Everything Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said before facing Notre Dame football

Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator and current Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is making his return to South Bend this weekend. Elko was the Fighting Irish defensive coordinator for one season in 2017. Much of his coaching career has been spent in College Station since then both as a DC and now a second-year head coach.

Here’s everything Elko said in his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s matchup between the No. 8 Irish (0-1) and his No. 17 Aggies (0-2).

Opening statement

“Recapping Utah State first. I thought when we went back and watched the film, I definitely think you saw us moving in the right direction. There was clearly progress from week one to week two on both sides of the ball. I thought we established the run game a lot better on offense. I thought we were more efficient throughout drives. We had much more success from drive to drive than we did in Week 1. We were able to continue to create explosives in the passing game a different kind of way, pushing the ball a little bit more down the field, which was good to see.

“Defensively, we were efficient on 10-of-13 drives, and that’s obviously a good number. Obviously, the two drives that you give up, you’re going to be very critical of the mistakes that were made and do things that you got to do to try to get them cleaned up. But I thought by and large, we took positive steps forward defensively. We were really good on third down through the majority of the game, which was another area that we certainly wanted to improve and get better at. In special teams, we hit two big returns again in the kickoff return game.

“I thought we took strides across the board. From a Player-of-the-week standpoint, Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week was Nane Boadi-Owusu. Offensive Scout team was Carter Baugh. Special teams was Layne Gerke. So, happy for those guys.

“Our Offensive Lineman of the week was Mark Nabou. I thought that was his most complete game, played three different positions over the course of the game and really added a lot of toughness and firmness in there. Defensive Lineman of the week was T.J. Searcy. I thought he did a really good job in the run game, physically holding the point of attack, which was important for us.

“Then our players of the game, offensively was Marcel Reed. Again, another day where he had over 300 yards combined total offense, accounted for another four touchdowns, didn’t turn the football over, so we were really happy with the way he played. Defensively, Cashius Howell, who was also the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Again, we hit on three sacks in one game is really impressive. Three sacks in one drive is even more impressive. Consecutive plays is even another level. Then Special Teams Player of the Week was Terry Bussey for the job that he did returning kicks.

“Excited for where we are, and now, obviously, turn our attention to the challenge that we’ve been waiting for, an opportunity to go on the road and play a really, really good Notre Dame team up in South Bend. We’re excited for the opportunity, excited for the stage, and certainly looking forward to a great week of preparation and getting on the road. Then before you guys ask, we’ll be fine injury-wise, Marcel will be fine. That’s where we’re at.”

On if he’s ever coached a player like Rudy from Notre Dame who he wishes he could put his heart in another player’s body (like the line in the movie)

“Oh, gosh, yeah. From the places I’ve been, we’ve had a lot of them over the years. Just the blue collar kid who maybe doesn’t have the God-given athleticism but gets every ounce of energy out of who he is. I’d be remiss if I started running off names and forget some. But from Bowling Green to Wake Forest, we were a team built on those types of guys. And so, yeah, there’s been a lot of those over my time in coaching, for sure.”

On this Notre Dame team vs. the one A&M played a year ago

“Obviously, I think the schemes are similar. I think they’re pretty well entrenched in who they are and what they do. We’re pretty well entrenched in who we are and what we do. That’s always an exciting chess match when you go into a game like that and you know the other team. I think last year there was a lot more unknown. It was Coach Denbrock’s first game there as an OC, and we didn’t know exactly what it would all look like. It was our first game as a staff. I think there’s a little bit more of that chess match that will go on, and that’s always interesting. I think that’s where it starts.”

On how big this Notre Dame game is for A&M

“Yeah. I mean, it’d be naive to not think that our kids understand the magnitude of a top 10 matchup on the road, going to play a top 10 opponent on the road. So from that perspective, obviously, this is a big opportunity. How big is it relative to this season? It’s as big as every game we play because win or lose, there’s going to be more to play. And regardless of outcome, the next one is going to be just as important, and so is the next one. So from that perspective, I don’t see it different. But from the standpoint of, is this a big stage, big opportunity, prime time? Yeah, for sure. It’d be naive to say it isn’t.”

On if there was a physical transformation for A&M wide receiver Mario Craver

“Yeah, a little bit. I think he’s certainly trained at on a more consistent level. And part of that is just his maturity, going from being a true freshman, which he was last year, to now understanding — again, we talked a lot about with Marcel, but very similar for him, too — I think he took a pounding as a true freshman in the SEC and I think has done some things to physically improve his body to put a little bit more strength and weight on there. I think he still has got areas to grow and improve for sure. But yeah, I would think he has put some good weight on and looks better than he did when he got here, I think for sure.

On the Notre Dame secondary

“Yeah, it’s one of the most talented groups in the country for sure. Leonard Moore is a kid that we were very familiar with. We tried really hard to get him at Duke and wound up choosing Notre Dame. Obviously, had a really good true freshman year for them last year. Christian Gray is the kid on the other side who we played against last year and is another really talented corner. They play a lot of man coverage. They play it really, really well because they have really talented players there.

On this Notre Dame game being scheduled way back in 2014 and wait scheduling so for out in advance means in college football

“I don’t know as a coach if it means a whole lot, to be honest with you. I think these matchups are really good for us. They’re good opportunities to get on big stages early in the year. I enjoy these matchups. I enjoyed the Clemson matchup back in ’18 and ’19 when I was here. We were part of that. I don’t know how much it helps you as a coach to have them on. I have no idea who we play four years from now. So it’s not like that gives me any excitement or anything like that, but I think they’re great for the fans. And, obviously, in order to get these types of matchups, you’ve got to schedule them very far out in advance. So we will hopefully continue to do that as we move forward.”

On how much college football has changed since A&M scheduled Notre Dame over 10 years ago

“For sure. The irony of it all is Chad Klunder, who is our Chief of Staff here, was the Chief of Staff at Notre Dame that scheduled the game. Yeah, a lot changes in life in that amount of time, from the time the game is scheduled to the time the game actually gets played.”

On the emotions of returning to Notre Dame, where he was the defensive coordinator in 2017

“Yeah. I think in the role that I’m in, given the magnitude of the game, I don’t know how much I’m thinking or contemplating that. Obviously, the roster is different. There’s not a lot of player carry-over. I think for me, obviously, I have a ton of respect for the program, the tradition, the history that is Notre Dame. Had a great year when I was there last time, and it’ll be exciting to go back for sure, but I don’t know that the nostalgia is going to be there.”

On the A&M run defense improving from Week 1 to Week 2

“I just think we were a little bit more firm and sound in what we were doing. I thought we tackled better. I think they created some misdirection trickery that was creative. They hit some triple option, some different triple option looks, and I thought those gave us a little bit of trouble, and we adjusted well to them. I just thought we looked a little bit more solid and firm in how we played and how we tackled.”

On A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion

“I think he’s got a tremendous work ethic. I really enjoy the way he competes day in and day out. That really showed itself through the offseason as well. There’s a maturity about him that I really like. He wants to be great. That shows every day, which is a really cool characteristic in a kid. I think he’s a kid that rises to moments. His first time in Kyle Field, his first big opportunities. I know this is going to be his first big game for us, and so we’re excited to see him and see him go out there Saturday.”

On the extra emotions of playing Texas A&M

“Yeah, I think that’s where hopefully, some of the stages and some of the opportunities that we were on last year helped. Some of the success that we had beating top 10 teams, some of the failures that we had losing some of those games. I think those were all opportunities for us to learn and grow. I think the more you get into these opportunities, you understand the level of emotion that comes into these games.

“It’s certainly going to feel different running out of the tunnel Saturday night than it does on an average normal game when you’re not playing the team as highly thought of as these guys are. I think it’s going to feel different, but learning how to handle those emotions, hopefully, what we went through last year will help.”

On Texas A&M being labeled D-Line University (Cashius Howell and Myles Garrett both had back-to-back-to-back sacks this weekend)

“We’ve had a really, really good run. I don’t know if I would call us D-Line University, but we’ve had a really good run. I think, Myles left right before I got here as a defensive coordinator. I think we’ve talked about this before, but since I’ve been here in 2018, we’ve had more defensive lineman drafted than any other team in the SEC. When you look from Von Miller to Myles to what [Nnamdi] Madubuike is doing, Bobby Brown had a good game in Carolina on Saturday. We’ve got a lot of guys making a lot of plays. And so, yeah, it’s really cool to see all those guys put on for Texas A&M.”

On the Notre Dame defense under Chris Ash compared to what it was under Al Golden

“Yeah, I think you’re doing what a smart coordinator would do. There’s a system in place that they’ve played really well and been really successful at. You see a large part of that still in place. But Chris has obviously been a very successful defensive coordinator in his own right for a very long time. I think you see some of the wrinkles that are his or maybe more the staples of a Chris Ash defense showing themselves, too. I’m sure they’ll continue to try to find the right blend as they move forward based on what they think they need to do to be successful to stop people.

On assessing who Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is after one start

“Yeah. I mean, he’s a really talented kid. I think he’s got a big arm. I think you saw that in the spring game. You saw that on his high school tape. Obviously, him making his first start on the road down at Miami, those are always challenging situations for a young quarterback. And so I’m sure he’ll make tremendous growth coming out that experience now knowing what the emotions of all of that feel like. He played well. He made a lot of plays. I’m sure he’s going to have plans and hopes to make a lot more Saturday night.

On if A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn is ready to go for Saturday

“Yeah.”

On if Notre Dame Stadium is similar or different to an SEC venue

“I think it’s different. I don’t know if it plays different. But the thing I’ve always said to people about Notre Dame is you can just feel the history and tradition, from Touchdown Jesus to just the feel in and around the stadium. You feel tradition, you feel history, you feel what that program has meant for so long to college football. And then obviously, they’ve done a really good job with some of the recent renovations to create the modern feel to it as well. And so it’s a cool place. I think it’s a really unique place. It’ll be a great atmosphere.”

On A&M’s struggles on the road and the tweaks the Aggies are making to rectify them

“Yeah, we talked about that a lot last year. I think our travel schedule is a lot different than what it has been in the recent past, at least. I don’t know how much that impacts or doesn’t impact it. I think when you decide to join the SEC and play on the road, you play in some really hard venues. I think we’ve played in some out-of-conference venues that have been really challenging, going back to my time as a defensive coordinator, certainly this one as well. I think that leads to maybe some of the struggles. But obviously for us to take the next step as a program, that’s the next hurdle that we have to get over. We got over the winning on the road last year. Now we got to get over the winning at night on the road against a top 10 team. That’s the next hurdle for us to clear.

On A&M having two games before playing Notre Dame this year

“All that stuff is even. I think had it been our first game and their fifth game, it’d be a difference. But last year was our first, it was their first. This year, it’s our third, it’s their second coming off of a bye week. All that stuff is what it is.

“I think maybe just in terms of the overall quality of football that gets played, maybe having a few games under both of our belts will make it a higher quality game. But I thought last year’s game was a really high quality football game. Two really good teams making a lot of plays against each other, and expect this to be very similar.”

On Notre Dame’s running backs, in particular Jeremiyah Love

“I think it’s as talented a duo as I’ve played against. I was actually talking about this, that the only thing that I can remember in the ballpark was when I was actually at Notre Dame, and we played Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, and that group was really talented. But these two kids are really, really good. Their athleticism for their size, the way they hit the hole, the power with which they run, they’re both effective pass catchers. These two kids are really talented football players.

On if he regretted not playing Marcel Reed against Notre Dame last year and if it factored into bringing him in against LSU later in the year

“Nope.”

On Reed’s development

“Again, I think we’ve spoken about this a lot. I don’t know that I have anything new to add to it. I think he’s really matured as a passer. I think he has matured in his understanding of offense and what it all looks like. I think he’s got a better feel and rhythm for the passing game. He’s had a really good first two games. Obviously, the quality of opposition is about to ramp up really, really high. I know he’s looking forward and excited for the challenge.

More on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and his low usage at Miami

“Yeah, I’d imagine he’ll be a pretty big feature of what they’re going to do Saturday night. That’d be my guess.”

On if he’s comfortable calling the A&M defense while simultaneously being the head coach

“Yeah, I think so. I think I’ve, at times, over my head coach career, done it, so I don’t think it was completely new to me. Yeah, I think it’s a little different for sure, but I got a lot of help, a lot of support. I’ve got a great staff, and I think that takes a lot of the pressure off of what I have to do.”

On the proposed single-window, 10-day transfer portal period

“I think it’s a phenomenal idea. I think the fact that we are going to do it at the end of one season before the start of another one is a really great idea. I’m not sure where the idea of not doing it that way came from. That never seemed real intelligent to me. I like free agency before the season starts, and then we can start preparing with the team that we have. Yeah, I think hopefully it goes through, and I think it’ll be best for everybody. I think it’s really challenging. The thing that I think, obviously, we’re all for players having the opportunities that they need to have, but I think the thing that’s going to make it really challenging is when you talk about revenue sharing, you’re basically talking about cap management and managing cap with two open free agent windows, one later after the first one. I just don’t know how financially people can manage a cap with that system with two different windows, and so I think it’ll be really helpful.

On if he has any food recommendations for South Bend

“Somebody asked me that at the radio show last week, and there’s a pizza place. I don’t know if it’s still there, that I always thought was really good. It was a New Jersey-style pizzeria, but it was over in Granger by where we lived. Outside of that, I’m not a foodie, so there are probably some really good foodie places, but we were kind of more bars and burgers.”