While pre-season hype and early-season winning streaks can provide enough to make a program believe in itself, it doesn’t always guarantee success. In the case of Texas A&M football, first-year coach Mike Elko fell just short of a chance at the Southeastern Conference championship and a win over a storied rival, but he might have still provided a spark the Aggies spent years looking for — and spent millions to achieve.
Time will be the ultimate judge, but the proof is in the pudding. You just have to know where to look.
In terms of statistics, Elko and offensive coordinator Collin Klein have completely revamped the Aggies’ offense. With the help of junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, A&M finished 21st in the country in rushing offense, averaging 199.2 yards per game. A stark contrast to last year’s placement at 90th, only accounting for 136.6 yards per game.
While the offense has seen changes in direction from pass-heavy to a predominantly rushing attack Klein, it hasn’t seen the success it originally hoped for. In comparison to 2023, former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s sixth and final year, the total offensive production has dipped slightly in important categories. The team averaged 406 yards per game last season with 47 total touchdowns, while this season under Elko, they averaged four yards less and scored only 42 touchdowns.
All in all, the 2024 season was a rollercoaster in terms of success.
From a 7-1 record standing atop the SEC at the end of October to looking down at a 1-4 finish in November, A&M truly saw the highs and lows of tough conference play and ultimately could not overcome the challenges.
Coming off of a 7-6 finish in 2023 to 8-4 in 2024, some may argue the coaching changes haven’t been substantial and that a fourth place finish in the conference just isn’t enough — especially when the buyout of the former head coach’s contract was $77.5 million.
But Elko still has a chance to prove himself as the big change he was predicted to be with a bowl game win at the end of this very turbulent and unpredictable season.
The chance for the Aggies to end the year on a high note will come on Friday at 9:30 p.m. when A&M takes on the USC Trojans on unfamiliar ground at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Elko isn’t the only head coach with big questions riding on the bowl game matchup. USC coach Lincoln Riley has faced backlash after starting the season with a big non-conference win over LSU, then finishing the year with a mere 6-6 record and ending up in the bottom half of the Big Ten rankings.
After taking over the job in 2022 following a 4-8 season under former coach Clay Helton, Riley led his squad to 11-3 and 8-5 finishes over the next two seasons — hoping to now avoid the first losing season since his predecessor.
Not everyone will be available for the bout, as junior defensive ends Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, junior defensive tackle Shemar Turner and senior wide receiver Moose Muhammad III opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.
With notable departures on the defense and in the receiving core, the Maroon and White will need top-notch performances from the younger and less experienced Aggies to fill in for the transfers who have departed. The Trojans will be missing 19 of their players due to the transfer portal as well as notable NFL draft prospects redshirt senior offensive lineman Jonah Monheim, senior RB Woody Marks and senior defensive back Jaylin Smith.
USC hasn’t faced A&M in more than 40 years, and the Aggies haven’t traveled this far west since their 2017 opener against UCLA. A small -3.5 point spread in the odds are the only thing separating the two seemingly disconnected programs this bowl season.
