."
"As coaches, we're not like that. I know what we have. I know where we are. I know what we're capable of. I know it's going to be a process to get there."
Mike Elko on QB Marcel Reed's continued improvement
"(Marcel Reed has) been really, really good. He's been really successful as a quarterback and won a lot of football games for us. Enjoy him."
"He's getting better, and you saw it. His footwork was better. His decision-making was better. The timing of his ball was better. He made some really nice throws."
Mike Elko when asked by a fan about LSU's future in the SEC
"LSU will be in the SEC. LSU will be fired up when we go to Baton Rouge in a couple of weeks. All of those things are going to happen. This is just a little bit of…parenting…going on right now."
Mike Elko on the current state of Aggies in the NFL
"It's always great to see Von (Miller). It's great to see KC (Concepcion). As we turn the corner and try to be a program that's more about accomplishments, it's great to see our great NFL players back. … The more we can get those guys around our program, there is a lot of good that happens."
Mike Elko on Texas A&M's revamped linebacker rotation
"It was good to see. I know how important good linebacker play is to Texas A&M fans, and (Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail) played really, really well. It was good to give Daymion (Sanford) another week to recover."
Mike Elko on transfer Edge Ryan Henderson's ascendancy
"I don't know that I've ever seen (Ryan Henderson's) stat line. It was four plays, one sack, one fumble caused and one fourth-down TFL. To get all of that accomplished in four snaps is really, really impressive. He's a kid we're excited about."
Mike Elko on the importance of the 12th Man's steadfast support
"I know how much (the 12th Man kickoff team) means to the fans, so it's always awesome to see their reaction. ... From a selfish standpoint, it usually means it's at a point that the game is going really, really well."
Mike Elko on RB Rueben Owen's solid 2026 debut
"I thought (Rueben Owens II) ran powerful, and that was good to see. ... It was a good start for him, and as the game wore on, the line got better, and the holes got bigger."
An update on RB Jamarion Morrow's health
"Jamarion (Morrow), we were able to limit him a bit. He had something knicked up through camp, and so we were able to pull back on him, which was good. He got enough carries to get the opener out of the way, and we'll bring him more and more into the fold."
Mike Elko praises Arizona State
"They're a really good football team. Kenny Dillingham, their head coach, does a really, really good job."
He meant afternoon, but the message is clear
"We're gonna need everything we've got on Saturday night to go beat them."
Mike Elko on the late Terry Price
"(Terry Price) was such a great man. He had such a great family. … Just a great man. Really, really great man. Anything we can do to keep his name alive is really good. Always thinking about him. Always praying for his family."
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything Mike Elko said during the Aggie Football Hour before Week 2
