Cameron Ohnysty
August 27, 2024 5:00 am CT
will begin the Mike Elko era with a prime-time showdown, as 7th-ranked Notre Dame will travel to Kyle Field for the first time in over 20 seasons. On Monday, Elko, alongside left tackle Trey Zuhn III and linebacker Taurean York, spoke to the media ahead of the opener.
Unlike most first-year head coaches, Elko sounded more confident than most with just four days remaining before the opener, confident in what the first depth chart presented as several starting positions are still up for grabs on offense and defense.
While some may see that as an issue, this shows that what we’ve witnessed throughout fall camp is a team with outstanding depth across the offensive and defensive line, providing the coaching staff plenty of options when position matchups become a weekly focus.
Outside of Elko facing his former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, one of the prominent storylines, Notre Dame’s offensive line issues, could result in a big day for Texas A&M’s defensive line after it was revealed that head coach Marcus Freeman will start three sophom*ores and two freshmen for the opener.
Here is everything Mike Elko had to say on Monday afternoon.
Mike Elko sounds very confident
Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s finally here.”
“You spend an awful lot of time to get ready for game week, and now game week is upon us. We’re excited.”
The roster is healthy heading into the opener
Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
“Happy with where our team is from a health standpoint with getting ready for this opener.”
It's all about outworking the opponent
Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss (8) leaps over Tennessee players during a football game between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.
“Our focus is real simple: We want to go out and play our best football on Saturday night.”
“The focus has to be on all of the little details from today through Saturday. … Go out there everyday and outwork Notre Dame.”
Focus on the goal at hand
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“You can’t overprepare. You can’t be too ready for the opener. That’s the challenge. We have to go out and have a good week of practice.”
“We have three more days to prepare and practice, and we’ll go out Saturday and be really fired up.”
Elko on his relationship with Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman
Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Marcus Freeman.”
“Defensive guys tend to follow each other as we move throughout this profession. … He’s a tremendous head coach.”
Elko on attacking Notre Dame's offense
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
“We expect them to be extremely prolific on that side of the ball, and it starts with the quarterback, who I am familiar with.”
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard played for Elko at Duke in 2022 and 2023.
Elko on Notre Dame's "elite" defensive front
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
“Defensively, they were elite last year. … They bring back a huge part of that group. On the defensive front is where it all starts.”
Elko on Notre Dame's star cornerback
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
“Benjamin Morrison is one of the best corners in the country. Xavier Watts was an All-American last year.”
Elko on facing his former QB Riley Leonard
(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
“It’s interesting and weird and not really something I want to do, but at the end of the day, it’s part of the game. Obviously, I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his family.”
“It’ll be three hours of competing against each other.”
Elko on being "flexible" when taking on an opponent
Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
“You go into Week 1, you’re not talking about any certainties.”
“You have to be very flexible with the plans you create because you have to be ready to adjust. The whole opener is about adjustments.”
Rudy! Rudy!
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“I have a lot of respect for the brand that Notre Dame is. It’s an iconic brand that’s recognizable across the country.”
Elko on having to create running lanes against Notre Dame's front
Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports
They don’t give you a lot of soft surfaces to run the football. We’re going to have to find some. We’re going to have to make some with our offensive line. We’re going to have to make some with our running backs.”
“We’re going to have to get creative with how we get some space and get our backs going.”
Elko on walking out of the tunnel for the first time
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“There will be a moment walking down the tunnel, for sure, when it hits you about where you are and where you’ve gotten to in life. That will be a surreal feeling, walking down the tunnel with the drums at Kyle Field for the first time.”
“You don’t have a lot of time as a coach to sit back and think about those types of things. It’s head down and go, but I’d be lying if I said it won’t be special walking down the tunnel for the first time.”
Elko on the importance of the O-line opening up holes, and protecting QB Conner Weigman
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“I think they’re critical in every game. The way you control the line of scrimmage dictates game flow so much.”
“Offensively, if we can control the line of scrimmage and create clean pockets for Conner (Weigman) and create running lanes for our back, that makes the game really easy.”
Elko on College GameDay's arrival placing more eyes on the program
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“You can market your program in substance. If you look at social media right now, we’ve been a lot more active. … That’s all intentional.”
“When you have College GameDay coming to campus, you’re talking about significant eyes coming to College Station.”
Elko on Notre Dame's potential O-line issues
Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman watches pre-game warmups Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.
“Notre Dame has recruited the offensive line really, really well for a really, really long time.”
“The six starts maybe is a concern for them to some degree, maybe in the opener, but I’m sure these young kids that they’re putting out there are really talented.”
Elko confirms that RB Reuben Owens is the program's only key injury
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
“Rueben (Owens) is our only [injury]. … A couple of kids with nicks and bruises, but nothing that’s holding them back. It has been a really successful fall camp from that perspective.”
