Texas A&M’s 41-40 win over then No. 8-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend has been cemented as one of the program’s most significant wins over the last 20-plus years, and could end up being the the victory that propells the Aggies to a nine or ten win season, which would likely mean a trip to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
Without getting too far ahead, this was the first big step before entering SEC play, as Texas A&M will host No. 22 Auburn in Week 5 after this week’s bye week, which comes at the perfect time. Amid all the excitement, the injury to starting safety Bryce Anderson took center stage at the end of the first half of Saturday’s game. Still, according to the senior and coach Mike Elko, Anderson will return sometime this season after avoiding what could have been a serious injury.
With the bye week, Aggie fans have the opportunity to re-watch Saturday’s win. Thanks to Texas A&M Athletics’ widely praised in-season program, “The Pulse,” reliving the exciting finish only takes half an hour out of your day. Led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed’s 360 passing yards, paired with transfer wide receiver Mario Craver’s 207 yards, including his 72-yard score that tied the game in the first quarter, we now know why the Aggies were so energized down the stretch.
During the start of the latest episode of The Pulse, Mike Elko’s pre-game speech, which showed him as fiery and pumped up as any player before taking the field, provided an extra boost of energy for his team, which played with relentless effort throughout the night.
After Notre Dame’s go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, former Notre Dame starting quarterback turned holder botched the hold on the extra point, providing the Aggies a chance to take the lead and leave South Bend with a win. After six receptions in the first half, Mario Craver’s huge gain on a crossing route led to the Aggies making their way back to the red zone.
After several penalties, Marcel Reed, on 4th & Goal, found transfer tight end Nate Boerkircher for the game-tying touchdown, leading to kicker Randy Bond’s extra point, and combined with two defensive stops with just seconds remaining, Texas A&M earned one of the biggest wins of the season thus far.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Watch Texas A&M HC Mike Elko’s locker room speech before the Aggies’ faced Notre Dame
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
