The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be welcoming the Texas A&M Aggies to South Bend on Saturday in what is expected to be an exciting contest. Notre Dame seeks another chance at the CFP finals after falling short to Ohio State, while Texas A&M seeks to extend its undefeated streak against the Irish.
The Irish are hungry for their first win, and they certainly do not want to lose their home opener. The question now is, can they beat the red-hot Aggies?
Notre Dame vs Texas A&M: Players to Watch
After losing to Miami on the road, Fighting Irish QB1 CJ Carr has plenty to prove, and he may turn his game up against the Aggies. In that loss to the Hurricanes, he passed for 221 yards on 30 attempts, completing 19 of them. He had a 63.3% pass completion rate in that loss and he is aiming to improve on that this Saturday.
Running backs Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love need to step up their game, along with TE Eli Raridon and WR Malachi Fields, as Carr would likely look for them out in the field. Meanwhile, the defense also needs to step up against the Aggies, particularly Jalen Stroman and Drayk Bowen.
For Texas A&M, the Aggies also need to step up their game against a Fighting Irish team that is hungry for redemption. One of them is redshirt sophomore running back Rueben Owens II, who will be one of the main proponents of the Aggies’ famous running game. He missed much of 2024 due to foot injury, and can finally show off what he could do this season.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M has struggled with their pass defense last season, and this is why redshirt senior cornerback Will Lee III has been back brought in, which is why he will be integral to putting much pressure on Carr.
Betting Lines for Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M
Despite Notre Dame having the home field advantage, the odds are closer than what many are expecting. According to Bet365, the Fighting Irish are -6.5 (-110) favorites with a total of (49.5 -110o / -110u). The moneyline for them is -270. Meanwhile, the Aggies are +6.5 (-110) favorites with a total of (49.5 -110o / -110u) with a moneyline of +210.
Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M Prediction
Notre Dame is hungry to prove itself after falling to Carson Beck and Miami, so expect the Fighting Irish to come out with a statement win, though the Aggies might try and keep things close.
Related:
Colin Cowherd Raises Eyebrow at Notre Dame’s Offensive Choices After Loss to Mario Cristobal’s Miami
Top 7 Notre Dame Jokes As Carson Beck-led Miami Stuns Marcus Freeman, CJ Carr
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