Notre Dame got an early bye week in the 2025 season. The question now is, does that help or hurt the Irish? Notre Dame has a huge home game this weekend, possibly the second biggest of the entire schedule for the year. But as the Irish prepare to host Texas A&M, did Notre Dame fix its problems from the Miami loss?
Did Notre Dame Fix the Week One Issues?
Notre Dame lost what could have been a statement game in week one as Miami held on for a 27-24 win at home. Now the Irish have to defend their playoff hopes against the visiting Aggies, but they do so with lingering questions. Texas A&M comes into the game 2-0, albeit against lesser opponents than what Notre Dame presents. Notre Dame, with its quirky schedule, has one loss to Miami and then had the off week. Miami quarterback and potential Heisman candidate Carson Beck was a viable 20 of 31 passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Notre Dame.
A Look Into What Texas A&M Brings
But now the Irish face a little-publicized but highly skilled A&M quarterback in Marcel Reed. He is in his third year in College Station, and sticking with him is paying dividends for head coach Mike Elko. Reed is throwing at a 66% completion rate with 500 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Most importantly, he has zero interceptions three weeks into the season. But Reed is bringing something into this game that Beck did not in the season opener. He is far more mobile than the Miami quarterback. Reed is averaging just over five yards per carry and has a rushing touchdown.
All of that is contributing to the Texas A&M offense gaining 477 yards per game. Mind you, those two wins were over UTSA and Utah State. Not quite Notre Dame-level opponents. But A&M also has two dynamic receivers to go with Reed. KC Concepcio (the transfer from NC State) and Mario Carver (the transfer from Mississippi State) give the Aggies big-time weapons on the outside.
What Notre Dame Needs to Do
Notre Dame’s freshman quarterback CJ Carr, did not show the same level of running ability against Miami that Reed has. He had 16 net yards on 11 rushes, with 13 of those yards coming on one run. What he did do well was put the ball up. Carr was 19 of 31 passing for 221 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Carr was also sacked three times, and therein lies a fix for Notre Dame that will have to bear results Saturday night. The offensive line is going to be the focal point. Not just because of the need to protect Carr better. But because there is no way the Irish are only going to give Jeremiyah Love 10 carries for the game. Love was held to just 33 yards in Miami on those 10 carries. It is going to be a long night for Notre Dame if they can’t unleash the biggest weapon in their offensive arsenal. In their match-up last year at A&M, Love averaged more than six yards a carry for just under 100 yards. This year’s A&M defense is significantly better than the 2024 version. So, the Notre Dame offense is going to have to be more well-rounded from the beginning of the game.
The issue on the other side of the ball for Notre Dame is that the defensive line had a tough season opener. Miami has one of the top offensive lines in college football and was able to push the Irish front around. Texas A&M’s offensive front is not nearly at that
same level. The Irish are going to need to get pressure on Reed so that his running game is not by design, but a byproduct of trying to escape the Notre Dame defense. He didn’t face many of those kinds of decision-making moments against UTSA or Utah
State.
With a 10-2 record at the season, Notre Dame, with the schedule it plays this year, is still a viable playoff selection. But to get those two losses in the first two weeks of the season would be digging an untenable hole. It isn’t a “must-win” game. But it certainly is a “really need to win this game” set-up Saturday night.
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