Notre Dame Fighting Irish On Sports Illustrated Texas A&M Pregame Show LIVE

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI crew breaks down Notre Dame vs Texas A&M

Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman talks to the team at Notre Dame spring football practice Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Irish Athletics Center in South Bend. / GREG SWIERCZ / USA TODAY NETWORK

Enough with the talking, everybody is ready for action

It was a pleasure to have Nick Shepkowsi and Mason Plummer to join me on the Always Irish After Dark Live show on Thursday evening to break down Notre Dame's quickly approaching first game against Texas A&M.

Will Notre Dame have the edge, or will Mike Elko get a huge win in his first game in College Station?

It's Texas A&M week. What else are we going to talk about after waiting a long, long offseason for this.

The key matchups and considerations in this game are fairly obvious at this point.

Which offensive vs defensive line matchups are won by who and to what extent? How will the Irish's young left side hold up? How can Mike Denbrock help scheme Notre Dame into more favorable matchups drive to drive?

Confidence on the defensive side of the ball leads to optimism

Points may be at a premium on Saturday night. Notre Dame may struggle to move the ball at times. Nobody is quite sure what to expect on the offensive side of the ball.

But where Notre Dame feels great is on the defensive side of things. This unit appears to be headed for an elite season and it'll take a great night to emerge victorious. Is it up to the task?

Marcus Freeman needs a win that sets him up in plus position. A win he's not necessarily supposed to get. A win that moves the needle. That could provide a little breathing room and stability. This could be that win. His team needs to go and get it.

We discuss it all.

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