Mike Elko’s Texas A&M just landed Notre Dame in a critical situation for its Playoff possibility after Week 3. Elko and co. were able to outlast Marcus Freeman’s squad and stay disciplined down the stretch. The Aggies took advantage of several late-game miscues to come away with a 41-40 win in the game’s waning seconds. Elko may have lost his cool on the sideline, but the players respond to the passion he showed. This was arguably Elko’s best win in his Texas A&M career.

TexAgs tweeted a section from the presser on September 13, where Elko was quoted, “Hats off to Notre Dame. That was a heavyweight college football game.  I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.” Was it a consolation prize? No way. Notre Dame football’s offense was stellar. It’s just that Elko’s squad had the last laugh. Irish’s second back, Jadarian Price, became a strong weapon, providing a key change of pace, especially when A&M kept zeroing in on Jeremiyah Love. Their special teams also performed well in front of Elko’s boys. But if Elko thinks that the Fighting Irish were so powerful, what flipped the Aggies’ luck in their favor? The head coach had an answer, “We just kept fighting.”

The game was a shootout with over 50 points combined by both teams in just the first two quarters. Marcel Reed went off for 360 yards, two scores and a pick. He connected with Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard touchdown on fourth-and-11. Meanwhile Mario Craver recorded seven receptions and 207 yards and a touchdown. But it must be known that it is hard to play winning football when you are constantly shooting yourself in the foot. That has been one of the major problems looming in the Texas A&M squad. The Aggies committed 13 penalties, resulting in a loss of 86 yards, a stark contrast to the Fighting Irish’s five for 31 yards.

Mike Elko’s sideline meltdown using a chair

There came a time when Elko wasn’t pleased watching his defense give up a first-quarter touchdown to Notre Dame. Elko voiced his displeasure with his defense. He continued showing his dissatisfaction towards the players, yelling at them. But maybe that was not enough. Elko needed a way to release the anger, and a nearby chair fell prey to the head coach’s rage. “That chair, we’re gonna have to check on,” NBC play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle said in response to Elko’s chair toss move. “Because the well-being doesn’t appear to be super high.” What exactly set Elko off?

We are yet to be certain about the reason. However, his frustration likely mounted after cornerback Dezz Ricks drew a personal foul for shoving Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love well after he had stepped out of bounds. While Elko was yet to catch his breath, a play later, CJ Carr connected on a 47-yard strike that placed the Irish at A&M’s 4-yard line, paving the way for the touchdown that capped the drive. Keeping the sideline antics aside, what strategy worked for the Aggies to seal a victory over Notre Dame?

Mike Elko followed the mantra of respecting their rivals. In the pre-game conference, the head coach refused to take Marcus Freeman’s squad lightly. The Texas A&M head coach said, “You know, obviously, the schemes are similar. You know, I think, you know, 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. And so, that’s always an exciting chess match when you go into a game like that.” That’s how Aggies sealed their first non-conference road win vs. a top-10 ranked team since 1979.