COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Following No. 14 Texas A&M’s come-from-behind win over then No. 8 LSU, head coach Mike Elko made a pitch to recruits thinking about joining the Aggies.
"This is a real program. It’s not fake,” Elko said during his post-game press conference following Saturday night’s win. "It’s not a politician running this program, talking fast and BSing everybody. This is a real program and for all the recruits out there, this is a real place."
After trailing 17-7 at halftime, Texas A&M stormed back behind the performance of second-string quarterback Marcel Reed to defeat LSU, 38-23, in a matchup of the last two schools unbeaten in Southeastern Conference standings.
The Aggies improved to 5-0 in the SEC and 7-1 overall and moved up to the No. 10 spot in the AP Poll Rankings.
While Elko was showing his pride in the progress of his team in his first season as head coach, some thought his comments were a subtle dig at his predecessor and former boss, Jimbo Fisher.
Fisher was fired from Texas A&M back in November 2023 after going 6-4 last season. Part of his firing included a $77.5 million buyout which was the largest in college football history.
Two days after the initial comments were made, Elko made it clear that he was not taking shots at Fisher and that he had a lot of respect for the former A&M coach.
"That's not who I am. I've never been that person. It's ridiculous," Elko said. "I want to make sure everybody knows that I wasn't talking to anybody directly."
Fisher took over in Aggieland in 2018, following his resignation from Florida State. In his first year, he led the Aggies to a 9-4 record. They were second in the SEC West and went on to win in the Gator Bowl.
Elko served as Fisher’s defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021 before taking over the head coaching position at Duke for two seasons.
"Elko era, that’s really what’s going on," said BJ Mayes, the Texas A&M nickelback who intercepted LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier twice in the second half. "He’s a no-tolerance type of coach, you feel me?"
Elko has the Aggies in a position to make a run at the SEC Championship Game as they remain undefeated in conference play. They head to Columbia to play South Carolina before returning home to host New Mexico State.
In Monday's news conference, Elko praised South Carolina's team while calling it an "enormous challenge" for the Aggies.
They then head to Auburn for their last SEC game before resuming their rivalry with the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field on Nov. 30.
The Aggies were 45-25 during Fisher’s tenure in College Station. The team never won the SEC West when the conference was still in the two-division configuration.
Fisher’s best season with the Aggies was 2020 when the Aggies’ only loss was to Alabama, the team that eventually won the national championship. Texas A&M would finish that season ranked No. 4. That season, the Aggies beat North Carolina in the Orange Bowl.
Fisher had signed a 10-year contract extension in 2021, which was to take him through the 2031 season in College Station.
