BTHO notre dame
College Station is the center of the college football world tomorrow night. Time to show out in primetime
We’re finally here.
One. More. Sleep.
It’s about time.
We’re finally almost done with all of the talk, all of the buildup, all of the hype. Tomorrow night, the eyes of the nation will be on College Station, Texas, for a nationally-televised opener in primetime, with ESPN’s College GameDay and even Good Morning America in town to kick it all off on Saturday before the #20 Texas A&M Aggies take on the #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 6:30 p.m inside the confines of Kyle Field.
Oh yeah, and the Aggies are ushering in a new era with Mike Elko at the helm of the program, after doing lots of work in the transfer portal, making some great hires on the coaching staff, and even repainting the field and introducing alternate uniforms to be released later this season, such as the white helmets that’ll be worn tomorrow (they look beautiful btw). Gone is the stench of how the Jimbo Fisher era ended. In comes fresh optimism and genuine belief in this team, which is both promising and terrifying.
The hype is reaching a fever pitch. Elko has killed the offseason. So now it’s time to do one last thing - go out, deliver, and start winning some games. And there aren’t many better opponents to get your first than the seventh-ranked team in the country.
After eight arduous months of waiting and getting just glimpses of this new-look A&M football team from practices and reports, the 12th Man will finally get to see a new season kick off under the lights in their biggest non-conference game since 2018, when the then-#2 Clemson Tigers narrowly escaped the friendly confines of Kyle Field (even though they likely shouldn’t have). There really isn’t a bigger stage for the Elko Era to kick off on - the time is almost here.
And with it being gameday eve, that means it’s time for a breakdown of the matchup at hand.
Time to get after it.
What to Expect
If you’re looking for a high-scoring battle, you’re not gonna find it here. These are two of the better defenses in the nation, and both are littered with star talent.
Notre Dame’s defense will be the toughest that the Texas A&M offense will face all year, I predict. Led by a tough secondary with multiple All-Americans, it’s a stern first test for offensive coordinator Collin Klein and quarterback Conner Weigman in 2024.
This match is likely going to really come down to the wire; Texas A&M are only three-point favorites in this match, and usually oddsmakers add three points to the home team. In short, this is basically a pick ‘em if you’re a betting person. Expect a tight competition throughout.
There’s a lot of familiarity between these two programs - Mike Elko and Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard were both at Duke the past few years, alongside Fighting Irish defensive end RJ Oben. It’s coach vs. quarterback in this one, so expect some new looks from the A&M defense to try and confuse Leonard, who is familiar with playing against an Elko-coached unit.
Speaking of Leonard, I’m ready to see how this defensive line can contain him on the ground. I think there’s gonna be some designed runs and quite a bit of improvisation at times when he’ll tuck the ball and take off, and the Aggies were a little poor at handling mobile QBs last year. Leonard is very athletic and can do some serious damage on the ground, but I like the personnel A&M has on the d-line to counter that, such as the speedy Cashius Howell and the athletic freak in Shemar Stewart, not to mention Nic Scourton obviously.
I think A&M is going to run the football a ton - especially since Collin Klein’s bread and butter is creativity in the running game. There are instances where it’s worked on the Irish - Duke ran for 189 in a last-second loss, Louisville put up 185 on the ground in a win for the Cardinals, and Clemson ran for 176 in their win, all last season. If the offensive line can hold up - and it’s a real big if - the Aggies can really do some damage with their backfield trio.
The bar should be a much more disciplined A&M football team compared to the last few seasons. If the training camp intel is true, Elko has been drilling that into his team since he got hired, and that should hopefully translate in Game 1 of his tenure as the head man.
Look for a lot of multiple tight-end sets from both teams. Collin Klein loves to run multiple tight ends out on any given play because of the mismatch potential they can bring on passes and the blocking they provide in the run game. However, Notre Dame has three pretty good tight ends of their own, headlined by Mitchell Evans, the Irish’s best pass-catcher on their roster. I’m looking forward to seeing how Klein and Notre Dame’s Mike Denbrock utilize the depth at these positions, especially since the Aggies have five dudes that can realistically get on the field.
Finally, don’t be surprised if there’s a ton of rotation at some positions, particularly in the secondary, defensive line, and at wide receiver. It’s a combination of trying to see the best packages and mix of players on the field while also giving these position groups loaded with depth (*cough cough secondary and d-line*) chances to stay fresh and deploy a lot of capable players. With this team being the healthiest it’s been in a while to start a season, I expect A&M to combat the heat and humidity by playing a lot of capable bodies.
Who to Watch - Notre Dame
QB Riley Leonard: We all know the storylines about Leonard being Elko’s star quarterback at Duke, and he presents a difficult challenge for an A&M defense that struggled against elite QBs a season prior. He brings a true dual-threat ability with him to South Bend, but for Notre Dame to win he might have to have more success throwing downfield than in the past. A&M’s defensive line has to contain him on the ground to win this game.
WR Kris Mitchell: A transfer from FIU, Mitchell immediately steps in as the Irish’s WR1. He’s a big-play threat, having averaged 17.5 yards per reception on 64 catches in 2023. A true burner that can run 22 miles per hour, he can line up both inside and outside even at just 6’0”, so the Ags’ athletes at corner have to be prepared to run.
OT Anthonie Knapp: Three-star true freshman thrust into the starting lineup at left tackle after a season-ending injury to starter Charles Jagusah. He has enticing tools and has had a really good camp according to Notre Dame coaches, but it’s trial by fire as he faces one of the best edge rushers in America in Nic Scourton, among others, and has to make his first start with 108,000 screaming at him.
DL Howard Cross: The Fighting Irish’s best defensive lineman is gonna go up against either centers Mark Nabou or Koli Faaiu, and he had his best game against Elko’s Duke team a season ago. He’s 6’1” and 288 pounds is extremely agile and quick for a nose tackle, and that allows him to have the flexibility to line up all over the line for the visitors.
S Xavier Watts: Winner of the Bronko Nagurski Award for best defensive player in football last year, Watts can really stuff the stat sheet in any game. An aggressive, ball-hawking presence at the back end for the Irish, the unanimous All-American led the country last year in interceptions with 7.
CB Benjamin Morrison: One of the best cornerbacks in football and likely a first-round draft pick, man coverage - specifically in press - is the strength for the Irish’s best defender. Him on the Aggies’ outside receivers will be a matchup to watch for at all times for Collin Klein and Conner Weigman.
Who to Watch - Texas A&M
QB Conner Weigman: I mean, obviously. Making his return to the field for the first time in a little under a year, Weigman has all of the tools necessary to be a great QB, potentially one of the best in the country - the o-line just has to hold up, and he’ll have to navigate an incredibly stout defense, but QB1 is finally back. His presence alone raises the ceiling of this group by a ton, and if he can have a good game against maybe the tightest defense he’ll face all season, that’s really encouraging for this team.
WR Noah Thomas: We’ve heard all the noise about #3 having a potential breakout season for the last two offseasons. 2023 was marred by injury, but he showed great flashes when he was on the field. Now fully healthy, he gets a brutal first assignment in Benjamin Morrison, but the 6’6” X receiver is athletic and a jump-ball magnet that has All-SEC potential, I feel. Let’s see how effective he can be against one of the best in the nation.
OL Chase Bisontis: After having an up-and-down freshman campaign, the sophomore returns at a new position (left guard) and is poised to have a much better season back at his natural spot and without a football terrorist “coaching” him. Tough first test in a loaded Notre Dame defensive line, but if reports are any indication, he should be much better in 2024, starting tomorrow night.
EDGE Nic Scourton: The prodigal son of Bryan returns home after a successful stint at Purdue, now as one of the premier pass rushers in the country after recording all-conference honors in the Big Ten last season. His first game in the Maroon and White will be must-see TV, especially when adding in the potential he has to wreak havoc against a very, very raw Notre Dame offensive line.
LB Solomon DeShields: I’m not sure who’s won the LB2 battle alongside Taurean York, but DeShields provides great size and solid pass-rushing ability to pair with the sophomore. His learning curve in figuring out a new system has been reportedly good, and there’s a chance he could see a second-year jump in production after posting solid numbers in 2023 with Pitt. The linebackers as a whole are gonna be huge in trying to stop the trio of Notre Dame tight ends that they like (along with the safeties).
CB Tyreek Chappell: The best cornerback from last year’s team returns after a brief stint in the transfer portal, and he moves back to the nickel spot that he has had the most success in throughout his time in the Maroon and White. The nickel role always plays a critical part in an Elko defense, so it goes without saying that his impact in the secondary has the chance to be massive.
What to Watch For
Texas A&M have won their last three games vs. AP top ten programs at home. They’re looking to extend that streak to four tomorrow night.
What might be the key fact to keep track of - Notre Dame’s offensive line has six combined starts. Among five players. Six (6) starts. Three sophomores and two freshmen comprise that unit. Usually, the offensive line is a strength for the Irish but they’re replacing quite a bit of production from a season ago. Starting their year in front of the 12th Man will be a daunting task for that young group. Kyle gotta bring the noise on Saturday to disrupt them early and often.
On the other hand, Texas A&M’s offensive line is the big X-factor that will decide how effective this offense is this year - they’ll have to go up against tough competition tomorrow as well, facing a really good defensive front from the Gold Domers led by Cross and Oben. It’s truly a battle of the trenches - the better offensive line will likely win this game.
I’m excited to watch this refreshed secondary. So many new faces, much better depth, and more optimism around the position group in a long time. Led by safeties Bryce Anderson and Dalton Brooks as well as corner Tyreek Chappell, this group has the chance to start changing the narrative around A&M secondaries with a big showing against Riley Leonard and the Irish passing game. In Notre Dame’s losses last season, their success through the air was limited, so if the Aggies can lock up at the back end it can make life much harder for the visitors… and it’d be a much-welcomed sign of the unit’s development from last season.
Terry Bussey. The Timpson legend’s first game in the Maroon and White. The miracle man with the ball in his hands. Excited to see him in one or multiple (likely multiple) facets of the game and what wrinkles the coaching staff have devised to get him on the field.
How effectively the A&M receivers can gain separation from the Notre Dame secondary is gonna be another factor that will determine how smoothly this Aggie offense operates. Notre Dame will likely be comfortable with letting the Ags work underneath rather than gashing them for big chunks of yardage through the air, but Texas A&M is going to have to get a couple of successful plays down the field in the passing game to stand a chance in this one. Whether it’s Noah Thomas or Jahdae Walker winning jump-balls, Moose Muhammad working his magic after the catch, or Cyrus Allen winning deep with his speed, Conner Weigman and this receiving corps are gonna have to find ways to take the top off the Irish defense a few times.
The ground game battle. Both teams are going to have running back-by-committee approaches into this one, but I’m mainly looking at the matchup between Le’Veon Moss and Notre Dame tailback Jeremiyah Love. Whoever gets closest to 100 yards against two stout run defenses will likely be a good indicator of who’s gonna win the game.
Collin Klein’s creativity. Gone are the days of stagnant, archaic offense from the Jimbo Fisher era, in comes actual motion and proper planning to exploit mismatches and get the ball in the Aggies’ playmakers’ hands in a variety of ways. Coaches around the country have said that his scheming and play-calling are difficult to gameplan against, and having success in his debut against a tough defense could signal great things for the rest of the season… if everything goes according to plan. Additional storyline: Klein actually turned down the Notre Dame offensive coordinator opening to come to Aggieland. Another link between the two programs.
Final Predictions
Eight months of preparation have led to this moment.
This is the most anticipated season opener in… well, quite some time. Maybe since the year A&M first joined the SEC? I mean, primetime on national TV, a top-ten team rolling into town, Year 1 of the Elko Era, two massive brands doing battle, what more can you ask for? (Well, an A&M win, I suppose.)
After a quiet offseason where this team just put their heads down and worked tirelessly - a very welcoming change after all of the fiascos that A&M has had over the last few years - the hype around this program has absolutely exploded, skyrocketing to levels I haven’t seen before in my time in College Station.
There’s unbridled optimism in bunches with Elko’s arrival and the work he’s done to fix what many called a sinking ship of a program. It really feels like this team and the fanbase have wholly, completely moved on from the last few stinky years of Jimbo Fisher’s tenure.
I’ve never seen the fanbase this excited about a team. My program finally has aura again. It’s a beautiful thing.
That being said - there are still questions that surround this program, some of which we’ll get answers to on Saturday night. There have been too many times to count where the Aggies have been burned by the spotlight - will this be the start of that trend being bucked? Will this offensive line hold up to keep our quarterback healthy? How will the pass defense hold up against a great QB? Will Ted Cruz’s presence at the game mean an automatic L for the good guys?
The anxiety is warranted. I’m terrified, myself. The questions make sense to ask. Battered Aggie Syndrome is a very real thing that’s burned me and other fans way too many times in the past, so erring on the side of caution makes so much sense.
But… I don’t know. Something just feels… different. In a better way.
The team just feels sharper. They’re more disciplined. They’re deep. Players have said this program is more professional. There’s excitement around a new offense that’s getting their star quarterback back and implementing a player-friendly scheme.
It really feels like a fresh start.
We’ve waited for this sleeping giant of a football program to wake up for so long. Years of frustration and middling-to-poor results have marred the reputation and have left a sour taste in the 12th Man’s mouths for far more time than it really should.
But beat Notre Dame tomorrow night, and everything can change. The trajectory of this program could skyrocket. That key win just has to be against the right opposition, and there aren’t many programs that can really fit that bill; the Fighting Irish are one of them.
Beat Notre Dame, and anything is possible for this football team.
It all comes down to the line of scrimmage. Which offensive line can hold up more against the ruthless defense that they’re gonna have to line up against for 60 minutes?
In this game? I’m following my heart with this pick. I think Texas A&M starts the Elko Era off with a bang, and the Aggies’ head man gets revenge for a devastating loss he suffered to them last year.
It’ll be a slugfest, but behind a great defensive effort, an o-line that will show some improvement, and Collin Klein’s timely play-calling, I truly think the Aggies can get it done and show that they mean business.
The time for talk is over. Now the Aggies, behind what feels like the most support I’ve seen around the program in years and a Kyle Field that will be packed to the brim and then some, have to go and get it done tomorrow night.
Time for war.
BTHO nd.
-Sourav