COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Year 2 of the Mike Elko era at Texas A&M is off to a promising start. With over 40 points in both of its opening games, the Aggies have quickly asserted their dominance against non-conference competition.
However, the true test lies ahead in Week 3, as they head to South Bend for a road matchup against Notre Dame.
Texas A&M has history with the Fighting Irish, having lost a narrow game in last season’s opener, which was Elko’s debut. With revenge on their minds, the Aggies are hungry to prove they are more than the team that faltered towards the end of the 2024 season.
Although A&M fell just short of making its first Southeastern Conference championship game last season, Elko sees this as an opportunity to build on the lessons learned from a year that ended with an 8-5 record. With the 2025 season underway, the Aggies are poised to capitalize on those lessons and make a run.
Live and Learn: Reflecting on the 2024 Season
Despite some criticisms of the 8-5 record, Elko remains optimistic about his first year in charge, especially considering the difficulty of competing in the SEC. Speaking on SiriusXM College Sports Radio, Elko reflected on the accomplishments of his debut season.
“There’s two things that can be true,” Elko said. “We had a really good first year, in the big scope of it all. We had the third-best first year of any active SEC coach currently in the conference, and that was coming off two years where we haven’t been very good as a program.
When you look at the big picture of it, we did a lot of really good things last year.”
Now, the Aggies are looking to right the wrongs of the past and seize the opportunity to defeat Notre Dame in a pivotal road game, thanks to the explosive playmaking of dual-threat quarterback Marcel Reed.
Looking Ahead: Adjusting to the Spotlight
Elko is confident in his team’s ability to bounce back and handle adversity, especially with crucial games ahead. As he put it, the Aggies have put themselves in a new position—competing as a front-runner in important matchups.
“I think we put ourselves in position that we haven’t been in – competing as a front-running team down the stretch with really, really important games. Now, it’s learning. It’s learning how to handle those situations,” Elko said.
“It’s learning how to be the hunted team in November and trying to do everything we can to get back in that situation so we can prove that we’ve made the necessary adjustments to handle it better.”
With a high-stakes matchup against Notre Dame this weekend, it’s time for A&M to show the college football world what they’re capable of. The Aggies have the chance to silence critics, build on their strong start, and prove they are contenders in 2025.
