Margin of Error 'Out the Window,' Aggies Spending Bye Week Learning to Respond

The Texas A&M Aggies lost the one game they had to give, and now sit tied for first place in the SEC entering the bye week, where they'll spend time figuring out how to bounce back.

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko watches the replay in the third quarter against the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The first thing the Texas A&M Aggies focused on in their weekly film session following a second-half collapse against the South Carolina Gamecocks was their tackling.

Facing a "tight end" in build — an apt description by Mike Elko of Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers — proved difficult for Jay Bateman's defensive front. As a result, South Carolina ran all over its visitors and the Aggies simply couldn't respond.

Now, that becomes the focus of a week without a game. Over the bye week, Texas A&M is spending its time learning how best to do so.

"The nature of the sport that we play is you have to learn to have it go not the way you want it to," Elko explained during the SEC's weekly coaches teleconference. "There are times it doesn't go the way you envision it, and you have to find a way to respond."

For Elko and company, that means handling business next Saturday when New Mexico State comes to town. After that, it means heading to Auburn and adding another SEC victory.

Then, it means preparing for an end-of-season showdown against the Texas Longhorns — all while remaining perfect. That's a hard ask as is, but the stipulation that worsens the situation is that being "perfect" for the remainder of the season isn't just a standard the Aggies set for themselves.

It's a requirement.

"(Our) margin for error is out the window at this point," Elko said of the Aggies' chances at cracking the College Football Playoff, "but that's OK. I think the margin for error is out the window for everybody when you get to this point in the season.

"It's about taking it one game at a time and giving ourselves a chance."

Tackling sits atop that list. Getting back to the fundamentals that have carried the Aggies as far as they've gone so far will be especially important when facing a few teams that on paper, aren't as strong as them.

Rallying around a quarterback will also play a role in their success. Marcel Reed is expected to be the starter, and after he struggled against the Gamecocks, it could be him who benefits the most from a week-long reset.

But this week stems far beyond just Reed.

"What we're trying to do this week is create some balance," Elko said, "between staying fresh, staying sharp and getting the guys who have played a lot of football the rest they need."

As much as Elko preaches it, the players understand it. There isn't any room for error the rest of the way, but that's a challenge the Aggies are prepared for.

And one they're excited for, too.

"We still have a lot of ball left." Aggies linebacker Taurean York said after losing to South Carolina. "We are on to the bye week.”

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