While many of the top teams in the country are starting out with cupcake games against smaller schools that are little more than glorified scrimmages, Notre Dame and Texas A&M are diving right into the competitive fray. This battle pits the #7 Fighting Irish against the #20 Aggies, who will be looking to reestablish themselves in a tough, newly-expanded version of the SEC.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, will be hoping to make it through an entire season without suffering key losses along the way. Last year they stumbled against Ohio Tate, Louisville and Clemson, but the Irish are hoping that Duke transfer Riley Patterson can take the helm at quarterback and help them earn a high seed in the expanded CFB playoff format.
Game Details
Fixture: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Date and Time: August 31, 2024 @ 7:30 PM EST
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, TX
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Team Review
Every Notre Dame season starts with high hopes, and this one is no exception. Usually the Irish suffer a back-breaking loss that keeps them out of the playoffs, but last year's three-loss debacle was a disappointment, although a 40-8 victory over Oregon State in the Sun Bowl helped ease the pain a little.
The guy who's supposed to fix that is QB transfer Riley Leonard, who spent three seasons at Duke before entering the portal during the offseason. The irony of this opener is that Leonard will be facing his old coach at Duke, Mike Elko, who is the new head man at A&M.
The familiarity factor will be one element of this game, but Leonard has some proving to do. He had a superb 2022 season for the Blue Devils with 20 TDs and just 6 interceptions, but he injured his ankle in 2023--against Notre Dame, ironically--and Leonard ended up having a pair of surgeries during the offseason.
Texas A&M Aggies Team Review
Last year was a struggle for A&M, to put it mildly. They lost six games and were often outclassed by superior SEC competition, so they'll bel looking to rebound under Mike Elko, who replaced the disappointing Jimbo Fisher.
One thing Fisher did was recruit well, so there's still talent on this roster. Quarterback Connor Weigman returns after suffering a broken foot in 2023, and he'll have two talented receivers to throw to in Evan Stewart and Ainais Smith.
Both lines are considered strong, so there's cautious optimism going into 2024. This game will be something of a bellwether game for Elko as he looks to establish his coaching bona fides in the SEC. The schedule includes the usual array of SEC grind games against the likes of Missouri, LSU and Texas, so it's important for Elko to get off to a good start here.
Who to Watch
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
We'll go with Leonard here as the new guy at the most important position on the field. Keep an eye on the Irish secondary, though, as CB Benjamin Morrison is elite at his position and safety Xavier Watts won the Bronco Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player in the country. They'll look to spoil Weigman's comeback, and throwing successfully against them will be a big challenge.
Texas A&M Aggies
Weigman will be important in this game, but the real guy to watch isn't a player for Texas A&M. Mike Elko has to prove he's up for the challenge of an SEC schedule in his home opener, and it'll be interesting to see his sideline demeanor if the Aggies struggle early. He gets a cupcake game against McNeese next week, but that will be small consolation if A&M gets outclassed in this one against the Fighting Irish.