On which planet is this targeting? That's got to be what Notre Dame football fans have on their minds in the second half of the showdown against Texas A&M. These two teams were in a back-and-forth matchup, but a more than questionable call changed things in a big way in ND's heartbreaking 41-40 loss. A&M won it with 13 seconds to go, but a setback arrived much earlier.
Before A&M hit a long field goal to tie things up at 34-34, Marcel Reed was temporarily hurt after he took a big shot from Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler. Reed was out for a little bit, but he was able to return. However, the hit from Shuler was reviewed for targeting and it was then confirmed. WHAT? This has to be the worst targeting call we've seen in a long time:
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Targeting? 🤨 pic.twitter.com/UOiALLEJHS
— Landon Holifield ✭ (@TheLandoShow) September 14, 2025
Slow-motion clip of Adon Shuler being flagged for targeting is a complete and total joke
That's just unbelievable right there. As you can see in the clip above, Shuler makes contact with Reed's shoulder first and then there's minimal contact with his helmet. However, because he leaned in with the crown of his helmet, targeting was the call.
We understand player safety, but this is just ridiculous. Shortly after this infuriating decision was made, Texas A&M tied things up at 34-34 on a long field goal. Then, Jeremiyah Love put the Irish ahead 40-34 with a TD run, but the PAT snap was botched, keeping things a six-point game.
The Aggies and Reed were put in a position to steal the win in South Bend and that's exactly what they were able to get done. Not having Shuler, a standout DB from New Jersey, out on the field was a major negative for the Notre Dame defense. As soon as Shuler was disqualified, Marcus Freeman had his hands up in the air in disbelief. We don't blame him, as that bogus call played a role in Notre Dame falling to 0-2 on the season.