Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko was livid on the Aggies' defensive performance after the game:

"I think the story of the game is the story of our season. We can't cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team, and so that's my fault."

— 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕤 𝕃. 𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 (@Travis_L_Brown) December 28, 2024

That's a pretty honest assessment from the head coach. So what is he going to do about it? Injuries happen every season, it can't be an excuse again next season.

That's my thought. You can't say something like that and not have any semblance of a plan. What's the plan?

He also said this: "I have a lot of apprehension when the other team is going to drop back and throw the ball," Elko said. "I've had apprehension all season starting with Florida. We got lucky. Starting against Missouri. We got lucky. LSU threw for 400 yards. It's been a problem all season.

"We can't play zone coverage. Every time we play zone coverage we give up big plays. We have no concept of space. We have no concept of zone coverage. No concept of what we're doing, so we have to play man-to-man all the time."

It sounds like a critique of his defensive staff as much as it does of the players.

while our offense has been hammered all season long our defense has been what caused this collapse. last 4 big boy games our defense has given up 41, 43,17,and 35. went 0-4 in those games. that's nit good enough for a team coached by a defensive head coach

Agree, but baffling how we didn't learn as the season went along…learn how to play football, fundamentals, tackling, play zone, etc.

Baffling how he states all the stuff corrected behind the scenes for culture, but nothing on fundamentals of football. Think he needed to do both or have more on field focus for fan base to see it.

Anyone who says look at beginning of the yr is football ignorant as this team was bad in ND game in scheme and fundamentals and was thru the whole year.

Edit thread title.......should read "history of Aggie football"

boyfriend said:

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He also said this: "I have a lot of apprehension when the other team is going to drop back and throw the ball," Elko said. "I've had apprehension all season starting with Florida. We got lucky. Starting against Missouri. We got lucky. LSU threw for 400 yards. It's been a problem all season.

"We can't play zone coverage. Every time we play zone coverage we give up big plays. We have no concept of space. We have no concept of zone coverage. No concept of what we're doing, so we have to play man-to-man all the time."

It sounds like a critique of his defensive staff as much as it does of the players.

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And yet he let a full season go by doing nothing about it. If your kid failed his first math test would you sit back and do nothing hoping he figures it out or would you start helping him so that by the end of the year he gets an A?

At least he said it but wow we are in a load of trouble when your new coach admits that we can't cover a forward pass

TAMUallen said:

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At least he said it but wow we are in a load of trouble when your new coach who is supposed to be a defensive secondary specialist admits that we can't cover a forward pass

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FIFY, but unfortunately worse.

Yeah it's puzzling how we couldn't figure this out over the course of an entire season. 10 looked as lost last night as he has for most of the season.

To add insult to injury, our opponent's OC knows how to exploit our weaknesses, where as Klein runs the same offense regardless of our opponent's weaknesses.

FarmersFight95 said:

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To add insult to injury, our opponent's OC knows how to exploit our weaknesses, where as Klein runs the same offense regardless of our opponent's weaknesses.

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To be fair we scored 31 and should have had 41 at a minimum if players make basic plays. Klein and the offense so much further down the list of concerns when you have a defensive minded head coach who can't even install a defense over the course of 13 games.

Its encouraging to see elko say these things and be brutally honest about the defense. But talk is cheap.