Frankie V’s Prediction: Irish Look to Rebound at Home vs Texas A&M

Notre Dame returns home to Notre Dame Stadium for a massive week three showdown with #16 Texas A&M under the lights in the house that Rockne built. The Irish enter the pivotal contest as a 6.5-point favorite, but most Notre Dame fans probably aren’t feeling that way after an uneven opener in Miami that left a lot of questions. Marcus Freeman’s squad has to prove it can start fast and play with urgency on both sides of the ball against an Aggies team that brings a ton of speed, a mobile quarterback, and plenty of confidence under Mike Elko in his return to South Bend.

What Concerns Me

Notre Dame playing too passively on defense
Chris Ash’s debut as defensive coordinator didn’t inspire much confidence for three quarters. Against Miami, Notre Dame gave up too many chunk plays and didn’t dictate terms as they did a year ago under Al Golden. Facing a Texas A&M offense loaded with speed at wide receiver and a quarterback who can extend plays with his legs, the Irish can’t afford to sit back. If the defense is conservative, the Aggies have the firepower to make Notre Dame pay. Notre Dame’s defense did settle in by the fourth quarter, but then gave up the game-winning score after the Irish finally tied it. Was that Ash’s adjustments or Mario Cristobal being too conservative with a lead? Will find out quickly tonight.

Another slow start
Notre Dame came out flat in Miami at the start of both halves, and playing at home hasn’t always solved that problem. There’s a history of sluggish starts in South Bend, even last year, and that’s not a recipe for success against an opponent with A&M’s talent. The Aggies will want to land an early punch, and the Irish need to show they can match that intensity from kickoff. Notre Dame didn’t appear to match the intensity of Miami early on two weeks ago, and the Aggies will be looking for revenge tonight after losing at home to Notre Dame last year. Notre Dame thrived on winning the middle eight last year, but that was their downfall against Miami. They need to look more like their 2024 selves tonight.

The pass rush
This defense was built around generating pressure a year ago, but it was invisible against Miami. If Notre Dame can’t collapse the pocket and make A&M’s quarterback uncomfortable, it’ll be a long night for the secondary. The Irish front has to show up or risk watching another game slip away. With a quarterback as mobile as Marcel Reed, they also have to be extremely disciplined in their assignments or Notre Dame fans could have flashbacks of Denard Robinson. Notre Dame needs to force Reed to beat them with his arm. That could lead Ash to being more conservative again and dropping eight into coverage, but he has to fnd a balance of being aggressive and not playing too passively. We didn’t see much evidence of this defensive line being able to generate pressure without a blitz in week one so Ash will likely have to dial up more pressure than he did then.

What Doesn’t Concern Me

CJ Carr in his home debut
Carr looked composed and confident in his first career start on the road. Back at home, I expect him to be even sharper. The stage doesn’t seem too big for him, and his decision-making gives Notre Dame a real chance to steady the offense. Marcus Freeman said this week that they will trust him with even more of the offense after being cautious in his first career start. I hope he doesn’t have to attempt 30 passes like he did in week one, but that the ones he does attempt go further than the line of scrimmage like the countless wide receiver screens we saw against the Hurricanes. I think we’ll see him push the ball vertically more and hit a chunk play or two.

Offensive line finding its footing
The offensive line was a disaster in Miami, but the bye week came at the right time. With adjustments and extra preparation, this unit should take a step forward. Will it be perfect? No, but it will be better. Texas A&M’s defensive line is talented, but it’s not at the same level as Miami’s, which gives Notre Dame an opportunity to establish some rhythm up front. We’ve seen both Aamil Wagner and Anthonie Knapp play much better than they did two weeks ago. I think they both bounce back.

Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price
Both backs flashed against Miami, but they didn’t get the ball nearly enough. Expect the Irish to lean on them more heavily this week. If they’re fed properly, Love and Price can be the difference-makers who balance out the offense and keep A&M on its heels. A year ago in College Station, Notre Dame kept feeding both the ball, and both eventually went off for long touchdown runs. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Notre Dame throw early again this week, but this time push the ball downfield more to open up some space for their backs.

Players to Watch

• Jaden Greathouse – He was almost invisible against Miami, and is way too good for that to happen again.
• Malachi Fields – A big-play threat who could tilt the game with one explosive reception. He has already shown he can make contested catches downfield and should see more targets.
• Adon Shuler – I feel like he makes a big play tonight after his miscue at the goalline led to Miami’s last first-half touchdown.
• Drayk Bowen – Must be sound in tackling and contain A&M’s quarterback. He had his worst game as a starter for Notre Dame against Miami and bounces back at home tonight.
• Jared Dawson – A presence up front, the Irish need to generate some interior push. It will be interesting to see how much he plays tonight. He was head and shoulders above both Donovan Hinish and Jason Onye.
• Jordan Botelho – With a couple more weeks removed from his pectoral injury, can he be the same menace tonight he was a year ago against A&M?
• Leonard Moore – Moore wasn’t terrible against Miami, but he wasn’t the lockdown corner we all saw last year. He has another big test tonight.
• Kyngston Viliamu-Asa – His speed and instincts at linebacker will be vital in containing A&M’s playmakers. With Reed’s scrambling ability, KVA needs to be on the field more than he was against Miami.

Frankie V’s Prediction

I’ll be honest: I don’t feel great about this one. Texas A&M has the speed and quarterback play to give Notre Dame a real scare. But at home, under the lights, I think CJ Carr and the Irish offense do just enough while the defense makes a couple of timely plays.

Notre Dame 27, Texas A&M 21