Jackie Sherrill previews No. 20 A&M's season-opener vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

Happy game week! On Saturday, No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 7 Notre Dame will face off under the lights of Kyle Field to kick off the 2024 season. Aggie legend Jackie Sherrill joined Monday's edition of TexAgs LIVE to detail what excites him about the matchup and more.

Key notes from Jackie Sherrill interview

• The old saying is your team knows more after the second game than the first. However, because of the interest, there is probably more national media present at this game than any game in A&M history. Around the country, you look at all the big media people that will be in attendance, and you know there will be pressure and expectations to play well.
   
•  As a coach, you don't know your team until you line up and play someone else. We all know the biggest question at A&M will be the offensive line. You can tell in practice when you have a great player. For instance, you can tell how the defensive line is doing against the offensive line or how a receiver is doing against a defensive back, but it is hard to tell how good the competition is until you play someone else.
   
• You know that some of these players are talented and very good because of how they played in the past. You get excited when you see some young players. Years ago, in Pittsburgh, we had a young man named Tony Dorsett. The first time he touched the ball, he went 84 yards. We all know that he was a great football player.
   
• I remember Johnny Holland. We recruited him as a quarterback. Then we moved him to free safety. At practice one day, I put him with the linebackers. I knew he was going to be a great linebacker. Part of the coach's responsibility is finding the best place for a player to play. We don't know right now if every player is in the right position to succeed.
   
• The pressure is on Notre Dame, so I like playing them in Week 1 in this situation. They are supposed to beat A&M. Usually, most people like to play an easier game first. When you open with a game like this, you are not going to play a lot of players because every snap is so important. Even in the kicking game, one play could get you beat. It is hard to analyze all the players because your only thought for this Saturday is winning the game.
   
• Conner Weigman has shown that he can be a top-five quarterback. If you remember, as a freshman, he came in as a spark and helped the team. In my opinion, he will have a good year. The question comes back to whether or not we can protect him.