In his second year with the Aggies, Mike Elko has set the standard. Both the offense and defense have made their mark. While the defense has been very good, holding SEC opponents to just 2-of-33 on third-down conversions over the last 3 games, the offense ranks 13th nationally with 464.3 yards per game. And now, their recent win over Arkansas fulfilled a dream the program hadn’t seen in 31 years. That’s why A&M head coach Elko’s wife, Michelle, couldn’t help but show her pride in a unique way.

With the 45-42 win over Arkansas, Texas A&M made history. For the first time since 1994, the team opened the season with seven straight wins. While the unbeaten 7-0 SEC squad celebrated this milestone, Michelle Elko didn’t waste any time expressing that excitement in her style. She shared on her story, “Homecoming Mama… But Proud Aggie Wife?!!” and flaunted a chain with a pendant that read, “ELKOERA.” And the reason is very simple. Elko has compiled a 14-5 overall record in his two years with the team. But this is not the first time Elko’s wife has experienced the thrill of victory.

Before 2023, Elko spent four seasons with the Aggies as the DC and safeties coach under Jimbo Fisher. During that time, Elko helped lead the Aggies to four consecutive bowl games. Then, in November 2023, when he was named Texas A&M’s HC and returned, Mike Elko’s wife said Texas A&M “feels like home” to their family. Now, with her homecoming sentiment amplified by A&M’s only unbeaten record in the SEC, the team’s strong performance has made it possible.

QB Marcel Reed led the ground attack with 55 yards on 6 carries. And following his stunning performance, Aggie Sports 365 posted, ” Marcel Reed played incredible ball tonight! He finished with 335 total yards, 4 total TD’s, and no turnovers! What a huge game from QB1 when we needed it the most.” Then EJ Smith also added 52 yards on 7 attempts. To cap it off, the versatile duo of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion combined for 27 yards. But that’s not all, as redshirt senior RB Amari Daniels contributed 4 yards on a single carry, while freshman Jamaron Morrow sparked the run game with a 21-yard burst.

And if not for a late holding penalty that wiped out Reed’s 57-yard TD run, the Aggies likely would’ve surpassed 300 rushing yards. And the most intriguing fact is that “Texas A&M survives a chaotic week that saw 4 top 10 teams lose and 5 undefeated teams lose,” according to a Texas A&M basketball analyst. Now, while A&M remains unbeaten, the challenge of keeping that winning streak alive is high. Here, Mike Elko sent a message to his defense.

Mike Elko’s take on his team

Texas A&M escaped with the win, but it was far from flawless. Facing Bobby Petrino and his squad, the Aggies struggled to contain the Razorbacks late in the 4th quarter. While QB Taylen Green made things difficult with his dynamic scrambles, WR O’Mega Blake racked up 7 catches and a TD. Here, due to some sloppy mistakes, Mike Elko’s message was strict but fair.

“Defensively, we picked a really, really bad time to have a bad game,” he said bluntly. Then he didn’t sugarcoat their struggles, saying, “We didn’t play anywhere near the standard of Texas A&M football, ever, at any point.” Even with halftime adjustments, he noted the team’s early mistakes. “In the second half, we played cleaner. I don’t think we had the massive busts. In the first half, I thought we handed them a lot. We were not very good,” added Elko.

Finally, Elko reminded everyone that, road or home, every game will be a test. “It doesn’t matter where we play this game. This is how it’s going to go,” he said. Looking ahead, the team’s main focus is on maintaining its unbeaten status.