NOTRE DAME LATE MISCUE DROPS IRISH TO 0-2 WITH 41-40 LOSSTO TEXAS A&M: Evan J. Thomas breaks down his 5 reasons on why Notre Dame lost this game, can they bounce back​ against Purdue?

By: Evan J. Thomas

We Are ND Nation we have a problem.  First off, this 2025 is NOT the 2024 team and the Irish have new players throughout the roster, new coaches and new foes.  But the problem we are having after 2 games is what is this Irish’s teams identity?  Notre Dame was supposed to be one of the best defenses in College Football.  After giving up 41 points last night and 488 total yards on defense to a Top 20 Texas A&M squad and 2 weeks prior giving up 27 points and 324 yards to a Top 10 Miami team the Irish defense under new Defensive Coordinator Chris Ash looks pedestrian.  Many times being out of position, bad tackling, no push up front and basically zero pass rush doesn’t make it any easier on the defensive backs in coverage.  I’m also seeing a lot of zone where the opposing offenses are picking the Irish defense apart.

The offense is learning with a young CJ Carr taking over the reins from the departed Riley Leonard.  Carr, after 2 games is 39/62 for 514 yards in the air along with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  With a completion percentage of 62.9% and a QB rating of 142.1 I’m not pinning the losses on Carr.  What I am seeing is stagnant play calling from OC Mike Denbrock.  In week 1 he called way too many RPO’s which led to an abundance of bubble screens.  Last night he called way too many direct snaps to the running backs or wildcat formations, many leading to runs for losses or being stuffed.  At least against Texas A&M Denbrock did open up the playbook a bit more for Carr to throw the ball downfield.

Here are my 5 reasons on why Notre Dame lost to Texas A&M:
      1. Lack of Pressure Up Front
Over the first two games, the Irish defense has only registered one sack. Sure they have gone up against 2 top 20 teams but for any success on defense pressure is important.  Without consistent pressure, Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed had time to find Craver, stretch the field deep, and exploit holes in coverage.  I’m not seeing any push from the DLine, let’s change that against Purdue.
       2.​ Big Plays & Explosive Passes Allowed
A&M’s Mario Craver tallied 207 receiving yards, including an 86-yard touchdown just in the first quarter where there were blown tackles.  The secondary has been vulnerable: yards per completion allowed was over 21 yards—a number more typical of weak secondaries.  Christian Gray struggled all night with coverage as well as having a bad personal foul penalty late in the game.
      3. Turnovers + Special Teams Slip-Ups
Irish defense can’t be expected to carry the game if the offense or special teams frequently gives away opportunities. Notre Dame has forced just one turnover in two games while giving up multiple turn overs.  The failed extra point  on a botched snap after their go-ahead touchdown was a special teams breakdown that directly made a difference in the final margin.
      4. Being Predictable with Play Calling on Offense
Week 1 it was the abundance of RPO calls that turned into bubble screens that became predictable.  Last night it was Wildcat/ direct snap calls to the running backs that became predictable.  The offense currently doesn’t have an identity and with a young play caller sometimes playing it too safe turns into miscues.
5. Being Aggressive Can Hurt I’m going to say here that I love that Marcus Freeman is aggressive on 4th down but last night it backfired.  With the game tied he went for it and the offense got stuffed.  Win or lose, being aggressive is important but this time it went for naught.

There are still games on the schedule that can produce quality wins, one being this coming week at home against Purdue but there are fewer of them. Notre Dame will need to capitalize in those matchups to rebuild its resume for both playoff and bowl stakes. Blowouts are necessary, defensive consistency will be key: giving up chunk plays or late drives, as Texas A&M did, isn’t going to fly against stronger or more opportunistic offenses.  Let’s get a win this week against the Boilermakers!