Texas A&M Aggies Look To Regroup During Bye Week

The Texas A&M Aggies have a chance to rest up after a disappointing loss.

Nov 2, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Texas A&M Aggies' bye week couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

After winning their past seven games, the Aggies fell to the South Carolina Gamecocks in a humbling 44-20 loss on the road. The defense, which had been so good all season, couldn't make the necessary stops, and the offense both started slow and fizzled out late.

If there's any silver lining, it's that the Aggies now have a week to rest up and regroup before returning to action.

"I think you're at that point in the season where the wear and tear and the physical pounding is something that's real," head coach Mike Elko said Monday. "Getting our guys back so that we can finish fresh and strong down the stretch is going to be important. Obviously, making sure we understand that we've got to stay sharp through the bye week. I think we didn't do a great job at that against Mississippi State. I thought we started really slow and poor against Mississippi State.

"And so I think understanding the focus and detail in staying sharp through the bye week is going to be really stressed and emphasized this week. And I think the kids, obviously, are going to be hungry to get back to work and get better. And so I think that will certainly help, too."

It will be nice to rest up, but how the Aggies' respond to adversity will be the true test. As one would expect, Elko wants to hammer that message home during the bye.

"I want a program that hates losing. I want a program that knows how to respond to losing for sure," Elko said. "That's a big piece of it is learning how to respond. But we've got to get to a point around here where, and this is what I said to the guys in the locker room post-game, where we can fix problems through victory so that before they jump up and caught... You don't want to be the program that has to lose to then be able to identify all of the issues that are growing to then fix them.

"I think maybe to some degree, that got us on Saturday. Some of the things that we've been trying to get corrected, corrected, corrected, that we couldn't and didn't do a good enough job at, and they bite you, and then you lose. And so certainly at that point, you get the kids attention a lot more. But we want to grow to be a program that doesn't have to do that. I'd prefer to keep winning."

Following the bye: the Aggies have games against New Mexico State, Auburn, and the big one, the regular season finale against rival Texas. At least within the program, Elko and co. believe all their goals are still in front of them.

"I would imagine that if we win our next three games and everything will take care of itself," Elko said. "I'd be shocked if it didn't."

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