Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Early Preview: Keys to Victory

The Aggies and Irish square off for the second consecutive time in Week 3.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Beaux Collins (5) catches a pass as Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Dashawn Fillmore (26) attempts to break up the play in the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

For the second straight year, the "Fightin' Farmers" from Texas A&M will take on the Fighting Irish from Notre Dame on the gridiron, only this time, it's at "The House that Rockne Built."

The Irish got the best of Mike Elko and the Aggies last year at Kyle Field, intercepting then-quarterback Conner Weigman twice and statistically manhandling Texas A&M on their way to a 23-13 win to start their 2024 campaign.

The Aggies would go on a seven-game winning streak after the loss to the Irish, but would see their season and playoff hopes collapse after losing their final three conference games and eventually their bowl game against the USC Trojans.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko argues with an official about an overturned tageting call against the Texas Longhorns during the Lone Star Showdown at Kyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 in College Station, Texas. | Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame on the other hand, experienced heartbreak shortly after the A&M game, falling victim to an upset 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois before going undefeated the rest of the season, through the playoffs and making it to the national championship game, where they were defeated 34-23 at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Notre Dame's win in College Station last year gave them a 4-2 all-time lead in their series against the Aggies, and here are three ways that Texas A&M can keep Notre Dame from claiming victory number five:

Contain The Run Game, Especially Jeremiyah Love

Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love has been described by some as this year's Ashton Jeanty, ready to run rampant on any defense that he stands against.

That is certainly how it seemed for Love during the game against Texas A&M last year, carrying the rock 14 times for 91 yards and a touchdown, the score putting the game out of reach for the Aggies to come back from.

The Fighting Irish run game, consisting of Love, Jadarian Price, and quarterback Riley Leonard, combined for 198 yards against the Aggie defense, who had been hailed as one of the best in the country the year before. If the Aggies want to avoid a second straight loss to the Irish, then they need to keep the run game in check for all 60 minutes.

Avoid Turnovers

A basic rule of thumb to go by in a football game, but this especially rings true for Texas A&M. Conner Weigman's pair of interceptions left points on the board for the Aggies that were easily picked back up by Notre Dame.

Had the Aggies scored on just one of the drives that resulted in a pick, the game could have been a lot closer than fans imagine and the Aggies could have started 2024 with an eight-game winning streak instead of seven.

Dominate The Line Of Scrimmage

The Fighting Irish were the better team in terms of time of possession and first downs last year in College Station, allowing them to have more time to wear down the Aggies and eventually score their game-clinching touchdown and field goal late in the fourth quarter, almost like if the Aggies had just run out of gas in the contest.

If the Aggies can keep the ball out of the hands of the Notre Dame defense and keep up their fight the full 60 minutes, then there's no reason the Aggies shouldn't be able to start 2025 3-0.

The Irish and Aggies kick off at 6:30 PM on September 13.