'Face It Head-On!' Despite Loss, Aggies Proving Leadership Matters

The Texas A&M Aggies fell short against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Week 1, but they're ready to turn the page and trust in their leadership to continue working toward the same end goal.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies coach Mike Elko high fives players as they exit the field during the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Elko knows how it looks.

He knows that throwing Conner Weigman out against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, only for him to barely breach 100 passing yards with a pair of interceptions, seems like it was a bad idea.

It's ironic. Before the first snap, there wasn't a single Texas A&M Aggie who didn't expect Weigman to be the starter, yet after one game, some of them are calling for his job.

Elko's squad, however, doesn't care about what "they're" saying.

A few days following his team's loss to the Irish, he made that crystalline.

“We have a memory bank of reps," the coach said in response to a reporter asking about the decision to keep Weigman in for the duration of the game. "You and the fans have seen 70.”

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / maria lysaker-usa today sports

What Weigman showed the Aggies in practice — and last season, for that matter — was enough to land him the starting job. What he showed on Saturday was far from enough to warrant a change.

Especially not when his teammates rally behind him.

“Conner (Weigman) is super smart," Aggies safety Marcus Ratcliffe said. "He’s probably the smartest quarterback I’ve ever played with. … If he does his thing, this is going to be a good season for him.”

“Football is an 11-man game," he added. "It was just little mistakes from one player on each explosive play.”

Trey Zuhn III, one of Texas A&M's captains, took the time to compliment his quarterback immediately after his disastrous performance. Him speaking that day was the right move. It showed that the Aggies were willing to send out their leaders to face the inevitable wrath of the media.

Two days later, Ratcliffe did the same.

So did Weigman. And he took full accountability.

"There’s no excuse for the way I played,” the quarterback said. "I told my teammates this morning that I have to be better. ... I’ll be the first to tell you that I didn’t play well."

Seeing Weigman at the podium was a slight surprise. After all, the chances of him being asked solely about McNeese State were infinitesimal.

If he took the stand, he was going to have to address his poor performance. Multiple times. He accepted that.

"I won’t back down from anything," he said. "I’ll face it head-on."

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. / maria lysaker-usa today sports

With a new coach, the Aggies knew they were facing an uphill battle. As much preparation as they had over the offseason, there were certain to be growing pains before they could resemble a real College Football Playoff contender.

The biggest adversary of those pains? Strong leadership.

Ratcliffe, Weigman, Zuhn, Taurean York and Elko all showed that with their media appearances. They understand the circumstances, yet they aren't deterred.

Weigman, especially.

"I feel like I've been a leader in that locker room and everyone looks to me," Weigman explained, "and I take that with a sense of pride and ... responsibility. I don't let one game define who I am as a person. I don't let one game define who I am as a player."

So, with the game behind them — the sun risen, as the quarterback put it — the Aggies now flip the page to McNeese. They're no longer ranked and the expectations have been significantly lowered, but the goal of their season remains.

And Elko remains confident. In both his team's on-field capabilities and its leadership.

“If 150 people in our organization all look in the mirror and see the areas they can improve," he began, "we’ll be on the course we want to be on. If 150 people point the finger, then we’ll see no progress.”

"Just like last week, it’s going to be about us and playing to our standard.”