Mond: Texas A&M can make LSU-like leap to elite status in 2020

Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond is confident his team can make the type of leap to elite status that LSU, the reigning national champions, made last season.

"We really haven't won the big-time games yet," Mond told Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News on Friday. "In some of those games, most of those games, we've been close, but we always fall short. But we have to be able to get over that hump.

"A lot of people emphasize that the last 2% is the hardest. I feel like we're at the last 2% from being a good team to being elite."

Fueled by quarterback Joe Burrow's historic improvement as a senior, LSU went from 10-3 in 2018 to an undefeated regular season and a national title win against Clemson in 2019.

Texas A&M went 8-5 in 2019, which included losses to LSU, Clemson, Georgia, and Alabama.

Burrow threw three touchdowns in LSU's 50-7 rout of the Aggies, while Mond was held to zero touchdowns against three interceptions and just 92 passing yards.

Despite the difference in talent between Texas A&M and LSU, Mond believes his team can close the gap thanks to its rare amount of experience.

"We have a lot of seniors on our team and a lot of guys coming back," he said. "Usually when you have seniors, you have guys who have played one or two years, but our seniors, we've been playing since we were freshmen, since 17 or 18 years old in college, so we have a lot of games under our belt and a lot of experience."