It’s fair to say that Texas A&M’s 5-1 start to the 2024 season has surprised many. First-year head coach Mike Elko was apparently entering a rebuild after Jimbo Fisher’s messy departure after six years at the helm. Still, some tunes have changed after demolishing a top 10-ranked Missouri team 41-10 last Saturday.
Beware of taking “expert” opinions without a grain of salt because Elko and the team have flipped the script, especially after the return of starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who missed the previous three games due to a shoulder injury.
Completing 18/22 for 276 yards, Weigman’s accuracy and ability to stretch the field led by the run game, producing 238 yards on the ground, including 138 yards and three touchdowns from junior star running back Le’Veon Moss.
Defensively, Texas A&M’s pass rush and much-improved secondary wrecked Missouri’s game plan, resulting in six sacks, eight tackles for loss, and five pass deflections in one of the most lopsided ranked victories in Aggie football history.
With both units improving week to week, Elko, during A&M’s Week 7 bye week before taking on Mississippi State in Week 8, spoke about the importance of focusing on future matchups instead of nitpicking the mistakes made in past games during his appearance at the Houston Touchdown Club.
“We don’t talk about 5-1. We don’t talk about how good the result was against Missouri. We don’t talk about how bad the result was against Notre Dame. We talk about how to get better.”
While the loss to Notre Dame still stings, especially concerning a possible college football playoff berth down the road, the Fighting Irish came to play that day. At the same time, Conner Weigman was likely dealing with some physical or mental discomfort that led to his career-low performance.
Since then, the Aggies have been undefeated with a conference-leading 3-0 SEC win, and they have yet to reach their potential on both sides of the ball. The future is extremely bright, and even though the remaining six games present plenty of challenges, Elko and his team have the right mindset to get the job done.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.