Mike Elko calls out hypocritical reaction to Texas A&M’s win over Auburn
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
Following a 41-40 road win over then-No. 8 Notre Dame in Week 3, there was a question about how much of a challenge the next opponent, Auburn, would pose for Texas A&M in Week 5.
Contrary to expectations, the Tigers put the Aggies to the test on their home field, maintaining a tight contest. The Aggies’ narrow 16-10 victory highlighted the effectiveness of the Tigers’ defense, which restricted the Aggies to their lowest scoring output of the season.
On Thursday, head coach Mike Elko reflected on the reaction to the game.
“I’ve chuckled at this for years… when we win 41-40 it’s a ‘great win,’ when we win 16-10 it’s ‘ugly,'” Elko said during an interview on College Sports on SiriusXM.
Elko openly discussed the contrasting performances, pinpointing the disparities that influenced each win. He emphasized the importance of being able to win with a solid defense, just as with a high-powered offense. “
The reality of both of those games is one side of the ball played well, and the other didn’t play well as you would have hoped,” Elko said. “That’s part of it. Part of it is just being okay winning a defensive game as you are an offensive game. The second part is winning in the SEC is hard. I think we and society today so quickly want to diminish what just happened.”
Elko credited the Tigers for their competitiveness, expressing confidence in their potential success in the season ahead. The Tigers currently boast a 3-2 record and were, at one point this season, ranked No. 22 in the AP poll.
