Copyright Essentially Sports
When you’re 9-0, you’d think your head coach might flash a smile or two. But not Mike Elko. Not after watching his Aggies defense get gashed for over 200 yards on the ground in Columbia. Texas A&M might have walked away with a 38-17 win over No. 22 Missouri, a win that pushed them to 6-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1998. But their HC wasn’t in a mood to celebrate. On November 8, TexAgs posted Mike Elko’s postgame statement on X where he unleashed his frustration. “One guy had 17 carries for 110, and one guy had 13 for 109. We did an awful job adjusting to both one them,” he said bluntly, calling out his own unit in the process. That’s a rare level of honesty from a coach sitting comfortably undefeated, but it tells you everything about the coach’s mindset. He’s not grading on a curve. He’s grading like a man who knows South Carolina and Texas are waiting down the line and a soft defensive front won’t survive those showdowns. ADVERTISEMENT Missouri, down to its third-string quarterback, true freshman Matt Zollers, had no business keeping this one competitive. Yet, thanks to a relentless rushing duo of Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy, the Tigers gave A&M’s defensive line a hard time. Both tailbacks topped 100 yards with Roberts tallying 110 yards and Hardy with 109 yards, ripping chunk plays and keeping their QB upright long enough to avoid disaster. Roberts’ consistent gashes pressured the Aggies, while Hardy’s two 45-yard bursts brought Columbia to its feet. But even those highlights came undone by self-inflicted wounds including Roberts’ late fumble that helped seal the Aggies’ perfect record another week longer. Still, for Mike Elko, winning ugly isn’t good enough anymore. His Aggies are elite, but the standard keeps climbing. Because in College Station, staying dominant is becoming more important than just staying undefeated.
