🏈 🔵 Why Mike Elko Will Make Texas A&M Elite
Michigan outlasts Ohio State for third-consecutive rivalry victory, Jayden Daniels cements his position as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and the Aggies find their future leader in Duke's Mike Elko.
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Dudes of the Week
Drake Stoops | Wide Receiver, Oklahoma
Former Oklahoma legendary figurehead Bob Stoops’ son finished his career in crimson and creme with a senior day to remember, touting 12 catches for 125 yards and one touchdown in a 69-45 rout over TCU.
The wide receiver and Norman native played six years for the Sooners but exploded during his last campaign for 880 total receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, and an 11.3 yards-per-catch clip.
“You want to have a whole locker room full of guys like that,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said on Stoops’ leadership, production, and work ethic earlier this month.
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Kaytron Allen | Running Back, Penn State
For the first time throughout the 12-game campaign, Penn State held claim to an individual 100-yard rusher, with Kaytron Allen resulting as James Franklin’s bell-cow option.
While co-anchor Nick Singleton joined the milestone club later in the matchup, Allen eclipsed the mark on just 15 carries. The IMG Academy product raced for 137 yards for 9.1 yards per carry against Michigan State’s second level.
The Nittany Lions exploded for a season-high 586 total yards, largely due to Singelton and Allen’s role in leading the rushing attack to 283 yards, respectively.
Jayden Daniels | Quarterback, LSU
The LSU gunslinger continued to surmount his Heisman Trophy campaign in a fitting end to his tenure in Baton Rogue, displaying prowess over Texas A&M with his arm and legs.
Daniels completed nearly 67% of his throws for 235 yards and four scores, helping the Tigers post 21 fourth-quarter points to outlast the Aggies 42-30 in Death Valley.
Additionally, Daniels accumulated 120 yards rushing on just 11 scrambles, establishing himself as the SEC’s most formidable dual-threat option.
Quote of the Weekend
Roman Wilson | Wide Receiver, Michigan
“I told the receivers the whole week you've got guys [on Ohio State] who want to put on the Louis [Vuitton], the $1,000 outfit, that want to act hard, but when they're out there, they're not hard.”
Without Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh’s sideline guidance, the Wolverines knocked off bitter rival Ohio State 30-24 for their third consecutive series victory.
Despite being outgained 378 to 338 offensively, Sherrone Moore’s attack with 3-for-3 on fourth down conversions and axed the Buckeyes in the time-of-possession battle with nearly 34 minutes of offense under quarterback JJ McCarthy’s leadership.
The unit’s top wide receiver, Roman Wilson, secured just three catches for 36 yards, but a 22-yard touchdown reception on a rope from McCarthy helped Michigan establish a 14-3 lead in the second frame.
Wilson, who likely took a shot at Marvin Harrison Jr. with the quote, didn’t individually outplay the future top-15 NFL Draft selection. However, his squad limited mistakes, winning the turnover battle 2-to-0, en route to the historic triumph in Michigan Stadium.
Sleeper of the Weekend
Kentucky
The Wildcats entered the battle for the Governor’s Cup with a 6-5 record after beginning the campaign on a hot, 5-0 start behind Ray Davis’ generational 280-yard ground showing against Florida.
However, Mark Stoops’ squad dropped five of its last six matchups and entered the bitter in-state bout as double-digit underdogs to a Jack Plummer-led Louisville squad on the road.
Louisville secured a 10-7 lead at the break, but transfer signal-caller Devin Leary’s leadership propelled the upset-minded group past the ACC Championship bid-earning unit, compiling 206 yards through the air and three touchdowns compared to only one interception.
This Weekend’s Top Hire
Mike Elko | New Head Coach, Texas A&M
Despite rumblings late Saturday evening that Texas A&M would eventually announce Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops as its next program leader, reports were eventually debunked by ESPN’s Pete Thamel after backlash and Stoops’ reaffirmed commitment to being in Lexington.
But, less than 24 hours, the Aggies finally named Jimbo Fisher’s replacement, making Duke’s Mike Elko the program’s 28th head coach.
Elko headed Texas A&M’s stout defense from 2018 to 2021 after leading the same crew with Notre Dame a year prior to his initial arrival in College Station. Soon after, the New Jersey native tallied a 16-9 record with the Blue Devils, picking up ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2022.
In August, I had the pleasure of hosting Elko on my “Next Up” Podcast, where he discussed working with large brands under Brian Kelly and Jimbo Fisher.
Now, in Fisher’s absence, Elko possesses the ability to head one of college football’s wealthiest programs with more NIL abundance than nearly all other Power Five units.
Given Elko’s short, successful stint at Duke driven by stout defense and timely offensive outputs, the sharp football mind should be able to win almost immediately at Texas A&M with generational resources to boot.
Stat You Probably Didn’t Know
Alabama’s 4th-and-31, go-ahead conversion to outlast Auburn now stands as the second-longest successful fourth-down try in college football history.
The play outlasted Arkansas’ 4th-and-25 converted attempt in 2015 but resides just behind Kentucky’s 4th-and-41 try in 1965, which it secured over Ole Miss.
The 31-yard strike from quarterback Jalen Milroe to Isaiah Bond helped keep the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes alive with the SEC Championship against No. 1 Georgia hanging in the balance.
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Shoutout to Connor Krause for helping to write this newsletter and putting it together!
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