Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2024 43 GAME PREVIEW: TEXAS A&M blocking grade in 2023. But he might need to make some plays under duress. On the outside, junior Cyrus Allen (778 receiving yards per game last season) — a transfer from Louisiana Tech — augments a group known for its depth, not its star power. Weigman has several options such as senior Jahdae Walker (590 yards in 2023), 6-foot-6 junior Noah Thomas (359) and graduate student Moose Muhammed III (345). Provided junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison is healthy, though, Notre Dame has the clear per- sonnel advantage here. While spreading the ball around gives you a better chance to beat the Irish than feeding a WR1, the Irish are strong across the board. And Weigman's "firing under pressure" modus operandi works well until he heaves it in graduate student safety Xavier Watts' direction. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. TEXAS A&M RUN DEFENSE Texas A&M was tough to run on in 2023, hold- ing opponents to 3.3 yards per carry. That tied for second in the Southeastern Conference, but several players who contributed to that stingy rush defense are gone. Dominant and versatile linebacker Edgerrin Coo- per, who led the Aggies with 37 run stops last season, became a second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers. Defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson (12 run stops) is now a Cincinnati Bengal, selected with a third-round pick. Junior Walter Nolen, a former No. 1 national recruit who totaled 14 run stops and was scratching the surface of his poten- tial, transferred to Ole Miss. Sophomore linebacker Taurean York finished second on the Aggies with 33 run stops as a true freshman in 2023 PHOTO COURTESY TEXAS A&M Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 27, Texas A&M 24 Talk about a difficult season opener. Considered one of toughest road ven- ues in all of college football, Texas A&M will welcome the Irish into a raucous prime-time scene at Kyle Field, where the Aggies have lost more than one game in a season only twice since 2018. Add to the home-field advantage a newfound enthusiasm that Texas A&M has discovered since the hiring of talented head coach Mike Elko last Novem- ber. Expect this game to be the most difficult test on the 2024 Irish schedule. That said, a stingy and experienced Notre Dame defense finds a way. Steve Downey: Texas A&M 20, Notre Dame 16 Texas A&M has developed a reputation as an underachiever in recent years, but those days may be over after the hiring of head coach Mike Elko. It's easy to be bullish on the former Irish defensive coordinator's ability to maximize the potential of a place that has the talent and resources the Aggies do. Notre Dame's rebuilt offensive line having to play its first game on the road in front of 102,733 screaming fans against a talented A&M defensive front is less than ideal. So is the fact that Elko — a proven defensive mind — likely possesses the knowledge for how to slow down Irish quarterback Riley Leon- ard after coaching him the past two seasons at Duke. Kyle Kelly: Notre Dame 24, Texas A&M 23 The storylines entering this game are endless. But when the clock hits triple zeros, Notre Dame's experienced defense and a few breathtaking plays on offense will help the Irish escape the swarming fans in College Station with a win. It would mark Marcus Freeman's first marquee road victory as a head coach and kick-start a season with high expectations. Tyler Horka: Texas A&M 27, Notre Dame 24 It's going to be close. And it could easily swing the other way with Notre Dame winning by a field goal. That's the line oddsmakers have had hovering over this matchup for months, with the Fighting Irish favored. They should be; they've got the better roster. The Aggies are also ushering in a new era, and Mike Elko admitted at SEC Media Days in mid-July the last person he wanted to go up against in his first game as their head coach was his former Duke quarterback, Riley Leonard. But the 12th Man is real, and third-year Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has taken his lumps on the road in the early part of his tenure. He's going to take another one against a big-name opponent out of the gates in 2024, sort of similar to falling to Ohio State in 2022. Mike Singer: Notre Dame 20, Texas A&M 17 I like the Fighting Irish to eke out a tight, low-scoring victory on the road at one of the toughest environments to win at in college football. Notre Dame's outstanding defense will put Marcus Freeman's program in a good spot to win, and the offense will do just enough. Jack Soble: Texas A&M 17, Notre Dame 14 The Irish have more to gain in Week 1 than they have to lose, provided they aren't blown out. A win would make 12-0 a realistic goal; a loss would decrease the margin of error but still leave a clear path to the College Foot- ball Playoff. This will be a low-scoring affair, likely coming down to a big play or a turn- over. But the mismatch of A&M's edge rushers versus Notre Dame's offensive tackles might be too much to overcome. Staff Predictions