'Little Mistakes!' Texas A&M DB Marcus Ratcliffe Talks Game 1 Loss

Safety Marcus Ratcliffe came over to College Station from San Diego State this past offseason.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Dashawn Fillmore (26) reacts during the second half against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / maria lysaker-usa today sports

The Texas A&M Aggies are coming off of a frustrating 23-13 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday.

It was a game that seemingly saw the Aggies get worn down in the second half, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where they were on the field far too long as a result of a subpar offensive performance.

On the contrary, however, Aggie safety Marcus Ratcliffe said that fatigue wasn't the big issue, it was that the game seemed to drag on for the team.

"Personally, I didn't feel that fatigue really played a role. I think Elko prepared us really well with the intensity in practice," Ratcliffe said in a press conference Monday. "For me and a couple of my teammates, I know the game was really slow, I think it was more of other issues than fatigue."

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko arrives prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sp / maria lysaker-usa today sports

The San Diego State transfer praised the Aggie pass defense in the Notre Dame game, saying they really needed to press on the run defense as they prepare for McNeese.

"Football is an 11-man game, and if one person messes up, then a play can go for a touchdown, so I think it was just little mistakes from one player on each play."

Another big change for Ratcliffe in his transfer was clearly the game day atmosphere, which he praised heavily from Saturday.

"Yeah, this was my first time (at Kyle Field). It was crazy," said Ratcliffe. "The max I had played in before was, like, 20 or 30 thousand, so it was incredible. I've never experienced anything like that."

The Aggies will look to make quick corrections to the run defense as they host the McNeese State Cowboys this Saturday at 11:45 a.m.