Fresh off a thrilling last-second road win over then-No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Texas A&M is riding a wave of momentum—but head coach Mike Elko is challenging Aggie fans to do the same.

“You love Texas A&M football, so get excited,” Elko told the Houston Touchdown Club. “Stop being scared and get excited about what this program is doing.”

After years of unfulfilled promise, the Aggies (3-0) are hoping this is the year they finally reach their first SEC Championship Game. That goal begins in earnest Saturday as they host Auburn (2-2) in their Southeastern Conference opener.

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Texas A&M enters this matchup off a signature 41–40 victory at Notre Dame—snapping a 13-game road losing streak to ranked teams. Quarterback Marcel Reed engineered a clutch 13-play, 74-yard drive capped by an 11-yard game-winning touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining.

“That was a huge step for our program,” said Elko. “But three weeks does not make a finish. We still have a lot of things we’ve got to do.”

The Aggies have found an elite receiver duo in Mario Craver and K.C. Concepcion, both transfers who’ve transformed the passing game. Craver, the AP National Player of the Week, torched Notre Dame for 207 yards and an 86-yard touchdown. He currently ranks third nationally in receiving yards (443) despite playing only three games.

Concepcion adds another big-play threat, tallying 227 yards and three touchdowns of his own.

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Texas A&M’s offense is also producing on the ground, led by Le’Veon Moss (168 yards, 4 TDs) and Reed, who has rushed for 142 yards and a score.

Auburn, meanwhile, is trying to regroup after a tough 24–17 loss at Oklahoma. The Tigers have allowed 16 sacks through four games, including nine last week alone on quarterback Jackson Arnold. Head coach Hugh Freeze emphasized the need to protect the pocket and bounce back quickly.

Making matters worse, Auburn will be without WR Horatio Fields (foot), turning to Perry Thompson as his replacement.

Despite those challenges, Auburn brings one of the nation’s top run defenses, allowing just 58.2 rushing yards per game—a strength that will be tested by Texas A&M’s balanced offense.

Kickoff is set for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT as both teams look to define their early-season identity in a crucial SEC West showdown.

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