Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko did not hold back in discussing the Aggies' recent downfalls and what his team must do to get things back on the right track.
Elko and company have suffered back-to-back embarrassing losses to Southeastern Conference foes by a combined score of 66-27. One of the major aspects tying those lackluster performances together is the status of the quarterback position.
After an abysmal performance against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 3, Marcel Reed was just 1-of-8 for 27 yards on passes of 10-plus yards against LSU on Saturday night. According to TexAgs analyst Luke Evangelist, Reed and the Texas A&M offense were held to 197 total yards, which is the first time since the loss to Appalachian State in 2022 that the Aggies
were held under 200 yards of offense. Bowling Green and Central Michigan are the only FBS teams to have fewer explosive plays than Texas A&M so far in 2026. Despite that, Elko has stood firm on his belief that Reed is the starting quarterback and will be for the foreseeable future.
Here is everything Elko said during his press conference on Monday ahead of the Aggies' home matchup against Arkansas in Week 5:
Elko on Texas A&M celebrating its 150th anniversary on Saturday
"Starting by pointing out that we're excited to begin the 150th-anniversary kickoff on Saturday night. It's a huge celebration for this university, and we're honored that they're going to start it at the football game," Elko said.
Elko on what's next after back-to-back conference losses
"When things aren't going the way you hoped, the only thing you can do is come together and work," Elko said. "We've got to identify the issues and go attack it every single day. We had a good practice this morning. We need a good week of preparation and then perform on Saturday."
Elko discusses the importance of momentum
"Momentum is a real thing. It's not an excuse. We've got to find better ways to recapture momentum. That will help immensely in these games," Elko said.
Elko standing firm on his belief that Reed can lead the Aggies
"His work ethic. How he comes to work every day. Who he is. How he's attacking this thing," Elko said. "We believe in him. We have to find ways to let him be more successful. We've seen him be more successful. We've got to get him there."
Elko on what Texas A&M must do offensively, especially after ranking last in the SEC in explosive plays
"We've got to do a better job of creating explosive plays. We've got to find better leverages and better opportunities to do that," Elko said. "We're having to be too precise, and that's hard to do. We're too choppy, which puts us behind the chains a lot. That's not helping."
Elko's thoughts on the other athletes in Texas A&M's quarterback room
"They're a group that hasn't done a lot, but you have confidence in how they're developing, how they're doing and how they're practicing," Elko said.
Elko on recruiting quarterbacks from the transfer portal
"It's impossible. I don't think anybody anywhere is recruiting depth out of the portal. I don't think people in the portal go where there is an established starter," Elko said.
Elko discusses the tight games against the Arkansas Razorbacks in recent years
"I've played six of them, and all six of them have been that way," Elko said. "That is how this game has consistently played out. I don't know that you project what Saturday will look like or play like. My history is that this is a competitive game."
Elko's thoughts on his team's performances and what's been going wrong for the Aggies in the last two weeks
"At the end of the day, we're not getting results. We're in this business to get results. We have to find ways to be more successful," Elko said.
Elko on the area he believes Texas A&M is performing well
"Special teams. I'm not a silver lining type of guy. That's not my nature when things are going well. That's not my nature when things are going bad. The rest of it is a work in progress," Elko said.
Elko on the struggles Texas A&M had against LSU
"The struggles in the LSU game were really deep. (Marcel Reed) is not the only part of it. There were struggles at so many levels in the LSU that it's hard to pinpoint one guy and what he did wrong," Elko said.
Elko's thoughts on Arkansas and what they bring to Kyle Field on Saturday
"It's a team that's forming its identity with a new staff. I have a lot of respect for Coach Silverfield and what he's done. He ran a really, really strong program at Memphis," Elko said. "It's a team that's going to give us an awful lot on Saturday night."
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 'We're not getting results': Mike Elko discusses Texas A&M's struggles
