Press Conference: Elko, No. 25 Aggies face No. 9 Mizzou on Saturday

Ninth-ranked Missouri ventures to Kyle Field on Saturday for a top-25 bout with No. 25 Texas A&M in Week 6. On Monday afternoon, Mike Elko, BJ Mayes and Marcel Reed spoke to the media ahead of another pivotal Southeastern Conference showdown.

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

Mike Elko

• To recap, our players of the week were Trey Zuhn III and Nic Scourton wreaked havoc. Le’Veon Moss on offense, over 100 yards again, Scourton and Dezz Ricks on defense and Tyler White on special teams.
   
• We won the turnover battle, 3-0. That will win you a lot of football games. We didn’t let the quarterback get comfortable or escape, either. 
   
• I thought we were good in the redzone. Still have to find a way to get more explosive in the passing game. Put together three good drives in the fourth quarter. We punted nine times, but he has six, on or inside the 10. We need to find ways to create space for Terry Bussey. That trophy will stay here for a while so we are excited about that. 
   
• Missouri is a 4-0 football team. I have a lot of respect for Eliah Drinkwitz. They are a top-20 national offense. Brady Cook is extremely talented. He makes a lot more plays with his feet than people give him credit for. Outstanding wide receiver corps. Obviously, Luther Burden III. We are familiar with Theo Wease Jr. They are really good. A ton of experience on the OL. Another big national stage here at Kyle Field.
   
• Marcel Reed has some throw he wishes he had back. Do I think it will get better? Yes. He is still making progress every single week. When we put the film on, we see strides.
   
• Conner Weigman went to “out” from a “game-time” decision before the game. We knew he couldn't throw. He will be another game-time decision this week. We’ll see where it goes.
   
• We didn't have the volume of players in the secondary with experience that you would want going into an SEC season. We were able to go out and pull some kids, and then we had some guys step in at safety. It's easier to find kids when there is our openings.
   
• Jaydon Hill blitzed twice, and no one blocked him. I don't mean to be coy. That’s why he had a high PFF grade.
   
• We don't want those big plays to happen, but at least we were on the same page with how we wanted to execute the coverage. This is no different than when I was here in 2018. We gave up way more explosive plays in 2018 than we did in 2019.
   
• We talk about a couple of things with winning football. Converting third downs and scoring in the redzone. You don't always get it right, but we have been in big games and gotten it right.
   
• We have gotten more press breakups and made more defensive plays... There were fewer busts where people were open, open. There’s been progress. I do think we took positive steps in the right direction. 
   
• We have a lot of trust in Noah Thomas. We have had different opportunities to get him the ball. He continues to just work. He is continuing to get more comfortable in the system. I think it's paying off for him. 
   
• BJ Mayes wanted to be the starting corner. He gets knicked up and doesn't get the reps he wants. Tyreek Chappell gets hurt, so you go to BJ, and he jumps all over it. That has been a huge help for us.
   
• Moss had anxiety early on. He had a bruised shin that calmed down. So, he’s good.
   
• Each team presents different challenges. Missouri has an elite RB. Two other talented receivers outside of Burden. You have to be aware of him. As special of a player as he is, it is a really talented offense, which makes it challenging. 
   
• I think they made a concerted effort to make sure Marcel couldn’t get going in the run game.