COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M hoped to kick off the Mike Elko Era with a strong win or at least a dramatic finish against Notre Dame. Instead, it ended with an apology from their new coach.
The No. 7 Fighting Irish defeated No. 20 A&M 23-13 in front of 107,315 fans, marking the fourth-largest crowd in Kyle Field history, and Elko’s initial excitement quickly faded just before midnight.
“To Aggie fans, thank you for coming tonight and making this a special day,” Elko stated. “You deserve better, and we didn’t deliver. We’ll get back to work and strive to create the program you expect and deserve.”
The Aggies’ main concern was their offense, which didn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter, tying the low-scoring game at 13-13 before Notre Dame finished strong with a 10-0 run.
“It was a four-quarter battle,” said Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, who had trained in the Texas heat all August, they lost momentum in the final quarter. Notre Dame appeared better prepared and conditioned, clinching the victory with an 85-yard drive deep in the fourth against a retreating defense.
“We’ve got to fight,” said A&M linebacker Taurean York. “Victories happen in the fourth quarter, and we lost that battle. With them rushing for 198 yards, that’s unacceptable, and that starts with me. We’ll fix it.”
The Fighting Irish rushed for 65 yards in the first half and more than double that (133 yards) in the second. Meanwhile, the highly-rated A&M defense failed to record a single sack on Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. Ultimately, the loss fell heavily on A&M’s struggling offense.
Sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman, back from a foot injury that sidelined him for the last nine games last season, threw two interceptions in the first half and ended with 12 completions on 30 attempts for 100 yards against a tough Notre Dame defense.
“We need to get him in better situations to help him feel comfortable,” Elko said about the former five-star recruit. “They played us in man coverage, which made it hard to find easy throws to help him settle into the game.”
Weigman struggled to find his rhythm all night, while Leonard completed 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards. A&M hired Elko from Duke, where Leonard had played for two seasons, and on Saturday, Leonard also contributed 63 rushing yards on scrambles.
“It wasn’t enjoyable, and I expected it to be tough,” Elko remarked about facing his former quarterback, who transferred to Notre Dame to chase a national title. “He made some significant plays, especially on third-and-five and during the final drive.
“He executed well and made enough plays to win the game… I’ll always root for that kid.”
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