Texas A&M football will travel to Notre Dame this weekend to attempt to carry out some vengeance on the Fighting Irish for what transpired in game one last year.
That's easier said than done, however. The Irish are a top-10 team once again boasting a fearsome defense, and the Aggies themselves have struggled on the road against ranked teams. Of course, that's the toughest kind of game to play in, but if you want to contend for championships, these are the kinds of games you do indeed have to win.
Luckily for the Aggies, however, Notre Dame is all but starting over on the offensive end. CJ Carr is replacing Riley Leonard, who was an absolute offensive engine for the Irish. Leonard is out the door, as are Beaux Collins and Mitchell Evans, two of their leading receivers from last year.
Texas A&M's future will be decided in South Bend vs. Notre Dame
The returning offensive threats come from the running back position: Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Those two tore up the Aggies to the tune of 135 yards on 22 carries last year, mostly from two explosive runs to seal the win for the Fighting Irish.
Other than those two runs, the Irish were mostly bottled up on the ground against A&M. Key number one for the Aggies is containing the explosive play from the rushing attack— a factor they've more than struggled with over the last few years.
It will be easier in this one without the threat of the quarterback run figuring in so promptly. Carr can pick up some yardage with his legs, but he's nowhere near the runner that Leonard was.
On the defensive side, A&M no longer has to worry about Xavier Watts patrolling the field, nor Howard Cross and Rylie Mills up front, but nearly every other impact player for the Irish defense is back. They also added Devonta Smith from Alabama (the safety, not the Heisman-winning receiver who is now with the Eagles) to bolster their defensive backfield.
They didn't look nearly as impressive as last year against Miami in game one, but that Hurricane offense is nothing to mess with. They well could be one of the top offenses in the nation, and the Irish held them under 30 at home— so it won't be a cake walk, either.
If the Aggies are to win in this one, they'll have to avoid explosives on the ground, continue to cover receivers well, and put pressure on Carr— something that they have a really good shot to do, if that Miami game is any guide. On offense, the number one key is to take care of the football: losing the turnover margin last year was killer, and the Ags have yet to force one on defense this season.
If Texas A&M walks out of South Bend with a win, everything fans have been dreaming of is fully within grasp. It would skyrocket their estimation around the country, no doubt, and advance their chances at making the playoff by leaps and bounds. This is an early, extremely key game here, and the Aggies have a shot to pull this thing off.