Notre Dame and Texas A&M meet this Saturday in the second leg of a home-and-home series, this time in South Bend. For head coach Marcus Freeman, the matchup carries extra weight as the Irish try to avoid dropping back-to-back games to open the season.
FOX analyst Joel Klatt shared his outlook on the primetime contest, highlighting the importance of Notre Dame’s ground game. He pointed to the lack of balance in the opener against Miami as a key issue.
“My question is, will [Texas A&M] have enough to win on the road? I’m not totally sure about that one,” Klatt said. “I like what I saw from CJ Carr. I think Notre Dame goes back to the drawing board and they understand that getting Jeremiyah Love more involved this time is going to help CJ Carr and they’re going to clarify some of those looks he’s going to be throwing into. I think Notre Dame actually wins this game.”
Love was limited to 10 carries for 63 yards in the season opener, with game flow dictating a heavier reliance on the passing attack. Last year, however, he was central to the Irish rushing success against the Aggies, posting 91 of the team’s nearly 200 yards on the ground at 6.5 yards per carry.
That effort, combined with Riley Leonard’s playmaking, tilted the outcome in Notre Dame’s favor by 10 points.
Also read: Mike Elko’s eye-opening take as Notre Dame’s CJ Carr faces Aggies
Freeman praises CJ Carr’s confidence and control
Elko’s Aggies are expected to prioritize stopping that same rushing attack this time. Still, oddsmakers see Notre Dame as a touchdown favorite, and Klatt believes the Irish will cover.
“I do think this game could be tight,” Klatt said. “I’m a fan of Mike Elko and I’m a fan of Texas A&M. I think that’s a good football team, I don’t think it’s a great football team. Where I think Notre Dame could be a great football team. I’m taking the Irish and I think they cover the 6.5.”
Freeman also weighed in on Carr, who completed 19 of 30 passes (63.3 percent) for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Miami, while adding 11 carries for 16 yards and a rushing score.
“He’s confident. I know he has the control of the huddle. He wanted the ball in his hands. That’s who he is. He’s a competitor,” Freeman said. “We’re confident with the ball in his hands.”
The primetime showdown between the Irish and Aggies will air live on NBC at 7:30 p.m. ET from South Bend.
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