No. 6 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0) will head back to Kyle Field for the second primetime matchup of the season, this time, hosting a Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC) team that is a surprising 4-1 after falling to Tennessee 41-34 in overtime, while the Aggies are coming off Saturday’s 16-10 win over the Auburn Tigers, led by an elite defensive performance by the Maroon & White.
Throughout the week, this matchup has been widely seen as a potential trap game due to the Bulldogs’ offensive efficiency and recent success. Still, now knowing that Texas A&M can play both elite offense and defense, coupled with this being the Aggies’ first blackout game of the season, it is expected that Kyle Field will be sold out for the second consecutive weekend.
However, coach Mike Elko knows that this will be one of the most challenging games of the season thus far, given that last season’s Mississippi State team, which challenged the Aggies on the road, is even better, especially with the return of quarterback Blake Shapen.
On Wednesday, during the weekly SEC Teleconference, both Elko and Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby spoke to the media about the upcoming matchup. Here’s what both coaches had to say.
Jeff Lebby on facing former Mississippi State WR Mario Craver
“‘Rio’ has had a ton of production for those guys this year. For us, defensively, we’ve got to do a good job of tackling and preventing him from making plays in space.”
Jeffy Lebby on facing the No. 6-ranked team on the road
“For us, our guys have responded the right way. We’ve had a great week of practice and a big opportunity in front of us, and we’re excited about it.”
Mike Elko on getting off to a 1-0 start in SEC play
“Excited for the win last week. It was great to get in SEC play and get off to a good start, 1-0.”
Mike Elko on Texas A&M’s veteran secondary
“They’re really talented players. They’re great kids. They have a tremendous work ethic. We’ve talked an awful lot about what happened last year, but it wasn’t all on the kids.”
“We believe in those guys and what they were doing. It was great to see them on Saturday go out and play, and now we need to get consistent.”
Mike Elko on preparing to face Mississippi State’s spread offense
“Their spread offense is something I’ve compared it a lot this week to the modern version of the triple option.
“They spread you sideline to sideline… It’s a challenge. They force you to cover the whole field, vertically and horizontally.”
Mike Elko on facing Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen
“He’s an extremely talented kid. He has a really good feel for that system.”
“He’s extremely accurate, which is what you need to be in the RPO system. He’s playing like a seasoned veteran who is very, very comfortable.”
Mike Elko on Mississippi State’s offense in Year 2 under Jeff Lebby
“It’s year two in a system, and that always creates a lot of confidence and the ability to play a lot faster.”
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko, Jeff Lebby said ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State
