CFB: Notre Dame Fighting Irish Week 4 Preview

Marcus Freeman already has experience of finishing one season with a loss before losing the opening two games of the following season, on the road and then at home. That, however, was the first three games of his entire head coaching career. So, Notre Dame fans are entitled to feel more than a little disheartened to find the Irish back in this spot, after all the positive momentum since that loss to Marshall back in 2022. 

The A&M game ought to have been an opportunity to bounce back from the late three-point loss in Miami (FL). And it all started so promisingly when the visitors’ first drive ended in a blocked punt returned for a TD. The Special Teams gods, however, not only giveth but also sadly taketh away. 

A late TD run by Jeremiyah Love should have put ND 41-34 ahead with just under three minutes to play. Instead, a botched hold on the PAT left the Irish with a more precarious six-point advantage. And given how the Notre Dame defense has started the season, Irish fans all around the world just knew how this would all end. In a 41-40 defeat on a fourth down with 13 seconds to go. 

It’s all the more frustrating that the ND offense finally got into gear. The OL improved significantly from Week 1, and Love and Price had 35 carries and four catches between them. CJ Carr continued to display maturity beyond his years as he threw for almost 300 yards. The Irish won the time of possession battle by over seven minutes, out-rushed their opponents, and were much better on third down. But. 

That defense. If the Miami game was not great, the Aggies’ matchup was hide-behind-your-sofa bad. Marcel Reed only completed 17 of his 37 passes. But they went for 360 yards. Poor tackling allowed one long TD. A brief ankle injury to Leonard Moore, combined with clever play by A&M OC, Collin Klein, saw Moore’s backup give up a long pass to set up another score. 

ND’s continued desire to persist with rushing four and dropping seven into zone is still generating far too little by way of pressure on the opposing QB. I appreciate that highly paid college coaches are loath to admit they’re wrong, especially at the behest of fans with significantly less knowledge of the intricacies of the job. But those same fans have watched Irish defenses over the last decade or so and can see when changes are simply not working. 

Freeman may need to get more involved, but I suspect the most significant issue will be dealing with egos involved in admitting fault and being open to putting ‘team glory’ ahead of personal feelings.