Beating Irish could signal long-awaited awakening of sleeping giant

Crash victims reportedly experience feelings of dread when returning to the scene of an accident.

Therefore, those wrestling with anxiety on Saturday night at Kyle Field need not feel alone.

About 110,000 others can commiserate.

You’ve been here before — physically and emotionally. You’ve too often seen hopes for a special Texas A&M football season crash and burn.

You’ve waited for A&M, the proverbial sleeping giant, to awaken like a ravenous grizzly bear from a long hibernation.

Grizzlies are welcome. You’re worried about the wolf.

Too many times, the Aggies have entered seasons with high rankings and higher aspirations but cried wolf.

You just cried. Maybe not literally, although losing to Appalachian State may have wrought tears of frustration in 2022.

But one big victory can change the trajectory and national perception. It just has to come over the right opponent.

Notre Dame is that opponent. Notre Dame has a “national cache.” Notre Dame has mystique. Notre Dame has a No. 7 national ranking.

Beating Notre Dame means beating Knute Rockne, Rudy, the “Gipper” and the Four Horsemen.

Just the mere opportunity to play Notre Dame is exciting for opponents. Well, most opponents, anyway.

“I don’t know that for us this is necessarily tremendous excitement because it’s Notre Dame,” first-year A&M coach Mike Elko said earlier this week. “I think it’s tremendous excitement because we’re playing a national brand that’s ranked seventh in the country in our home opener with a lot of eyes on the game.”

There is indeed all that. There is also the beginning of the return of Elko from Duke, the return of quarterback Conner Weigman from injury, the return of prodigal son Nic Scourton from Purdue and maybe — just maybe — the return of A&M to national prominence.

A victory over Notre Dame could vault the No. 20 Aggies to the edge of the top ten. A victory over Notre Dame provides validation. A victory over Notre Dame indicates a place in the 12-team College Football Playoff field is legitimately within reach.

Of course, there will still be work to be done. Eleven games would remain. Three more ranked opponents loom later on the schedule. The Aggies must end a streak of nine-straight SEC losses on the road.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Texas A&M is 2-3 against Notre Dame since 1987. The Aggies last hosted the Fighting Irish on Sept. 29, 2001, in a 24-3 victory.

But A&M isn’t likely to face a stronger defensive front than Notre Dame’s. Also, the Irish’s secondary, flush with All-Americans, is the best A&M will see all season. A&M won’t play many quarterbacks better than Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard.

Beat Notre Dame, and anything is possible. And A&M can beat the Irish. The keys to an Aggie victory are running, rushing and Weigman.

The Aggies’ running game was painfully inconsistent in 2023.

Yet, the new scheme of offensive coordinator Collin Klein figures to make a difference. So does the instruction of new offensive line coach Adam Cushing, the arrival of Kansas transfer Ar’maj Reed-Adams, the growth of sophomore guard Chase Bisontis and the health of junior tackle Trey Zuhn III.

Also, Notre Dame’s run defense, though as stout as a pint of Guinness, is not impenetrable.

Last season, Louisville rushed for 185 yards in a 33-20 victory over the Irish. Clemson gained 176 in a 31-23 win. Elko’s Duke Blue Devils rolled up 189 in a last-minute 21-14 loss.

The Aggies’ offensive line must be better than it was. Their defensive line must be as good as it’s expected to be.

A&M’s defensive front could be one of the best in the country. The addition of Scourton to join All-SEC selection Shemar Turner and Shemar Stewart, a top candidate for a “breakout” year, suggests a fierce pass rush, which could pose problems for Leonard.

Further, Notre Dame’s projected five offensive linemen have just six career starts among them.

Scourton, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season, should frequently challenge true freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp.

That matchup looks like a big advantage for A&M. Elko, though, cautions that looks can be deceiving.

“If they have young kids that have entered into the starting lineup, it probably means they are (future) NFL draft picks,” Elko said. “When you say he’s a freshman starting on the offensive line at Notre Dame, my gut would be if you went back and researched that, that would end with he got drafted in the first round significantly more often than not.”

Weigman, of course, is a major key for the Aggies. Last season, he passed for 979 yards and eight touchdowns before suffering a season-ending foot injury midway through the fourth game.

His greatest asset against the Irish may be his history of avoiding interceptions. He has been picked off just twice in his career, and neither was his fault.

Notre Dame had 16 interceptions last season. But in their three losses, the Irish combined for just one.

Avoiding turnovers will be especially vital. If the Aggies do that, mount a running game and get a strong pass rush, they will likely beat Notre Dame.

That win, in turn, will give A&M an early position to potentially crash the playoff party.

Make that “go to" the playoff party. Crashes are dreaded around here.