Mike Elko pushes back on reporter after brushing past challenge of UTSA game

Texas A&M opens its 2025 season on Aug. 30 at home against UTSA, a program that has won at least seven games in five consecutive seasons. The Roadrunners are projected to finish fourth in the American Conference this season and return starting quarterback Owen McCown, who passed for 3,424 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season.

The Roadrunners could prove to be a challenge for an Aggie program looking to ease into the brand new season. This is why A&M head coach Mike Elko pushed back against a question which was looking ahead to their Sept. 13 game against Notre Dame this week.

“We certainly don’t care about Notre Dame two weeks away,” Elko said. “I certainly think we have a really challenging opener with a returning quarterback and all those skill kids we talked about and all the talent coming back. So let’s make sure we say that the right way.”

Texas A&M opens season ranked No. 19 in AP Poll

The Mike Elko era at Texas A&M got off to a great start last year following a season-opening loss to eventual College Football Playoff runner-ups Notre Dame, as it won its next seven games (including all five SEC games) to open the season 7-1. The Aggies were the last remaining undefeated team in SEC play until they got drummed at South Carolina 44-20 on Nov. 2.

The blowout loss to the Gamecocks sent A&M and Elko on a bit of a spiral, as it lost three of its final four games (with its lone win being against New Mexico State) to end the season. It almost salvaged the year with a win over USC in the Holiday Bowl, but it surrendered its lead with just under two minutes remaining and was not able to pull off the win.

Expectations however have returned this season for the Aggies to make a push for an SEC conference crown, as they open the season ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll. They could certainly improve this mark prior to their clash with the Fighting Irish with wins over UTSA and Utah State to kick off the 2025 campaign.

Elko wants his team to play the game ‘the right way’ this season

“I think we want the identity of this team to be a team that pours everything they have into each other into playing this game together the right way for Texas A&M University,” Elko said earlier this month. “I think that’s always kind of been the mantra. That shows up in how hard we play, that shows up in how physical we play, that shows up in the consistency of how we do that every single week.”

“That’s kind of been the standard we’ve tried to create within this program from day one. How you instill it is how we live every day. The things that we talk about in every team meetings, it’s the things we illustrate on film for the positive and the negative. It’s the things that we are just constantly trying to pound into the program.

“I worded it to them this way in the first team meeting; I said one of the biggest challenges is that you’re an age group that across the board see thing as challenging and difficult because that’s what teenagers do. The reality is you’re in the elite 1% of your age group in the world and so there’s a certain responsibility that comes with that to put in the work to take advantage of the blessings and opportunities placed upon you.

“I think that’s the mindset we want to have in this program and so it’s a daily process,” Elko concluded. “I think we’re making progress and doing things we want to do.”

Kick-off for A&M’s season opener on Aug. 30 against the Roadrunners is scheduled for 7:00 PM on ESPN.