Notre Dame and Texas A&M enter Saturday wanting extra like mirror photographs than strangers, and that makes this conflict inside Notre Dame Stadium one of many weekend’s most intriguing showdowns.
Each applications retooled at receiver after their early-season assembly in 2024, each are rolling out new quarterbacks, and each are stocked with talent expertise that hasn’t absolutely fired on all cylinders. Merely put, this Week 3 battle of ranked groups doubles as a litmus take a look at for development and a crucial pivot level for the Irish, who’re already boxed in after a season-opening loss at Miami.
Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed has been extra of a sport supervisor as a passer, however could be electrical as a runner. On the opposite aspect, Irish freshman CJ Carr flashed star energy in his debut, tossing two touchdowns and working for one more in a slim 27-24 defeat.
For the second straight 12 months, Notre Dame has suffered an early-season loss, however that does not imply its playoff hopes are over. The Aggies’ rebuild beneath Mike Elko is simply in 12 months 2, and Saturday offers a proving floor and whether or not they’re able to step into the nationwide highlight.
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame: Must know
Marcus Freeman owns the SEC: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman has completed one thing few predecessors have in South Bend: he has overwhelmed SEC groups at a livid tempo. The fourth-year coach is already 3-0 towards SEC foes, and so they have been all ranked: Georgia within the CFP, South Carolina and Texas A&M. He will get at the least two extra alternatives this season: Texas A&M this week and Arkansas on the street.
Aggies’ street woes: Texas A&M is just not a workforce to wager on profitable towards top-25 groups on the street. The Aggies have not overwhelmed a ranked workforce in a real street surroundings since 2014 (Auburn) and has gone 0-13 since with a median scoring margin of 34-18. Just one SEC workforce has a worse document since that point: Vanderbilt, which is 0-17.
The place’s the Love? Jeremiyah Love may be the perfect working again within the nation, however he hasn’t touched the ball a lot since he sprinted 98 yards for a landing within the first spherical of the CFP final season. Love has averaged solely 2.9 yards per run since that explosive run, and hasn’t run for greater than 10 yards on a single carry since. He carried the ball solely 10 occasions for 33 yards, and was efficient with 4 catches for 26 yards within the loss towards Miami within the season opener. Will the Irish re-establish the run towards the Aggies? Bear in mind, Love rushed for 91 yards and a landing on solely 14 carries towards Texas A&M final season.
How you can watch Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame reside
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, Indiana
TV: NBC | Dwell stream: Fubo (Begin watching, save $20!)
Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame prediction, picks
It has been 11 years since Texas A&M defeated a ranked workforce on the street. Avenging a 10-point loss at dwelling to Notre Dame final season with a win Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium positive can be a pleasant break from the development. Marcel Reed offers the Aggies’ offense a special dynamic that the Irish didn’t should contend towards final season, and for as a lot as Marcel Reed desires to be identified for his passing, the important thing for him is sparking the dashing assault, which suggests he must tuck the ball and run for laborious yards. Notre Dame has the higher dashing assault with Jeremiyah Love and has a quarterback, CJ Carr, who proved himself a succesful runner when wanted. The sensation right here is that the Irish run the ball greater than the 28 occasions for 93 yards that they had towards Miami. Choose: Notre Dame Cash line -258
SportsLine’s confirmed laptop mannequin has simulated each Week 3 faculty soccer sport 10,000 occasions. Go to SportsLine now to see all of the picks, all from the mannequin that’s 31-19 because the starting of final season on top-rated money-line and over/beneath picks.
