Texas A&M Looks to Make History At LSU’s Tiger Stadium

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has brought in a new era of Texas A&M football.

The Aggies are smoking hot and have posted an impressive 7-0 record, something the team has not seen since the 1994 season under legendary coach RC Slocum, where the team posted a 10-0-1 mark and peaked at No. 6 on the AP Poll.

Now at No. 3, the Aggies head into LSU’s Tiger stadium with a chance to beat the No. 20 Bayou Bengals at their own fabled stadium since that 1994 season.

Aggies to the Bayou

Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Ar'Maj Reed-Adams (55) hoists wide receiver Mario Craver (1) in celebrations after he scored touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“Obviously a big opportunity, a big stage, a chance to go down to Baton Rouge for what will be a very big game and a hostile environment,” Elko said on Monday. ”Another opportunity for this program to take a step forward. We're looking forward to the challenge and are excited.”

Teams have historically struggled going into Death Valley, with the Tigers’ last home loss coming against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024. Elko and the Aggies understand the gravity of the task ahead of them.

"For a large period of time, we didn't go down there physically and stand up to the challenge,” Elko said. “When you saw some of the early games, that was kind of always the…okay, this is what the SEC looks like. I think as our program grew, we started to get closer and closer. Obviously, my first experience was going down there and playing the 2019 team. That wasn't a lot of fun, but that was historically one of the best teams in college football."

"I think when we went down there in '21, it was obviously a much more competitive game from a physical standpoint. That's the gap that we've tried to close as a program. Obviously, the series has been very balanced since I've been here in 2018. Someone's gonna crack through at some point on the road, and Saturday's an opportunity for us to be the team that does it."

Elko and LSU head coach Brian Kelly also have a history together. When Kelly was the head coach at Notre Dame, Elko served as his defensive coordinator.

”I just really appreciated the way he (Kelly) handled the psychology of the sport, and you can certainly look at the results he's had over his career; he's been extremely successful,” Elko said. “He's always been a big-time head coach."

Since joining Texas A&M, Elko is 1-0 against his former boss and has a chance to extend that lead.

The Tigers have underperformed to start the 2025 campaign, falling to both the Ole Miss Rebels and the Vanderbilt Commodores over a three-week span. With their recent struggles, many Tigers fans have called for Kelly’s job. With a win, Elko has a chance to thrust his former boss into unemployment.