It wasn’t easy watching college football this weekend without having Notre Dame on the field, but it was the right choice after opening up the season on a Sunday.
Early off-weeks aren’t ideal, but made perfect sense, as the Irish have almost two week to prepare to host Texas A&M in the 2025 home opener. Both teams are ranked inside the US LBM Coaches Poll top-25, so this will be a nationally significant contest for them.
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There were plenty of thoughts that entered my head over the weekend, and here are the ones that stood out as Notre Dame gets back on the field Saturday night against Texas A&M.
Marcus Freeman needs to set the tone on Monday
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in South Bend.
With no game this past week, we haven’t heard from Freeman since the season opening loss at Miami. He’s had plenty of time to digest what he saw two Sunday’s ago, and he’s surely spoken to the team about it. Who he hasn’t said anything to is the media, and he’ll be back to his regularly scheduled press conference later today. Leadership starts at the top, and Freeman knows this, so setting the tone for his team early will be a must. The Irish can ill afford another slow start following a long lay-off, and it all starts with the head coach.
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Clemson’s play during Week 2 helped Notre Dame
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley talks with quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during at timeout in the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, September 6, 2025.
If you didn’t see, the Irish moved up in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, and they didn’t give either set of voters any new data. What helped was Clemson struggling to defeat Troy, as they found themselves in an early 16-0 deficit. They’d climb out of it, but it wasn’t at all impressive. Notre Dame has yet to win a game, but they’re still ranked inside the top-10 in both, which shows they’re respected around the sport. This will help with perception later in the season, as the College Football Playoff approaches.
The offensive fix is fairly easy
Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) throws the ball to avoid a sack against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The offense didn’t have its best showing against the Hurricanes, and there were more than a few fingers pointed, but it all boils down to one aspect, the offensive line. This unit is what drives the Notre Dame offense, and they didn’t play their best in game 1. You want to see a nasty attitude, which the Irish have had over the last few years, but we didn’t see that. As a unit, they played on their heels, which isn’t what you want to do. The line is key for opening up holes for the backs (Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price), along with giving time to CJ Carr to find receivers. He’s shown that he can move the ball through the air, he just needs another second to really tap into the offenses potential. Fix the line, and we’ll see the scoreboard light up.
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The defense needs to create more pressure
Aug 31, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back CharMar Brown (6) rushes the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
As for the defense, this one is simple too, there has to be more pressure on the opposing offense. The line needs to be better at attacking the quarterback in passing situations, but playing sound against the run. Send a linebacker if the line isn’t getting it done, it doesn’t take two quarters to see when you aren’t getting pressure from your front four. More than a few players will have to step up, but the talent is there.
First thoughts on Texas A&M
Sep 6, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Robert Bourdon (70) and wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) celebrate after a touchdown during the second half against the Utah State Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
This one is going to be tough, as Marcel Reed poses the biggest threat that Notre Dame will see in the regular season at quarterback. He can run, averaging over 5 yards-per-carry, and has thrown for 7 touchdown without throwing an interception. The Irish didn’t face him last year, but have plenty of tape to see the kind of dynamic player he is.
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The Aggies defense should give up some points, as they’ve allowed over 21-points to much lesser competition during their first two games. Defensive lineman Cashius Howell will be a load, as he already has three sacks on the year. This could end up being a much higher scoring affair than last year, and should be a fun game to watch. I’ll wait until later in the week to make an official pick, but as of right now, I’m leaning towards the Irish.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: 5 Notre Dame thoughts following its off-week heading into Texas A&M
