USC’s 35-31 victory over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl Friday night offered a comforting conclusion to what was otherwise a massively disappointing season for the Trojans. For Texas A&M, on the other hand, it marked a disappointing end to a season that once held a ton of promise. The Aggies entered the month of November at 7-1 and squarely in playoff contention. However, they dropped four of their final five games to finish the year 8-5. Following the game, A&M head coach Mike Elko vented his frustrations.
“The story of the game is the story of our season,” Elko said in his postgame press conference. “We can’t cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team.”
Elko also said this when asked about why he is optimistic about the 2025 season: “I won’t have to watch this defense play like this ever again.”
The Aggies certainly struggled to keep the Trojans’ passing game in check. While A&M’s secondary did intercept USC quarterback Jayden Maiava three times, they also allowed him to throw for 295 yards and four touchdowns.
“I have a lot of apprehension when the other team’s gonna drop back and throw the ball,” Elko said.
Like USC, Texas A&M will now enter the offseason with several major questions. Both teams will look to improve on their 2024 campaigns and contend for conference titles in 2025.