Texas A&M fell to USC, 35-31, in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Friday and to say head coach Mike Elko was disappointed with his team’s defensive performance would be an understatement.
Late in the third quarter, the Aggies held a 24-7 lead but that’s when the wheels came off. They allowed 28 points over the final 18:42 of the game, including a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a USC touchdown with just eight seconds remaining.
In all, they surrendered 400 yards of total offense with the Trojans converting on nearly 50 percent of their third-down attempts.
Following the game, Elko expressed an optimism about next season. Asked why he felt that way after such a heartbreaking loss, his answer was blunt.
“I won’t have to watch this defense play like this ever again,” he said, via Carter Karels of GigEm247.
Specifically, Elko was frustrated with his secondary. They surrendered seven passing plays of 15 yards or more and two of 33 yards or more. Six of the combined nine came in the second half.
“I think the story of the game is the story of our season. We can’t cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team and so that’s my fault,” he said, via KBTX3. “We have no concept of space. We have no concept of zone coverage, no concept of what we’re doing. So, we have to play man-to-man all the time.”
Texas A&M finished the 2024 season 91st in passing yards allowed per game (232.2). USC nearly topped 300 on Friday.
Elko vowed to fix that problem ahead of the 2025 season, whether that means recruiting new talent or working more carefully with returning players.
