Oct 4, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Mike Elko Is Absolutely Thrilled With This Texas A&M Position Group

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies had high expectations to begin their second year under head coach Mike Elko, but who would have imagined that the team would be ranked in the top five of the AP Top 25 just five games into the season?

The Aggies have put on quite the offensive showing in the 2025 season thus far, with the 31 points they scored against the Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday night only their second-lowest points total through those five games. Even if the scoreboard hasn't accurately depicted their production, the statline sure has.

And if anyone is most appreciative of that offense, it's the team's head coach.

"Yards Are Hard to Come By in This Conference"

In the coach's postgame press conference following the win over the Bulldogs at Kyle Field, Elko harked on the physicality of the Southeastern Conference and how the running game has evolved as the season has gone on, though Elko claims that that part of the offense wasn't at the forefront of the game plan early on in the season.

"People were worried about it (the lack of emphasis on the running game). I wasn't. We weren't unsuccessfully rushing the ball in the beginning of the year. We just weren't really featuring that part of the game for a variety of reasons," the coach said. But this is the second week in a row that in an SEC football game, we were able to get big and physical and pound out yards. And yards are hard to come by running in this conference. There are so many big, athletic bodies."

Elko gave his kudos to the offensive line and the emerging running game for that big, physical style of play, especially running back Rueben Owens, who scampered across the Kyle Field surface for 142 yards Saturday night.

"Our offensive line is doing a really good job. Our backs are doing a really good job," Elko said. "It was awesome to see Rueben go out tonight and have the night that he had, running for 142yards and really carrying the rock the way he did. It was really cool to see. It's a big part of success in this conference, and we've got to continue to do it.”

The Aggies recorded 299 yards of rushing against the Bulldogs, which was more than State's total offensive production the entire night (219), just what Elko wants to see from his team as they navigate through the conference slate.

The Maroon and White will look to continue the elite rushing production when they welcome the Florida Gators to Kyle Field this upcoming Saturday.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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