Before he took the stage at his introductory press conference, the final memory that Texas A&M fans had of a Mike Elko-coached Aggie squad also happened to be one of the lowest points in recent memory for the program.
The valley that was pretty much the entire 2022 season wiped this off the map a little bit, but the close to the 2021 season— a year with so much promise in late October and early November— was a real nadir for the Jimbo era up until that point. The loss to Ole Miss in Oxford was bad enough, but what took place in Baton Rouge just two weeks later was even worse.
The Aggies rolled into town on rivalry weekend determined to finally get a win over LSU down on the Bayou— the Tigers were a pretty poor team that year, and A&M was riding an elite defense as well as an Achane and Spiller-led offense to a decent season. That win, of course, did not come.
Mike Elko can atone for his greatest failure as Texas A&M coach with win over LSU this weekend
The stumble at the finish line in A&M's game against LSU was metaphorical for the entire season, in a certain way. The Aggies had been flying so high after a win against Alabama only to tank the final two conference games and fail to participate in a bowl thanks to a breakout of illness amongst the team.
In this particular game, it was the Aggies' most trusty unit— their defense— that led to their downfall. Despite the fact that Demani Richardson should have iced the game on the punt return with what was a clear fumble recovery— yet still ruled Tiger ball by the officials— the Aggies still lost as future A&M quarterback Max Johnson led a last-second drive down the field to score in the waning moments of the game.
That was the final time we saw a Mike Elko-led defense take the field for Texas A&M before he arrived as head coach. And he can wash that memory away with a win this weekend.
The Aggies enter Death Valley this weekend with even higher expectations than they did that frosty November evening four years ago. One of very few undefeated teams left in the country, they have everything in front of them at the moment— a chance at an SEC championship, a playoff berth— and a win over the Tigers just moves them that much closer.
Will LSU play spoiler once more? You have to think that Elko has that game on his mind as he brings his team down to the Bayou, despite the fact that only seven players from that roster remain on the 2025 Ags— Amari Daniels, Randy Bond, Trey Zuhn, Rueben Fatheree, Dametrious Crownover, Albert Regis, and Tyreek Chappell (that three of those are offensive linemen is no coincidence).
This is more than a game for the Aggies. It's a chance to right some past wrongs. If this team comes out with a focus in this game and puts it on LSU early, then the Tigers may fold— but if they struggle, then we could see a repeat of one of Texas A&M fans' worst memories since joining the conference. I have every confidence, however, that Mike Elko won't let that happen.