What is the story about?
What You Need to Know:
- No. 19 Texas A&M is 2-0 and playing their first game against a power conference opponent and also their first road game of the season.
- No. 9 Notre Dame is in their fourth season under head coach Marcus Freeman after making it to the National Championship game a season ago. The Irish are 0-1 after a Week 1 loss at Miami.
Betting Lines:
- The Irish are a 6.5-point favorite.
- The over/under is 50.5.
Historical Notes:
- The all-time series between the Aggies and Irish is 4-2 in favor of Notre Dame, with the Irish winning the most recent game 23-13 last season in Mike Elko’s Texas A&M head coaching debut.
- Mike Elko was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2017.
- A&M hasn’t beaten a ranked team on the road since they defeated No. 3 Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 8, 2014.
- Famous Notre Dame alumni include Regis Philbin, Condoleezza Rice, Hannah Storm, Phil Donahue, Jim Caviezel, George Wendt and Nicholas Sparks.
What To Watch For:
- Injury status: Texas A&M LT Trey Zuhn III and QB Marcel Reed both exited the Utah State win with injuries. Both reportedly could have returned if they were needed, and Mike Elko has said both should be fine for the Notre Dame game, but is that just gamesmanship? Only time will tell, but if either missed time, it could obviously have a major impact on A&M’s ability to win this game.
- The runs: Notre Dame had a surprising lack of success running the football two weeks ago against the Hurricanes, gaining only 93 yards on 28 carries (16 for 78 yards by RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price). Will they be able to establish a better ground game against the Aggies, or will they have to rely on first-year starting QB C.J. Carr?
- Season swings: These two teams’ season-long outlooks will swing wildly based on the outcome of this game? If Notre Dame wins, they rebound from their Week 1 loss and get their Playoff hopes back on track, while the Aggies fail their first big test and walk away with a lot of uncertainty. If the Aggies win, their Playoff hopes get a massive shot in the arm headed into a bye week, while the Irish would fall to 0-2 and likely feel like their season is over before it really even began.
Media Blitz:
- Venue: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, IN)
- Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
- TV: NBC
- Get your Notre Dame coverage from their SB Nation team site, One Foot Down.
Weather:
- Some sun in the morning with increading clouds during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds SW at 5-10 MPH.
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