'Lots of Pageantry!' Aggies' Mike Elko Says Playing Night Game at Auburn will Make Big Difference

The Texas A&M Aggies have a tough road test ahead of them against the Auburn Tigers, and as Mike Elko explained it, the stakes are perfectly clear.

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) jumps into the end zone for a touchdown after a catch as Auburn Tigers take on Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas A&M Aggies have two more conference tests to close out their first season under Mike Elko, and one of them comes on the road in a stadium the coach called "iconic."

That, in of itself, will make a tough test for Elko's squad.

"We've played early games over there," the coach said. "The atmosphere was great. There's a lot of pageantry at Auburn. It's a great place to play. It's one of the iconic stadiums in this conference."

Elko's caveat? The other times the Aggies have been there were during the day.

"If I remember right, I think both of (the other times) were a noon or 11 a.m. Central kick," Elko said. "I don't know that that's going to be quite what we're walking into Saturday night as the first-place team in the SEC at 6:30 p.m."

If the Aggies want to head back to College Station still atop the SEC with a chance to take sole possession over the Texas Longhorns, they'll need to avoid making mistakes on the road.

Hugh Freeze is a familiar face for defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and the Tigers are a familiar November foe for the Aggies. The storylines have written themselves, and the stakes are clear.

It's up to Texas A&M to capitalize on the road at one of the SEC's most iconic stadiums.

And that's exactly how it'll treat it.

"This is where we want to be," Elko said. "There's always two hats. From the coaching perspective, of course, this is where I wanted this to go. You work so hard to get it there as fast as you possibly can, and every game you win is awesome, and every game that you lose is miserable."

Whether or not it ends up being a miserable Saturday or an awesome one will be determined Saturday evening at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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