Saturday’s home opener against Texas A&M carries a “win or go home” feel for Notre Dame. A second loss on the season would more than likely eradicate any hopes the Irish had of making the playoffs. Historically, Marcus Freeman has struggled in home openers. He now has perhaps the biggest test of his young coaching career on Saturday night.
A win against the Aggies would be a huge momentum shift for Freeman’s squad and likely serve as their only ranked win of the season, barring any major surprises. It seems as if it was just yesterday that Notre Dame was largely unproven under Freeman, in search of their first big win in a new era for the program. Now the Irish are a national championship contender and the expectation to win is steadfast. Here’s how Notre Dame can get the job done in their biggest game of the season.
Limit Marcel Reed
Texas A&M fans have marveled at Marcel Reed’s dynamic playmaking ability over the last year. The Irish were perhaps lucky not to have to deal with Reed in 2024. However, they will now need to make a strong game plan to stop the Aggies’ do-it-all quarterback.
Reed rushed for 543 yards and seven touchdowns through 11 games last year, good for just shy of 50 yards gained on the ground per game. This season, he’s already accumulated 105 yards in addition to 509 in the air. Granted, Texas A&M has played UTSA and Utah State through the first two weeks, but great players don’t let up against weak competition. For Reed, he has hit the ground running.
One of Notre Dame’s biggest issues in their 27-24 loss to Miami was the inability to provide sufficient pressure in the box. At times, it appeared Notre Dame was off rhythm, Freeman noted in his weekly press conference. “Most of our missed tackles probably weren’t in space. They were more in the box and the ability to make sure we’re driving our feet, we’re wrapping up,” he said.
As Reed uses his legs, Notre Dame must go back to the basics, make their tackles and force the mobile quarterback to make quick decisions. Overall, Notre Dame registered only one sack, down from their average of 2.5 sacks per game a season ago.
Mentality
Notre Dame’s biggest strength during the Marcus Freeman era has not been any tangible statistic that can be easily proven in the box score. Rather, it’s the team’s hard-nosed mentality. While the Irish had stars last year, many of their best moments came from an unprecedented willpower spread out across the squad. For instance, junior running back Jeremiyah Love’s iconic run against Penn State or Riley Leonard’s opening drive against Ohio State were just as much about mentality as they were about talent.
Although the technical side of the game was not up to the standard Notre Dame was hoping for in week one, the mindset of last year's team shone through as the game progressed. With their backs planted against the wall, Notre Dame will need to lean on that internal strength all the more.
Protect Carr
This subtitle may be misleading. Redshirt freshman C.J. Carr showed amazing poise against Miami. His first touchdown pass was all the buzz on social media. In fact, Carr played so well that Freeman and his staff can confidently take the reins off and open the playbook to the young quarterback.
Rather, Notre Dame’s offensive line unit was shaky against Miami. After losing fan-favorite Pat Coogan, Sam Pendleton, Rocco Spindler and Ty Chan to the transfer portal this offseason, the Irish’s big men were not expected to be perfect. However, given the successes Notre Dame has had at developing offensive linemen and the caliber of recruits they bring in, stronger performances will be needed against Texas A&M.
Sophomore offensive lineman Anthonie Knapp showed flashes of his dominant self, but was guilty of a few errors when protecting Carr in the pocket. Right tackle Aamil Wagner also had a tough time fending off the vicious attack of Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. Overall, pass protection was inconsistent among the unit, and while the Irish didn’t use the ground game as much as many were expecting, the run protection was of equal concern.
The offensive line is undoubtedly young and inexperienced. With the number of players they lost and the unfortunate injury to Charles Jagusah, it will take time for them to fully develop. For Notre Dame, time is of the essence as they prepare for a season-defining game. The Irish need their offensive line to step up and provide Carr the protection he needs if they want to stay in the playoff picture.
