3 Takeaways From Texas A&M’s Thriller vs. the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

A win is a win, no matter how ugly or clean. The No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies marched into South Bend, Indiana and stole a victory from the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

From the very start, it was a high-intensity game with a ton of scoring. Coach Mike Elko was on an emotional roller coaster that echoed that of the 12th Man.

Here are three takeaways from the Aggies’ 41-40 victory over the Fighting Irish.

Takeaways From Texas A&M vs Notre Dame

1. Mario Craver. That’s it.

Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) runs the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Jordan Botelho (12) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Get this man his flowers immediately. Craver is playing like the best player on the Aggies and it is not even close. Since putting on a Texas A&M uniform, Craver has not had a game where he accounted for less than 100 yards.

When Devonta Smith won his Heisman Trophy in 2020, he recorded 89 yards, 63 yards and a touchdown and 164 yards and a touchdown, respectively, in his first three games.

Craver, for reference, recorded 122 yards and two touchdowns, 114 yards and a touchdown and 207 yards and a touchdown through three games. If he keeps this pace up, he will be in New York at the end of the season.

2. Le’Veon Moss is Still That Dude

Texas A&M Aggies running back Le'Veon Moss (8) stiff-arms Utah State Aggies cornerback Courage Ugo (22) during the second quarter at Kyle Field. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Moss finished the Aggies’ Week 3 with 81 yards and three touchdowns on 20 attempts and provided a reminder to Texas A&M fans everywhere that he is still the feature back of the offense.

Moss’ performance rivaled that of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who is highly regarded as one of the best backs in all of college football. Love finished the night with 23 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown.

In the past couple of weeks, Moss has looked like a shell of what he did last season, whether it be through scheme or playcalling or just overall lack of opportunity. On Saturday, he looked like the Moss that led the Aggies to the second-best rushing offense in the SEC in 2024.

3. Holy Penalties

New Mexico State Aggies linebacker Tyler Martinez (35) defends in coverage as Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Dametrious Crownover (78) blocks during the second half at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It is hard to play winning football when you are constantly shooting yourself in the foot. The Aggies committed 13 penalties, resulting in a loss of 86 yards, a stark contrast to the Fighting Irish’s five for 31 yards.

The fact that Texas A&M won this game, based on these numbers alone, is shocking. Dametrious Crownover had four penalties himself. The offensive line had multiple others. Just unacceptable out of a Top-20 program.