Press Conference: Elko, Aggies eye important opportunity in Gainesville

SEC play is here for the Fightin' Texas Aggies as they head to Gainesville for a Saturday afternoon battle with the Florida Gators. On Monday, Mike Elko, Amari Daniels, Conner Weigman and Shemar Stewart spoke to the media.

The following are live, paraphrased notes from the Monday afternoon media availability:

Mike Elko

• Watching the film showed what we discussed. It was a professional way we handled that. We were able to play a lot of guys, 85.
   
• O-line players of the week were Ar’maj Reed Adams and Chase Bistontis. D-line was Albert Regis. The players of the game were Le’Veon Moss and Rylan Kennedy. Special teams was the 12th Man kickoff team.
   
• A talented SEC team. Going to be difficult to go down there in The Swamp. We know that place will be rocking. The quarterbacks have different skill sets. Eugene Wilson is one the best WRs in the conference. They are talented at the WR group. Tight ends have great size and length. They bring back three O-line starters. Coach Billy Napier does a phenomenal job with his scheme.
   
• The film is the film. You still see footwork and fundamentals. You expect running on them and getting open. It is the presnap stuff you can point to.
   
• Run defense has been terrible, to be honest. Giving up 185 yards on the ground is not where we want to be.
   
• I was here the last time A&M won a road game, at Missouri. We won a few when I was here. We started doing some things that we think will be important in this conference. How you communicate in bad environments? It's challenging playing on the road. You will play in a hostile environment no matter who or where.
   
• DJ Lagway is an extremely talented kid, being right down the road. We had seen that film. It was a small sample size, so you are working off everything you know about him. It's how they utilize them both. You don't really know. You formulate a plan you think will let your kids be successful.
   
• Amari Daniels has always been a talented ball carrier. The thing we challenged him with was, on Saturday, he had two great blitz pickups. 
   
• The team will leave on Friday.
   
• AJ DiNota jumped out in the spring. We had a lot of walk-on RBs in the spring. He quickly separated himself from that group. We felt he was a guy that was could be comfortable in.
   
• The jack is the standup rush-drop guy. Cashius Howell, Rylan Kennedy and Malick Sylla can flip back in forth. They provide versatility to move them around.
   
• You prepare for both Florida QBs, but not two different game plans. You have ways to prepare for both kids. 
   
• For each opponent, you figure out what the best way is to create opportunites to jump on them early so you don't have to chase the game. The game flow is a little bit more important on the road.
   
• With TJ Shanahan, we handled that internally. He was suspended immediately, and it went to internal review. We’ll kind of wait and see on that one.
   
• Jabre Barber is still a couple of weeks away. We kind of targeted the Arkansas game as the right timing, and it's probably still that.
   
• Some of the decisions Terry Bussey is making are really good decisions back there at punt return. Jabre Barber is another dynamic playmaker we can use back there.
   
• The problem with run defense is one breakdown from anybody becomes a problem. You have a guy do something run, and then it could become a big play. It’s getting comfortable with the lines and angles this defense requires.
   
• Florida is extremely athletic. Their corners can cover at an elite clip. They have playmakers at the second level. This league is a little bit different. They are a talented SEC football team.
   
• It helps when you have guys that have familiarity with the guys you are playing against. There is an advantage from a knowledge standpoint.
   
• We caused two interceptions off the pressure. We are pressuring the quarterback. The sacks will come. I am less worried about that rather than thew run defense. 
   
• For sure, footwork looked better. It looked good in the majority of his starts. Unfortunately, he just had a bad one against Notre Dame.