This was a slow first half performance. There's no doubt about that. After a questionable decision to go shotgun on a 4th-and-goal scenario to eventually get stopped at the goal line, Aggie fans were definitely concerned to say the least. There was definitely some silence inside Kyle Field a lot during the first half.
The offense started to come together by the second half, but the defense had another amazing performance, especially from guys like Dalton Brooks and Cashius Howell. Even some newcomers came through when fans didn't expect it.
Here's what Mike Elko had to say about his outstanding defensive performance.
Mike Elko on Daymion Sanford:
"He is a phenomenal kid. He works really hard in practice. Mentally, he never blinked when he didn't win the starting job...He had another really, really big night tonight."
Mike Elko on 1/25 on third/fourth down on 25 opportunities
"We've been good so far. We've got six more to go. No, I'm joking of course. Obviously, it's a big part of the game, it's a big part of what we do. We've been able to put together two really good plans. Obviously, the distance helps too. I think the last two games, we've been able to keep them in some more third and long type situations and that's always helpful as well. We've got to continue to do that."
Mike Elko on coming back after a bad start:
"It shows they have a lot of confidence and what they are capable of."
Mike Elko on Cashius Howell:
"He is really good...He's really good at rushing the passer. It starts there. We have gotten him in situations where you can go after people on third down."
Mike Elko on finding a way for Marcel Reed to calm down:
"I think we had to find a way to get Marcel to settle down...It wasn't all negative in the first half. It was more about being in an SEC football game. They aren't easy. They are four quarter games."