No. 3 Texas A&M football shocked the Southeastern Conference and the 12th Man on Nov. 15 when it overcame a 27-point deficit to complete the largest comeback in school history against South Carolina. Sitting atop the AP Top 25 at third in the country for five consecutive weeks and ranking the same in the College Football Playoff committee’s watchful eye, the Aggies are riding high on their undefeated record toward the end of their schedule and into a possible spot in the SEC Championship Game and the playoffs. But what follows that Hallmark-movie ending against the Gamecocks is a date with the 1-10 Samford Bulldogs out of the FCS’ Southern Conference this Saturday, Nov. 22. “We talk a lot about playing to our standard regardless of opponent,” coach Mike Elko said in Monday’s press conference. “It’s not something we’ve been good enough at. So this is an opportunity for us to take a maturity step and go out there and play the game at the level that we’re capable of playing it, regardless of who we’re playing.” A lot of analysis can be done over the late-game scares A&M has inflicted on the Aggie faithful this season namely against Notre Dame, Arkansas and South Carolina but none of those can drown the lofty expectations of success that fans have for the Maroon and White against the Bulldogs. Nearly all projections point toward a lopsided score in the Aggies’ favor. But the game holds more importance than just moving onto an 11-0 record and a rivalry weekend against No. 17 Texas; it represents possibly the last time the seniors on the roster will compete at Kyle Field if A&M doesn’t host a first-round playoff game. “There’s going to be a lot of kids walking across that field for the last time, and that’s a memory that they’ll take with them forever,” Elko said. “ . It’s an opportunity for them to end their senior season undefeated at home, and that hasn’t happened around here in a long time.” One of the many players departing Aggieland after this season, multi-talented graduate student offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III has left an astounding impact on the program during his tenure donning maroon and white. “He’s what you want an Aggie to be,” Elko said. “For him to come back again, be a captain again, for him to be as consistent as he is, as tough as he is. He plays through pain, he plays through injury. He’ll play through anything. This place means an awful lot to him.” No matter the opponent, Elko has preached making plays in critical moments throughout the season. “The thing that makes seasons successful is your ability to make those plays in those moments to win football games,” Elko said. “And I think that’s what this team is doing.” The SEC leader in sacks who ranks second in the country at 11. 5 redshirt senior defensive end Cashius Howell showed off his ability to be that playmaker during A&M’s second-half comeback against South Carolina. On the Gamecocks’ last third-down effort, he sacked redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers and then secured the tackle on the next play, forcing a turnover on downs. “That play he made at the end of the game to win that football game,” Elko said. “That is an elite-level play. That’s just unbelievable awareness, unbelievable feel to close space and close the gap on the quarterback before he could get going and then an unbelievable feel to not yank the horse collar as he was kind of getting his hand around it.” Facing one of the most dominant defenses in the country, which ranks No. 1 in third-down conversion percentage and total sacks, the Bulldogs have their bowls full this weekend under the high-pressure atmosphere in the confines of an SEC stadium. But defense isn’t the only thing to strike fear into the Dogs’ hearts, as the Aggies’ offense ranks sixth in passing yards per completion with 14. 93 and is tied for 14th in points per game at 37. 1. This 1-7-in-SoCon-play Samford squad is staring down the barrel of its season in its last matchup in a classic david-and-goliath situation at Kyle Field bright and early at 11 a. m. on SEC Network+.
https://thebatt.com/sports/texas-am-hosts-senior-day-against-samford/
Tag: Mike Elko
Yahoo Top 10: Mike Elko, Texas A&M have plenty to be excited about after massive comeback win
Late Friday night, perhaps even into the wee hours of Saturday morning, Mike Elko and Texas A&M finalized a new contract for the coach. And then, just a few hours later, his third-ranked Aggies fell into a 27-point hole at home against lowly South Carolina. Bad timing?
Well, Elko and Co. made sure that the announcement of his big new deal wasn’t completely spoiled. They mounted the biggest comeback in school history, storming back for a 31-30 win over South Carolina by scoring touchdowns on four consecutive drives in a span of 15 minutes of game time—a stretch in which QB Marcel Reed threw for more than 300 yards.
The remarkable effort pushed the Aggies to 10-0 and Elko to 18-5 in his second season at the school. Speaking of Elko, he’ll be making more than $11 million annually as part of the new six-year contract. More importantly, the contract secures his place in Aggieland during one of the craziest coaching cycles in history.
Plenty of schools took an interest in Elko, most notably Penn State, where the coach has a deep connection. He apparently declined the interest from the Nittany Lions and got himself a $3-4 million raise in the process.
Texas A&M’s victory made the SEC championship game race even murkier, especially after Oklahoma stunned Alabama in Tuscaloosa (goodbye, Tide, from our Top 10; and hello, Sooners!). The Aggies now control their own destiny: beat Texas in two weeks and you’re in.
As for everyone else, there could be a bunch of teams locked at one loss, including Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia. Tiebreaker time! Either way, we won’t know who will play in Atlanta until the final Saturday results are in.
What’s going on in the other conference races? Indiana and Ohio State are on a crash course for the Big Ten title. The same goes for Texas Tech in the Big 12. In the ACC, there’s a logjam of four one-loss teams.
Meanwhile, the non-power league playoff race got interesting on Saturday when Navy beat South Florida, opening the door for Tulane, North Texas, and JMU to squeak into the postseason tournament.
Speaking of the playoff, Michigan survived in Wrigley Field against Northwestern to keep its hopes alive, Notre Dame pummeled Pitt to stay in position for an at-large berth, and USC rallied against Iowa to move to 8-2.
Let’s get to the Top 10!
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### 1. Indiana Hoosiers
**This week:** beat Wisconsin 31-7
**Next week:** at Purdue
The Hoosiers turned a 10-7 halftime lead into a second-half blowout as QB Fernando Mendoza carved through the Badgers secondary for 299 yards on 22-of-24 passing. For the first time ever, Indiana is 11-0, and Curt Cignetti is now 22-2 at the school—a remarkable and historic run.
A bye week comes next before the annual rivalry clash with the in-state Boilermakers and then a titanic showdown with Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game.
**Best win:** 30-20 at Oregon
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### 2. Ohio State Buckeyes
**This week:** beat UCLA 48-10
**Next week:** vs. Rutgers
The backups got in pretty early in this one. Are the Buckeyes ever going to be challenged in a tight fourth-quarter game? Freshman RB Bo Jackson broke 100 yards again, and OSU jumped out to a 34-0 lead.
**Best wins:** 14-7 vs. Texas
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### 3. Texas A&M Aggies
**This week:** beat South Carolina 31-30
**Next week:** vs. Samford
You read plenty about the big comeback in our rankings intro above. But you can never write too much about the fact that a team climbed out of a 27-point hole. The A&M offense did plenty, but the Aggies’ defense did wonders. South Carolina had five second-half drives; three ended in punts, and two on failed fourth downs.
**Best win:** 41-40 at Notre Dame
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### 4. Georgia Bulldogs
**This week:** beat Texas 35-10
**Next week:** vs. Charlotte
QB Gunner Stockton threw four touchdowns, and the Bulldogs suffocated Texas to the tune of less than 30 yards rushing—an all-around stellar performance from Kirby Smart’s defense. Texas didn’t get into the end zone until late in the third quarter.
**Best win:** 43-35 vs. Ole Miss
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### 5. Ole Miss Rebels
**This week:** beat Florida 34-24
**Next week:** Off
Lane Kiffin and the Rebels had to sweat this one out against the 3-6 Gators. Good thing they had RB Kewan Lacy, who posted more than 200 yards on 30 carries as Ole Miss locked up a playoff spot ahead of the Egg Bowl.
**Best win:** 34-26 at Oklahoma
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### 6. Texas Tech Red Raiders
**This week:** beat UCF 48-9
**Next week:** Off
At one point, the Red Raiders led 38-2. Tech’s offseason investment is paying off (have you heard that one before?). But the Red Raiders go beyond just cash and talent. They are sound, well-coached, and have a direct path to Dallas for the Big 12 title game—a playoff ticket-punching event for coach Joey McGuire and company.
**Best win:** 34-10 at Utah
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### 7. Oregon Ducks
**This week:** beat Minnesota 42-13
**Next week:** vs. USC
The banged-up Ducks played without several of their top receivers, but it didn’t matter. QB Dante Moore threw just three incomplete passes against a Gophers defense that entered as one of the nation’s best. Oregon is two wins away from securing a playoff spot. Standing in the way is a home game against the Trojans and a road trip to Seattle.
**Best win:** 34-24 vs. USC
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### 8. Oklahoma Sooners
**This week:** beat Alabama 23-21
**Next week:** vs. Missouri
The Sooners had four sacks and turned three turnovers into 17 points to take down Alabama, handing coach Kalen DeBoer his first home loss in Tuscaloosa and his first defeat while wearing the vaunted “black hoodie of death.” OU, despite two losses, finds itself in prime position to get into the playoff as an at-large selection. Missouri and LSU await at home in Norman.
**Best win:** 24-13 vs. Michigan
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### 9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
**This week:** beat Pitt 37-15
**Next week:** vs. Syracuse
The Irish failed to live up to Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi’s expectations. He half-jokingly said the Irish could hang 100 on his team and it wouldn’t matter! Well, they didn’t get there, but they did more than enough to batter the Panthers. RB Jeremiyah Love ran for 147, including a 56-yard touchdown, and the Irish defense held Pitt to 219 total yards.
**Best win:** 34-24 vs. USC
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### 10. USC Trojans
**This week:** beat Iowa 26-21
**Next week:** at Oregon
A chilly and rainy day in Los Angeles seemed to favor the Hawkeyes and, for a while, it certainly did. The Trojans needed a second-half rally and 154 yards from WR Makai Lemon in the rain to overcome a two-touchdown first-half deficit and salvage any playoff hopes. Next up: the mighty Ducks in Eugene.
**Best win:** 31-13 vs. Michigan
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The college football landscape continues to shift as the regular season nears its end. With so many marquee matchups and potential tiebreakers on the horizon, fans can expect an electrifying finish to the season. Stay tuned!
https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/yahoo-top-10-mike-elko-texas-am-have-plenty-to-be-excited-about-after-massive-comeback-win-041252829.html
Mike Elko calls out "gloomy" Texas A media
Mike Elko has his team rolling, but the Texas A&M head coach made it clear Saturday night that the media hasn’t exactly kept up with the program’s momentum.
After the Aggies’ 16-10 win over Auburn—which pushed A&M to 4-0 for the first time since 2016—Elko spent just five minutes fielding questions before putting reporters on the spot. His tone shifted from measured to pointed as he challenged what he described as a dreadful and gloomy line of postgame questioning despite a dominant defensive performance.
“Does anyone want to ask a question about us being 4-0 for the first time since 2016 or how did the defense bounce back?” Elko asked. “Or how about you held them to 176 yards on offense and you had five sacks and they were 0-for-12 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. And, you got the return game going again. I don’t mean to sound like someone else but my gosh would you guys stop being so dreadful and gloomy?”
Texas A&M’s defense delivered arguably its sharpest effort of the season, holding the Tigers to one touchdown and a field goal while suffocating Auburn’s passing attack.
With the win, Texas A&M improved to 4-0 and will host Florida on October 11, one week after the Gators face the Texas Longhorns. A&M will meet Texas in November at DKR Stadium in Austin.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/mike-elko-calls-out-gloomy-texas-am-media/8557c8d482391ab27eda1e97