Press Conference: Ags prepare for battle of SEC unbeatens vs. LSU

No. 14 Texas A&M is riding a six-game heater in as No. 8 LSU heads to Kyle Field. On Monday afternoon, Mike Elko, Dametrious Crownover, Bryce Anderson and Scooby Williams addressed the media with the Aggies vying for sole possession of first place in the SEC.

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

Mike Elko

• Wrapping up, Mississippi State players of the week were Trey Zuhn, Albert Regis and Cashius Howell. Offensive POTW was Jabre Barber. Scooby Williams on defense. Solomon DeShields was our Special Teams POTW. Sometimes, you don't have your best stuff, and you find a way to win. We lost the turnover battle. We still found a way. That is a testament to the grit and toughness of the group. We didn't finish three of the last four drives. Defensively, the first and last drives of the first half were not our best. Our red zone TD efficiency slanted that. Special teams, that was our most solid effort. We are starting to understand the special teams game. We took a big step forward there.
   
• Looking to LSU, it will be a huge challenge. It is a great opportunity. They are a great team. We are a talented team. It will be a lot of fun.
   
• I have a lot of respect for Harold Perkins. They have taken strides in the last two weeks. Sometimes, when your best player goes down, people step up.
   
• Conner Weigman has some plays he wished he had back. The first interception was an inaccurately thrown football. The second interception was late. 
   
• Terry Bussey will be fine this week.
   
• Garrett Nussmeier can make every throw. He is a testament to doing this thing the right way. So many kids jump around. When you jump around, you don't get better...  Learning different offenses. That has prepared him to come in and be their leader. Kyren Lacy is an electric, dynamic receiver. The WR group is so talented.
   
• I thought the 12-team CFP would mean more teams playing more meaningful games. Four-team playoff, you went in prepared on how you were going to get knocked off early and play throughout. Now, you have teams alive. If you lose a game early, your playoff hopes are still in front of you. This game has tremendous playoff implications. 
   
• Scooby Williams has a tremendous personality. We spent a lot of time together during spring and he got to know me a bit more. He has been really good for us this year, which is good to see him make plays.
   
• “Not yet” was the answer when asked for an update on Chase Bistonis’ injury. 
   
• The top 25 rankings are so irrelevant until the playoff rankings come out. It will blow up when those come out.
   
• We are trying to expedite this process for ourselves. We want to take advantage of where we are. A lot of times, on the rise, you have to learn through failure. We are trying not to do that. 
   
• I learned a lot from Brian Kelly. He is a really successful head coach who isn't into the self-promotion business. I have a ton of respect for him, and he gave me the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.
   
• Jayvon Thomas is good. Nic Scourton was sick last week. He was cramping because he was ill.
   
• We talked about filling a hole when Tyreek Chappell went down. I was new to BJ Mayes. Each week, he is getting more and more comfortable. 
   
• I think it is a great matchup. That's what happens in these types of games. You see high-level players on both sides of the ball.
   
• The challenge is the week in and week out in this league. Your ability to make plays and come out on the right end of those plays is everything. It comes down to the fourth quarter. It's SEC football. It’s a challenging road to navigate.
   
• I don't know that we can draw a lot from last year's LSU game, but we have awareness of it. 
   
• I just want Conner to take care of the ball. We trust him, and he should trust himself. We talk a lot about what causes turnovers and where they come from and try to eliminate them as best we can. He has been really good at for the most part.