As "The Voice of the Aggies," Texas A&M play-by-play man Andrew Monaco will be high atop Kyle Field on Saturday night when the Maroon & White "go dark" against No. 8 LSU. During Friday's edition of TexAgs Live, Monaco joined to offer his take on the top-15 matchup.
Key notes from Andrew Monaco interview
- Kyle Field is going to be electric on Saturday. It was cool seeing all the former players tweet about the new uniforms. Connor Choate said he had to change his pants.
- I love what Mike Elko said about wanting to be in these games and win them. We want to keep having games like this and put ourselves in a position to play bigger games. Elko has consistently conveyed the message of having an opportunity every single week.
- There are similarities between LSU's loss to USC and Texas A&M's loss to Notre Dame. Both teams had their whole season ahead of them, and I think both teams proved that.
- The depth of the SEC reinforced what Elko said on Monday. He said that every SEC game is going to be a four-quarter game. Missouri was the outlier. Every game is a four-quarter game, no matter who you are playing. The margin of error is small. There is no way to know which snap will decide the game. A turnover or sack could determine the game.
- When Elko speaks about effort and strain, it means something different to everybody. Le'Veon Moss' and Ar’maj Reed-Adams' strains are different physically, but they all contribute to the execution of a play. I think we are seeing the focus of this team over the course of 60 minutes.
- You could end up playing anybody in the SEC championship game. We were so conditioned to the East and West division format. If you won the SEC West, you thought you would be in the playoffs. This is different. Who would have thought we were wishing Alabama was on our schedule? It is fascinating that we could rematch a team in the SEC Championship or possibly a playoff game.
- We talked to Elko after practice on Thursday. We asked him about talent acquisition. The first question he asks a guy in the portal is, “Why is he in the portal and leaving his current school?” If the answer is just for money or a place to start, they are not on their radar. That eliminates a lot of people. It can't be speed dating. You have to get to know the players that you are bringing in. The culture is different, and Elko quickly gives all the credit to the players.
- When the freshmen pull SRO tickets, the attendance record may be in trouble.
- I will bank on the defensive line having an effect on this game. We are seeing them get better and more dominant. They need to affect Garrett Nussmeier and get him running and out of rhythm.
- Terry Bussey will be back on the field this week.
- Taking care of LSU is the whole thing. That was the message going into the bye week. Keep the focus on what it should be.
