Sep 43 min read

Ultimate Takeaways From Texas A&M's Loss to Notre Dame

Despite a hard-fought battle, head coach Mike Elko's Texas A&M debut ended in disappointment as the Aggies lost to No. 5 Notre Dame at home. Texas A&M entered the game ranked at No. 20.

As with most games, some aspects were well-executed while others needed work. Here are some takeaways for the Aggies from their season opener.

1. Defense is Still Elite

Texas A&M held Notre Dame to just six points in the first half and 23 points overall. That's just barely beyond its defensive average from a year ago when the unit held opponents to 22.08 points per game, just outside the top 25, and had the country's No. 19 overall defense.

Facing a dual-threat quarterback with the ability of Riley Leonard on Saturday was no easy task. The Aggies kept him in check most of the game. Will Lee III, Taurean York, Shemar Turner and Purdue transfer Nic Scourton were among those who stood out for the A&M defense.

2. Texas A&M QB Concerns

Conner Weigman seemed off all night, and it hurt the Aggies at key moments in the game. Two of his many inaccurate throws turned into interceptions as he tried to lead the team to points in the first half. Weigman squandered the chance to take a lead early in the third quarter by sailing a fourth-and-8 pass over the wide receiver's head.

He also telegraphed a throw on a quick slant that made it easy for Notre Dame's Christian Gray to jump the route. Gray broke up the pass on a crucial fourth-and-2 that put away the game. Overall, Weigman was 12 for 30 passing with 100 yards and 2 interceptions on the night. That won't win games.

Elko addressed the play of his quarterback during his weekly press conference on Monday.

"It looked like his feet just never got settled," Elko said. "He had much cleaner pockets than I think he played like. I think his feet just got out of control underneath him a little bit, and I think that caused a lot of his inaccuracies."

One game should not force a rash decision, but how long will the leash be if Weigman continues to struggle?

3. Receivers Are a Mystery

It was not a good night for Texas A&M wide receivers. The group struggled to get separation from defenders and caught just 12 passes for 100 yards. Six of those catches came from Jahdae Walker, who collected 31 yards on the night, while no one else had more than 2 catches.

"It starts with us," Elko explained. "I think we've got to find some ways to create better opportunities for our kids to get open and get vertical down the field and make plays."

Obviously, quarterback play had to have played a role in the struggles, but Texas A&M needs better from this group.

4. Challenging Offensive Line Depth

The Aggies' offensive line depth was tested early as center Mark Nabou and guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams both exited the game in the first half. While Nabou returned to the game in spurts, he was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL on Monday. Reed-Adams never returned to the game. Senior Kolinu'u Faaiu and redshirt freshman TJ Shanahan took their spots and played decently. However, extended absences within the unit will challenge this team greatly as many of its backups are underclassmen.

With the ferocious defensive lines in the Southeastern Conference, how will the Aggies hold up in the trenches as the season goes on?

5. Unscripted Offense Needs Work

Many teams script the plays for their opening drives in advance and emphasize them during practice week to get off to a fast start. Texas A&M did exactly that to start the game, even though some penalties did help the first drive. Unfortunately for A&M, the offense could not repeat that success after the script went away and had just one similar drive the rest of the game.

That drive ended with a Le'Veon Moss touchdown run. Offensive coordinator Collin Klein was known for his running game while at Kansas State but he seemed to incorporate more passing than usual on Saturday. Maybe he leans more on the ground game to fix the issues going forward.