Texas A&M sits sixth in the nation, firmly in the playoff picture as October football heats up. With Mississippi State coming to Kyle Field on Saturday night, the Aggies are poised for another showcase moment under the lights.
The “Black Out” affair has become one of the most anticipated events on the schedule, and this year’s matchup comes with the Aggies building momentum on both sides of the ball.
I caught up with the voice of the Aggies, Andrew Monaco, to talk about the team’s mindset, last week’s dominant defensive effort, and what’s ahead against Mississippi State.
Craig: It just feels like the Aggies are on a collision course with the Longhorns end of November. How does this team remain focused each week for the immediate business at hand?
Monaco: Coach Elko is so good at keeping his teams grounded and focused. As fans, we love looking ahead to juicy matchups, but I believe this team is too experienced to do that. They focus on the next practice, the next game. One of the mantras this season is ‘finish.’ Not just during the fourth quarter on a Saturday, but every rep, every practice period during the week.
Craig: I went back and reviewed what the defense was able to accomplish on third downs last week versus Auburn. It’s truly incredible.
Monaco: Outstanding job by the defense to stop every third-down and fourth-down conversion. You could just see the confidence grow on defense as that game went along. Coach Elko puts an emphasis on getting off the field on 3rd down. They won up front with five sacks. Linebacker Taurean York was everywhere and the secondary muted a couple explosive wide receivers. I’m not sure I’ve seen 0-15 on 3rd and 4th down in an SEC game.
Craig: How awesome is Saturday going to be with another Black Out contest on full display.
Monaco: The ‘black out’ atmosphere last year at Kyle Field vs. LSU was electric. The Aggies script on the helmet looked fantastic. The 12th Man was all in ‘blacking out’ Kyle Field and the players were psyched to wear those uniforms.
Craig: Talk about the matchup on Saturday with Mississippi State.
Monaco: Mike Elko defense vs. Jeff Lebby offense. Mississippi State is playing with confidence on offense, as is Texas A&M’s defense after last week. I am hoping the Aggies can keep humming on offense. A&M really got the running game going last week. It’s a line of scrimmage conference. Can A&M’s line open holes for the run game and give time to Marcel Reed to throw? And can its D Line disrupt Mississippi State’s run game and pass game?
As the Aggies prepare for Saturday’s primetime test, the mantra remains the same, finish every rep, every drive, and every game. At No. 6, their path to December is in front of them.
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