Texas A&M faces Texas with playoff hopes locked in, but Mike Elko’s injury secrecy keeps the Aggies guessing who’s actually suiting up in Austin.
The undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies are closing in on a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, but one massive hurdle still stands between them and a perfect regular season: the No. 16 Texas Longhorns, desperate, dangerous, and ready to spoil everything.
Texas A&M and Texas will meet Friday night at DKR in the first Lone Star Showdown in Austin since 2010, and both teams are expected to unleash as much firepower as possible. The only problem? No one really knows which Aggies will actually be available, and Mike Elko isn't about to help clear it up.
When asked Monday about the status of running back Le'Veon Moss, who has been sidelined for a month with an ankle injury, Elko delivered his trademark injury-update special ... short, vague, and slightly chaotic.
“Uh, we’ll see. Probably not, but we’ll see,” he said.
This isn't new territory for Moss, who tore his ACL late last season, cutting his junior year short. But the mystery didn’t stop there. When reporters asked about running back Rueben Owens and wideout Mario Craver, Elko doubled down.
"Those guys are awesome," he said, drawing laughs, but giving nothing away.
Owens briefly battled an injury against South Carolina before returning last week versus Samford.
Craver, meanwhile, appeared on the SEC injury report two weeks ago, played sparingly, then didn't see the field at all against Samford despite being fully dressed on the sideline.
If there's one thing Aggies fans know by now, it's that Elko guards injury info like national secrets. The safest move? Wait for the SEC injury reports, and even then, don't believe anything until you see who trots out of the tunnel in Austin.
Kickoff for the Lone Star Showdown is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT. Buckle up.