COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M’s defense delivered a strong performance on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory against Notre Dame, who won the game 23-13.
The Aggies’ defense managed to restrict Notre Dame to just 250 yards of offense through three quarters. However, the Fighting Irish broke through late in the game. With two minutes remaining, running back Jeremiyah Love scored on a 21-yard run, concluding an 85-yard drive that took 4 minutes and 29 seconds. The No. 7 ranked team in the US LBM Coaches Poll finished with a total of 356 offensive yards.
Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman struggled to lead the team in response. His attempts resulted in two incompletions and a failed fourth-and-2 conversion. Notre Dame added a third field goal afterwards, cementing the final score.
“We beat ourselves. We weren’t consistent mentally and physically,” offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III stated regarding the team’s performance.
Defensively, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko’s squad effectively contained Riley Leonard, a former Duke quarterback, limiting him to 158 passing yards on 18 of 30 attempts. In contrast, Weigman had a rough night, throwing for only 100 yards on 12 of 30 attempts, including two interceptions.
“We lost the turnover battle 2-0, and that’s not going to lead to a lot of successful games,” Elko remarked. Weigman’s first interception came from an overthrow to 6-foot-6 Noah Thomas, while the second occurred when he was intercepted by Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, who capitalized on a poor throw before halftime.
Weigman’s struggles were evident throughout the game, with no completions coming easily even as his offensive line provided ample time. Elko acknowledged multiple factors, including missing throws and the need for better separation from receivers.
Midway through the third quarter, the Aggies faced another critical moment. After stopping Notre Dame on a fourth-and-2, Texas A&M opted to go for a fourth-and-8 on the Irish’s 37-yard line, but Weigman’s throw intended for Micah Tease fell short. This led to Notre Dame scoring its first touchdown shortly after, thanks to a 47-yard run by Jadarian Price.
Despite limiting Notre Dame to 65 rushing yards in the first half, the Irish ultimately finished with 198 yards on the ground. Elko acknowledged the team’s struggle against the run, stating, “You’re not going to win football games in this conference doing that.”
In the fourth quarter, Texas A&M’s offense showed signs of life. Running backs E.J. Smith and LeVeon Moss began to penetrate Notre Dame’s defensive line. Following a pass interference call on Notre Dame, the Aggies tied the game with a touchdown, finishing the game with 146 rushing yards overall.
However, Weigman did not complete a single pass during that touchdown drive, relying on his teammates, particularly with a critical 15-yard face mask penalty aiding their progress.
Weigman, in just his 10th start, acknowledged the need for improvement, emphasizing the collective struggles across the offense. “It’s going to be Connor delivering the ball in the right spots on time. It’s going to be receivers creating separation. It’s going to be the O-line protecting,” Elko stated.
“For us to get this program over the hump, we’re gonna have to learn how to put ourselves in position to play the game the way we need to in those moments. We just didn’t do that tonight.”