Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham praises Mike Elko's defensive prowess

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Texas A&M coach Mike Elko's third season started off on a high note after the Aggies shut out Missouri State 50-0 on Saturday night, as his defense held the Bears to an incredible 67 total yards, including 30 passing yards, which could be a sign of things to come heading into SEC play.

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The Aggies will host Arizona State for an early Saturday afternoon matchup, and after the Sun Devils, led by transfer quarterback Cutter Boley's career-high 387 passing yards and six touchdowns, defeated Morgan State 70-7 on Saturday, it's hard to predict if the Sun Devils have a legitimate shot at taking down the Aggies in Kyle Field.

While we at Aggies Wire have yet to release our predictions, I fully believe the second-half version of Texas A&M's offense vs. Missouri State will get the job done on Saturday, but that will mean starting the game off on a high note, consistently moving the chains, and stopping the run on defense, which will force Cutter Boley to be nearly perfect from the pocket.

For the first time in their careers, Mike Elko and Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham will go head-to-head, but that doesn't mean both coaches are unaware of each other's football knowledge and playcalling prowess, especially Elko's background as one of, if not the best, third-down defensive masterminds in all of college football.

On Wednesday, Dillingham explained to the local media what he expects from A&M's defense on Saturday.

"You're not getting this defense uncomfortable. This defense is going to fire off the rock… I think the one thing Coach Elko does better than a lot of people, is I think he has an identity of who he wants to be."

While many will, and have, said, "it's just Missouri State," the same can be said for nearly every SEC team that dominated its Group of Five opponent in Week 1, but limiting any team to fewer than 70 total yards deserves praise. That won't be the case on Saturday, but Arizona State's offense will have to contend with a near sold-out Kyle Field and near 100-degree weather, paired with humidity during the early kickoff.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham praises Mike Elko's defensive prowess

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