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Texas A&M football preseason previews: Why A&M upsets ND in week one showdown

There’s a lot riding on week one for both Texas A&M football and Notre Dame. Here’s why the Aggies can send the Irish packing.

By Graham Harmon

Notre Dame wide receiver Micah Gilbert (14) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.
Notre Dame wide receiver Micah Gilbert (14) Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring football game at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. / MANDATORY CREDIT GREG SWIERCZ / USA
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Three biggest questions for Texas A&M football against Notre Dame

Can the Aggies run the ball?

For all the talk about Weigman, I think this will be the key not only to this game, but the season going forward. An effective run game will open up everything for #15, and I have no doubt about his ability to sling it in that kind of situation. 

The Irish were a surprisingly susceptible rushing defense last year, allowing nearly 90% of opponent per-carry averages (though that could be due to a lower rate of sacks overall). That’s really nowhere near elite. The bad news is that they didn’t let it affect their pass defense, as they allowed only 77% of opponent per-pass-attempt averages.

How fast will cornerback get figured out?

Without a doubt, the biggest weakness for the Aggies last year was the pass defense. The teams that beat A&M did it via the long ball—from Miami to Ole Miss to Alabama to Oklahoma State. That in mind, getting the pass defense figured out is imperative. 

This is even more true with Mike Denbrock coming over from LSU. His high-flying, pass-happy offense with the Tigers was one that wrecked the Aggie D last year, and he’ll be looking to replicate that in the opener.

Can defensive transfers get acclimated quickly?

We’ve had a lot of content on the stellar job Elko has done in replacing what was lost via the transfer portal by utilizing the same mechanism. There are guys that I’m not worried about sliding right in, like Nic Scourton, but with a defensive backfield that promises to be dotted with newcomers, this has to be a consideration.

At least one of the corner spots will go to a transfer; more than likely, it will be two. Trey Jones at safety and Jaydon Hill at nickel seems to be a likelihood. Can these guys mesh well enough ahead of week 1 to keep down the Irish?

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