Texas A&M is moving into SEC play with plenty to sort out, and Mike Elko made that clear in his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Kentucky.
The Aggies are 2-0 after a 48-20 win over Arizona State, but the opener in league play brings a different kind of test. Kentucky arrives in College Station after pushing No. 10 Alabama before falling 45-17 in Lexington in Week 2, and first-year coach Will Stein has already earned Elko’s attention.
“Any time you bring in an SEC game, it's going to be a big challenge. A lot of respect for Will Stein and all that he does as an offensive coach,” Elko said. “It's going to be another formidable offensive attack.”
Elko also said the Wildcats will make life difficult on Saturday.
“We'll have our hands full with Kentucky, and it'll be another big challenge and big game for us. We're looking forward to it,” Elko said.
One of the storylines in the matchup is the return of former Aggie defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, now running Kentucky’s defense. Elko described the unit as a blend of old and new ideas.
“You have a mixed bag of what Jay (Bateman) has traditionally been or wanted to be combined with a couple of things he picked up here that he liked,” Elko said.
Texas A&M’s own offense is still a work in progress, especially up front. Elko said the Aggies need more from the run game and more consistency from the offensive line.
“We have to be able to run the ball more effectively than that. We've got to do a better job of blocking.
That's a part of it. We have to do a better job of running behind the block.
That's part of it,” Elko said.
He added that the solution won’t come from waiting around.
“I don't expect anything. You have to make things happen.
We're not sitting around and hoping time solves. We've got to find solutions and find creative ways,” Elko said.
“That starts with me and starts with our staff.”
Elko also gave a measured read on quarterback Marcel Reed’s Week 2 performance.
“Up and down. Certainly better than the stats maybe would say.
I wouldn't necessarily say he played poorly, but there were poor plays,” Elko said. “Early in the year, some good and some bad.
A continued work-in-progress, like we are as a team right now.”
There was also an update on Daymion Sanford, with Elko praising the depth the Aggies have built at the position.
“It's never a problem when you have too many good players. I've never once had that be a problem,” Elko said.
“Daymion is a kid who is a captain, a really talented player, and he's going to be ready at some point. In his absence, it has been awesome to see Ray (Coney) and Noah (Mikhail).
We'll have to be creative with how we utilize those three guys when we get Daymion back.”
Elko pointed to the safety group as another area where experience matters, specifically mentioning Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks.
“Safety is a huge position from a communication standpoint. Marcus (Ratcliffe), and even Dalton (Brooks) to some degree with his experience, the two of them add so much value,” Elko said.
“Marcus is really flexible with what we can do with him. Third downs, we can play him at linebacker some.”
He also singled out Bravion Rogers for the impact he has made on the Aggie defense.
“There are so many more stories like that than anybody wants to give credit,” Elko said. “He's someone who has worked and been a great player for the team.
He's a kid, from our perspective, who has made a lot of impactful plays. Maybe not the biggest name but a big piece of what a team can be successful and win football games.”
And with SEC play now here, Elko said the mood changes as soon as the conference logo appears in the meeting room.
“Every game has meaning, and every game has importance, but the second you throw up an SEC logo in that Monday meeting, you see everything perk up a bit. That's the nature of playing in this league. You see the energy in the room change,” Elko said.
Elko opened by thanking the home crowd after back-to-back weeks of 107,000 in College Station.
“A thank you to the 12th Man again. I wore the hat and the shirt again for this reason.
We know that Texas in September is not fun. For us to go 107,000 in back-to-back weeks is something we've never done before,” Elko said.
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