SOUTH BEND – Coming off a 27-24 loss to No. 6 Miami in Week 1, Notre Dame had an open week to reflect on the loss and prepare for at least 11 straight weeks of football ahead. The Fighting Irish schedule won’t get any easier for their second game of the season, facing No. 17 Texas A&M this Saturday.
It’ll be Notre Dame’s home opener, and after losing to Northern Illinois in the first game at Notre Dame Stadium last season, expect the Fighting Irish to take the field with a bit of a chip on their collective shoulders Saturday night.
Notre Dame is a 6.5-point favorite against the Aggies, and here’s how they can do more than just cover the spread.
Give Jeremiyah Love the ball (more)
After Notre Dame’s Week 1 loss to Miami, head coach Marcus Freeman said the offensive game plan going into that Sunday night game against the Hurricanes was to give redshirt freshman QB1 CJ Carr many opportunities for easy throws to establish rhythm. That approach may have worked for a first-time starting quarterback if that game came against any run of the mill opponent.
It didn’t work against a top-10 team like Miami. Despite Carr finishing the game with numbers that don’t look all that bad – 222 passing yards, 16 rushing yards, three total touchdowns and one interception – the reality is that the game should have never hinged on Carr’s performance.
Junior running back Jeremiyah Love only garnered 10 rushing attempts last week, gaining 33 yards on those carries. More specifically, Love only touched the ball once on the game’s opening drive and just four times in the first half.
It doesn’t take an expert to tell you that Love is one of the best offensive skill players in all of college football. This Saturday, the Fighting Irish should take advantage of that and let Love’s talent carry the offense.
Take advantage of so-so Aggie defense
Despite facing middle-of-the-road opponents in Week 1 and 2 like UTSA and Utah State, Texas A&M allowed three touchdowns in each game. The Irish defense allowed 28 points — just four less than the Aggies did against UTSA — last time out to what is expected to be one of the best offenses in college football this season in Miami.
Fans shouldn’t be concerned about Notre Dame’s defense, and the Irish themselves should be champing at the bit to face a 2025 Texas A&M defense that has only forced two turnovers so far this season. While the Aggies’ pass rush could cause problems, they’ve proven to be so-so against the run in 2025, allowing 177 yards to UTSA’s lead back in Week 1.
Just imagine what Jeremiyah Love could do.
The Aggies’ offense has been virtually unstoppable through the first two games of the year, averaging 43 points and 476 yards per contest, but defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s defense could neutralize them to an extent this Saturday. If that’s the case, Notre Dame’s offense should look to turn its second game of the season into a shootout with which its opponent can’t keep up.
Use home field to your advantage
The Irish have lost two of their last three home openers, and you can bet Notre Dame is hell-bent on making sure it doesn’t start 0-2 for the first time since 2022. Fans packing into the near 80,000-seat Notre Dame Stadium will have this in mind heading into Saturday night, too.
Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M is absolutely a scenario where the Irish and their fans should use that home field advantage to try and disrupt the flow of the game. Texas A&M’s offense has been electric through two games, but Notre Dame should try to use the South Bend atmosphere to try and get in the heads of the Aggies.
Not much hard-hitting analysis in this key to victory, but the crowd could be just as big of a factor as anything that happens on the field Saturday night.
South Bend Tribune staff predictions for Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M football
Mike Berardino, Notre Dame football beat reporter
No. 8 Notre Dame 31, No. 17 Texas A&M 21: Make it 14 straight road losses vs. ranked teams for the Aggies.
Tom Noie, columnist
No. 8 Notre Dame 27, No. 17 Texas A&M 20: Will the real Notre Dame football team please show up and stand up? Back at home and back from an extended break, the Irish do both to allow everyone to breathe a little easier.
Kyle Smedley, sports reporter
No. 8 Notre Dame 34, No. 17 Texas A&M 24: The Fighting Irish hold an Aggies offense that averages 43 points per game to three touchdowns and a field goal while showing offensive firepower of their own with four touchdowns and two field goals. The home-opener crowd should be electric.
Austin Hough, sports editor
No. 8 Notre Dame 28, No. 17 Texas A&M 17: Welcome back to the Heisman discussion, Jeremiyah Love. Irish learn from week 1 mistake, lean on their best player for a big home win.
Kyle Smedley is a high school sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email atksmedley@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football vs. Texas A&M: 3 keys, staff predictions for ranked Saturday night game
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
