Texas A&M football is back — and so was the fan-favorite team walk-out song “POWER” by Kanye West. The vibes were electric to start off the well-anticipated bout against No. 7 Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31. However, as the game progressed, quarterback troubles and a defensive blowout in the run game gave way to a 0-1 start for A&M as Notre Dame won 23-13. Here are some of the takeaways from the game.  

“What I told the guys in the locker room is for us to get this program over the hump,” coach Mike Elko said. “We’re going to have to learn how to put ourselves in position to play the game the way we need to in those moments, and we just didn’t do that.”

Weigman’s trials and tribulations 

Sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman began with mistakes in the first, throwing two picks, one to the 2023 season interception leader: graduate defensive back Xavier Watts. Weigman finished with only 100 yards through the air and completed just 12 of his 30 passing attempts. 

“It was really, really hard because [Weigman] was not in rhythm, and there was nothing easy to get,” Elko said. “So we kept trying. We kept trying. We just couldn’t get there.”

If the Aggies want a competitor behind center, the train needs to call Weigman on before it leaves the station with another playmaker.

Defensive front

A highly recruited transfer from Purdue, junior defensive lineman Nic Scourton made his presence known to Leonard and the Notre Dame offensive line right out of the gate. However, giving up 198 yards on the ground was not the start Elko or any of the defense front was expecting. 

A few bright lights at the end of a defensive tunnel allowed Weigman to make an impact as sophomore DB Bryce Anderson made a key tackle for loss to force a fourth-and-one situation. Sophomore linebacker Taurean York then assisted in stopping Notre Dame in its tracks, effectively turning the ball over to his offense. 

If the Maroon and White want to establish themselves as a top SEC defense, Scourton, Anderson and linebacker Taurean York need to produce more impact plays as the top defensive players on the squad.  

After the game, Elko and defensive captain York echoed that they need to force more takeaways and generate more sacks to be able to compete and make a statement to the rest of the SEC.  

“We lost the turnover battle 2-0,” York said. “Our number one key to victory is to win the turnover margin, and we lost that tonight. The offense is its own separate deal. I have my faith in

Weigman, of course, but our defense — we have got to get turnovers. We have to force it. The ball is the game. Ultimately, we didn’t get the ball out tonight.”

The running game 

New offensive coordinator Collin Klein has set up an interesting hybrid of rushing and passing, leaning on junior RB Le’Veon Moss to carry most of the workload. Splitting between 30 pass attempts and 38 rush attempts, Weigman seemed lost on some plays, sometimes not even looking before throwing into double and triple coverage as if the designed play was not malleable. 

Moss was a slight relief in a game where the Aggies mostly shot themselves in the foot. He produced 67 yards in 20 carries and one touchdown to lead the Maroon and White in the backfield. While the offense only saw 146 yards on the ground, it’s a promising start to Klein’s squad, which proved they are ready to commit to whatever is working, whether that be in the air or on the ground. 

Problems giving up big plays

Too many blown plays in the secondary led to the brunt of Notre Dame’s progress on the offensive side. Specifically, the outside DBs and the interior line were the weakest links on Saturday night, allowing multiple rushes of 20 yards or more. 

Notre Dame’s first score came from a 47-yard rush from junior running back Jadarian Price, which the Aggie secondary looked helpless against. 

Another Fightin’ Irish back, sophomore Jeremiyah Love secured the win for Notre Dame with a 20-yard touchdown run down the middle. 

Defensive captain York confirmed the lack of urgency in the second half, comparing the 65 yards rushing in the first half to the 133 yards given up in the second. 

“I mean, it was a 50-yard touchdown run because of a missed tackle on my end,” York said. “So ultimately I’m going to take the blame. You swing big, you miss big, but it is what it is. You’ve got to move on.”