Texas A&M Views Bowl Game as Valuable Program Builder

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For Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference), the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 10:30 p.m. EST against USC (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten Conference) isn't just another bowl game but a potential springboard for the football program's future.

It's the next chapter in a turbulent first season for the new coaching staff. It began the year with a home loss to a College Football Playoff-bound Notre Dame, yet was one win away from the SEC Championship game despite ending conference play on a losing streak.

"When you're trying to build a championship program and you're trying to build a championship team, that journey doesn't stop," Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko told the media during a press conference on Dec. 17. "In order to become a good football team, you have to play football really well consistently over a long period of time. "

Gaining Experience

While the ultimate goal was to reach the SEC Championship game and compete in the CFP, there is no substitute for experience. Sure, many non-playoff bowl games have lost their luster and importance, but the truth is playing in a bowl game — any bowl game — brings critical experiences and opportunities to continue building team chemistry and culture while potentially ending the season on a high note.

"The Las Vegas Bowl is another opportunity for our team to go through game preparation, go out on the field, play another opponent, play for a trophy and all those things," Elko added. "Just because it's a bowl game doesn't mean that the journey stops or 'Oh, it's just a bowl game, and we can go out there and not play well and just start over again.'"

Elko and Co. have preached staying on task and concentrating on building the foundation for the program in their first year in College Station, Texas. Despite the recent losses, the attitude and confidence were there throughout the season, and Texas A&M got in the position it wanted. The Aggies just didn't execute down the stretch, which should have been expected with a new staff.

"We've talked about that a lot in our building," Elko said. "I just think it's a mentality of what we're trying to do here, building a championship team. Obviously, it's an opportunity to play a big school on the West Coast, and it's a Big Ten-SEC matchup and those matchups mean stuff."

"It's kind of, in our opinion, the first game moving forward to the 2025 season," Elko continued, "and it'll launch the offseason one way or another."

Texas A&M's Player Development

Young players have stepped up and played critical roles throughout the season. One player who has cemented a future with the team is redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed took over for an injured Conner Weigman after two games and played well enough to supplant the sophomore by the season's end.

He brings a unique running skillset that Weigman didn't have and adds another dimension to the Aggies' offense. The passing game struggled throughout the year but appeared to build chemistry with Reed running the show. Now, Weigman is in the Transfer Portal, leaving Reed as the leader in the QB room entering bowl season. He looks forward to another opportunity to lead the Aggies to an important win.

"It's really important just to go out there and execute and play my best game," Reed told the media on Dec. 17. "I feel like if I go out there and do what I need to do, we're more than capable of winning the game, and this could propel us into the next season. You never want to end the season with a loss. We're going to go out there and give it our all. We prepared for this and I think we're more ready than we've ever been."

Defensively, sophomore linebacker and captain Taurean York has become a star. While others around him on the defense have received more recognition, York has been all over the field on special teams and defense. He leads Texas A&M with 75 tackles. The end of the SEC season left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he is eager to return to the field and end the year positively.

"We need this win. Trust me," York told the media. "We lost the last three SEC games. The games that really mean something, we lost them. So, we want to go out with a bang. Go win and set us up for the next eight months to come."

Finishing the Job

The Aggies were in a position to achieve great things in 2024 but fell short when it mattered most. Still, there seems to be a new culture emanating from the football program, and the sophomore sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

"We're on the brink of taking the next step," he added. "I think Coach Elko put it best the Monday following the Texas loss. I feel like we're one game away from having an elite foundation here. For a first-year coach and first-year staff to be one game away from the SEC Championship game means a lot. We had plenty of opportunities to go make it happen, and we squandered those. I feel like if we had a couple more pieces, it'll hopefully put us over the edge."

The Aggies' mission is simple: Go get a ninth win for the first time since 2020 and head into 2025 with a renewed sense of optimism.