Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 13, 2025 35 GAME PREVIEW: TEXAS A&M BY TYLER JAMES TEXAS A&M RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Run defense was Notre Dame's statistical weak- ness on the defensive side of the ball one year ago, so the Irish have a lot to prove in stopping the run with consistency this season. The Irish did a good job of limiting the Aggies to 3.8 yards per carry in last year's 23-13 victory at Texas A&M, but that was with Conner Weigman playing quarterback for the Aggies. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, who took over as the starter last season and will lead A&M into Notre Dame Stadium, brings a dif- ferent dynamic to the Aggies' offense as a running threat. He finished last season with 547 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns on 116 carries. Texas A&M running back Le'Veon Moss, a se- nior, landed on this year's Preseason All-SEC first team following his production last season: 121 carries for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games. Notre Dame limited him to 70 yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries, so it should have a good understanding of his game. Notre Dame's defense will need its interior line- men to earn their stripes in bigger roles against A&M's experienced offensive line. If the likes of redshirt seniors Jason Onye, Gabriel Rubio and Jared Dawson, and redshirt junior Donovan Hinish can keep Notre Dame's linebackers free to roam, the Irish run defense could have a strong showing. Nickel back DeVonta Smith, a graduate transfer from Alabama, can help the Irish linebackers with his willingness to play physically near the line of scrimmage. Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden never seemed too concerned about the Irish allowing 138.1 rushing yards per game last season, which ranked No. 49 in the FBS, because ND still managed to hold teams to 15.5 points per game. It's too soon to say if new defensive coordi- nator Chris Ash will operate with a similar mindset. Texas A&M's best chance of moving the football will likely be on the ground, so the Aggies should lean on that. Advantage: Texas A&M TEXAS A&M PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Similarly to Notre Dame, Texas A&M leaned on the transfer portal to improve its wide receiver position this past offseason. The Aggies brought in North Carolina State's KC Concepcion and Mis- sissippi State's Mario Craver to bring speed and playmaking abilities to their passing game. Con- cepcion is the more proven commodity with 124 catches for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two seasons of college football. Craver totaled 17 receptions for 368 yards and 3 touchdowns as a freshman last season. The receivers can help Reed, but he needs to be a more efficient passer. He completed 147 of his 240 passes (61.3 percent) for 1,864 yards with 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Reed finished six spots ahead of Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard in FBS quarterback passing efficiency rat- ings last season, which is a decent debut season but not one strong enough to carry an offense. The problem for Reed is Notre Dame's pass- ing defense should remain elite. The Irish led the country in team passing efficiency defense the past two seasons, and there might not be much of a drop-off this season. Notre Dame returned three of its starters in the secondary who played throughout last season's College Football Playoff run: cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray and safety Adon Shuler. All three have proven to be nuisances for opposing quarterbacks and receivers and are working to improve. Though A&M has a veteran offensive line, Notre Dame's pass rush should take steps forward this season. Both redshirt sophomore Boubacar Traore and sophomore Bryce Young are poised for break- out seasons at defensive end, and the experience of senior Junior Tuihalamaka and redshirt junior Josh Burnham shouldn't be ignored. Linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa can also track down quarterbacks and could be used as spies against Reed. It would be a surprise if Texas A&M finds consis- tent success in the passing game. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. TEXAS A&M RUN DEFENSE A pair of Associated Press preseason All-Amer- icans will be at the center of this matchup. Notre Dame has one of the top running backs in the country with junior Jeremiyah Love. Texas A&M has one of the top linebackers in the country with junior Taurean York. Those two will have a chance to live up to their All-America hype in Notre Dame Stadium. Even though Love probably has the advantage in On PaPer Texas A&M running back Le'Veon Moss, who was a Preseason All-SEC first-team selection, figures to be a big part of the offensive game plan for the Aggies. PHOTO COURTESY TEXAS A&M ATHLETICS