How Notre Dame football can win in the trenches against Texas A&M's dominant defense

In nearly any case, football games are won and lost in the trenches. For Notre Dame football, their ability to  control the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball will be the teller at College Station.

The program is notorious for breeding successful, pro-level interior linemen, however, its reputation cannot solely save them in next weekend’s season opener. Fighting Irish football will bring a youthful offensive line into week one to line up across from a very physical Texas A&M front.

With the loss of Charles Jagusah, who suffered a season-ending torn pectoralis muscle injury during fall camp, offensive line coach Joe Rudolph looks to ride the versatility of his group, and expects to have his bunch ready for quite the early test. “We are going to compete and keep growing, and we are going to have that best group out there for sure,” Rudolph said.

Notre Dame football will have its hands full with a newly helmed defensive unit primed for a quality year. First-year defensive coordinator, Jay Bateman, will usher a flexible defense that can shift between different looks to keep opposing offenses on their toes. With a shiny new toy at his disposal in the form of Purdue transfer Nic Scourton, Bateman will look to capitalize on what is unarguably a top defense at the Division 1 level.

Scourton, a premiere edge rusher, climbed his position ranks as a sophomore in 2023, logging a ninth-ranked pass-rush win rate (21.3%) complemented by 25 run-defense stops, a number that tied him at third-most in the Power Five. The former Boilermaker led the Big 10 in sacks with 10, tied only with Iowa Hawkeye defensive end Joe Evans.

The explosiveness of Scourton paired with his consistent ability to set the edge will allow senior nose tackle Shemar Turner and company to attack the interior ground game. Albert Regis and Shemar Stewart provide a more power-based balance, creating an all-purpose dynamic up front: they can spin you, stunt and twist you, or they can run right through you.

Stewart, who now stands at 6’6” 290-pounds after an offseason bulk, attacks with power and a violent hand technique, bound to help the Aggies collapse the pocket.

Notre Dame football vs Texas A&M up front

Just under one full week away from kickoff, it is still uncertain as to who Rudolph and head coach Marcus Freeman will start up front. You can expect fellow redshirt sophomores Billy Schrauth and Aamil Wagner to see initial snaps at right guard and right tackle respectively, and senior Tosh Baker seems to be a lock at left tackle, however, left guard and center are still unclear as of now. Regardless of who is out there, the Fighting Irish will need to scheme their way into taming a very violent, versatile Aggie group.

This Bateman-led front poses a variety of different looks in terms of its personnel groupings and their positioning in the box. The Aggies will bring linebackers like Taurean York and Daymion Sanford to the line of scrimmage, as well as outside the hash marks. Defensive tackles like Turner are comfortable on the edge and being moved around on the line, sometimes even dropping into coverage. This is an untraditional, very athletic defensive unit, so Notre Dame will need to be efficient in its pre-snap communication.

Run blocking

On the ground, Rudolph will look to match that disruption with the size and agility of his linemen. Pulling guards and keeping them moving in the run game can benefit the Fighting Irish offense, because when Schrauth and potential left guard candidates Patrick Coogan and Rocco Spindler get out into space with their physical presence and a head of steam, shifty running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price can exploit these openings, shoot lanes, and get into the second level on the boundaries. Winning the first step will be crucial in this game, especially in the rush attack. The quicker the Fighting Irish get hands on Scourton and his unit, the more effective they can be in neutralizing that power the Aggies rely on.

Pass protection

In pass protection, all hands are on deck. That means chipping with tight ends off the snap, staggering the backfield for running back help, and trusting quarterback Riley Leonard to feel the pocket develop. The brunt of this battle will come on the edges, considering everything Texas A&M executes is an extension off of what its defensive ends can generate. In 2023, the Aggies found much of its success in flushing opposing quarterbacks out of the pocket, forcing them into either a poor decision on a throw, or a sack. If Baker and Wagner can combat with good footwork and an ability to extend out into the defenses chestplate, this offense will have time to execute to all fields.

Air attack

To have any sort of success in the air, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock might look to establish a quick tempo, and that means one thing: get the ball out, and get it out fast. Leonard’s pocket presence and ability to throw on the move are qualities that made him so appealing to the team that plucked him out of the transfer portal in December of 2023.

The Duke University quarterback of the past three seasons profiles as a field general and very quietly is an explosive runner. In his Fighting Irish debut, Leonard will need to rely on both of those traits, because if a window opens up, the ball needs to get out quick; if not, he will need to use his legs.

He will also need to trust his decision making, especially in situations where the pocket is collapsing. Sometimes your best play is no play at all, so throwing the ball to the sidelines especially in situations where the team cannot afford a sack or forcing a throw, will play a role in keeping the offense on schedule.

Looking at the Notre Dame receiver corps, this is a smaller group led by Florida International University transfer, Kris Mitchell. Mitchell, a vertical threat with great body control at the catchpoint, brought down 64 receptions as a graduate student in 2023 worth 1,118 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 93.2 yards per game. Alongside the 6’0” Mitchell, Jordan Faison (5’10”) and Jaden Greathouse (6’1”) will carry the bulk of the load with receivers like KK Smith (6’0”) and Jayden Harrison (5’10”) weaving in.

This is a speed oriented group, and that speed will bode well against Texas A&M’s secondary. Cornerbacks Dezz Ricks and Will Lee III rely on leverage and their abilities to contest throws at the release to defend receivers. The quickness and acceleration out of the breaks of these Notre Dame receivers can yield them separation against Ricks, who is a true freshman and a former five-star recruit who will be making his collegiate debut, as well as Lee III.

In between the numbers

The final big ticket item for Notre Dame ahead of its season opener is their ability to take advantage of the middle of the field. York, and transfer linebackers Solomon DeShields and Scooby Williams are not cover backers, so the Fighting Irish will have opportunities to get the ball in open windows over the middle once the receivers get out of their release.

Exploiting the middle can pay huge dividends in moving the chains as well as opening up the rest of this offense, who are primed for a great matchup in College Station come next Saturday night.