COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko says his team is ready for Saturday night's season opener against UTSA, but the Aggies aren't underestimating their opponent.
Speaking Monday afternoon at Kyle Field, Elko praised UTSA's offensive capabilities.
"This UTSA offense is really talented, you know, they were humming at the end of the year last year," Elko said. "They got off to a little bit of a slow start, but by the end of the year, they were putting points up on everybody and so we expect to have our hands full on this to be a challenge."
Senior cornerback Will Lee III previously discussed players taking initiative both on the field and in the film room and Elko is pleased with how his players have approached their preparation.
#Aggies HC Mike Elko on his players taking initiative and attacking their preparation ahead of Week 1.
— Donna Conrad (@donnaconradTV) August 25, 2025
"Both side of the ball, you've got a lot of veteran guys who have been really really professional about how they've come out and handled their business..." pic.twitter.com/R7zP7SDpfO
"You can do two things when you're an experienced group," Elko said. "One is you can kind of coast your way through it, because you've been there, because you've done it and then really not put in the preparation or the work that you need to go out and play at your peak levels this year or you can say I've been through it but I didn't have the results that I wanted and if I drive myself to just be a little bit better and each and every one of us do that, there's something we can go out and we can achieve and we can accomplish, and I've been really proud with how they've handled that."
With teams facing significant roster changes through the transfer portal each offseason, game planning for week one has become increasingly challenging. Elko said the coaching staff must be prepared to make in-game adjustments.
"When you go into an opener, it's like, okay, we have a plan," Elko said. "But we also have, a real good feel on where might we have to go, what might we have to adjust and you wanna be careful not to throw it all at your kids so they start slow but I think as coaches you try to have a lot of conversations about, you know, the 'what if' world."
The Aggies will be without a few players due to injuries. Wide receiver Jerome Myles is out for the season after suffering a lower leg injury that required surgery. Offensive lineman Isendre "Papa" Ahfua is also out for the season with a lower leg injury that will require surgery. Offensive lineman Deuce Fatheree II will miss the first few games due to a lower leg injury, with no definite timetable for his return.
Texas A&M opens the 2025 season Saturday at 6 p.m. against UTSA at Kyle Field in College Station.
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