Texas A&M Coach Mike Elko Warns Aggies Not to Overlook South Carolina: “He Absolutely Lit Us Up Last Year”
When South Carolina football (3–6, 1–6 SEC) heads to College Station this Saturday to face No. 3 Texas A&M (9–0, 6–0), most expect a comfortable Aggie win. The game kicks off at noon Eastern at Kyle Field, with ESPN handling the broadcast and streaming available on the ESPN app.
But while fans and oddsmakers see this matchup as one-sided, A&M head coach Mike Elko is taking nothing for granted — especially after what happened the last time these two teams met.
In 2024, South Carolina stunned the Aggies, thrashing the then-No. 10 team 44–20 to capture the Battle for the Bonham Trophy. That game wasn’t even close, and much of the damage came from one man — quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
Sellers delivered a masterclass performance, piling up 350 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, while shaking off multiple sacks, bulldozing defenders, and dropping pinpoint throws all over the field. His breakout effort earned him National Player of the Week honors and left a lasting impression on Elko.
This week, the A&M coach made it clear that he hasn’t forgotten.
“I see the same big, physical, athletic kid that ran all over us and threw all over us last year,” Elko said Monday. “I see the same kid, and so our kids better see the same kid, because he absolutely lit us up last year.”
Although this year’s Gamecocks haven’t found the same rhythm, Elko knows better than to overlook them. South Carolina entered last season’s meeting as heavy underdogs too — only to outperform expectations by nearly 30 points.
“It’s the same team that beat us by 25 points — or whatever it was — last year and really embarrassed us up and down the field,” Elko recalled.
That 2024 upset was sealed by a dominant second half in which South Carolina outscored the Aggies 24–0, leaving Texas A&M reeling.
Now, with BetMGM listing A&M as a 19.5-point favorite, Elko is warning his players not to underestimate a South Carolina team that’s shown before how quickly things can turn when LaNorris Sellers catches fire.
