Players and coaches often seek out what some refer to as “bulletin board material” to motivate their teams ahead of a game.
For Auburn, this motivation came from a moment during Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko’s press conference earlier in the week. When asked about the risk of overlooking Auburn while preparing for a big game against Texas, Elko inadvertently stated that the team’s focus was “singlehandedly on Texas,” before quickly correcting himself to say Auburn.
Auburn’s players noticed this slip-up, and running back Jarquez Hunter addressed it after the game.
“I felt like that was very disrespectful to us,” Hunter stated. “As a team, we took that personally because they overlooked us and didn’t think we were a serious threat. So, we had to show them what we’re about.”
The Tigers proved their point with a thrilling 43-41 victory that went into quadruple overtime. Hunter played a crucial role, rushing for 130 yards and three touchdowns.
Hunter wasn’t the only one to mention Elko’s misstep post-game. Auburn showcased the video on the videoboard at Jordan-Hare Stadium while fans celebrated on the field, and Auburn football’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) shared the clip with the message: “Good luck vs. Texas!”
It’s difficult to determine how much Texas A&M’s focus on their upcoming game impacted their performance against Auburn, but the Tigers clearly played better in the opening moments of the match.
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