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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 7 Notre Dame spoiled the debut of Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and made a statement on Saturday night, grinding out a 23-13 win over the No. 20 Aggies with a strong second-half performance in front of 107,315 at Kyle Field.
The win, Notre Dame’s first road win over an SEC opponent ranked in the AP poll since 2004, was a test of patience for the Irish, who didn’t lead until 6:50 remained in the third quarter following a 47-yard touchdown run down the left side by Jadarian Price.
“Man, that was a huge victory for our program over a really, really good football team,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “That is an impressive football team. … It wasn’t pretty. The defense played lights out, [forced] turnovers.”
It was also the debut of new Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who played at Duke for three years, and started and was a team captain for two seasons under Elko, before both left following the season. He finished 18-of-30 for 158 yards and rushed for 63 more against an A&M defensive line that Freeman said was probably the best the Irish would see all season, praising Leonard and the offense for staying patient and not making a “detrimental mistake.”
“It’s tough, especially in that environment,” Leonard said. “That’s an environment that I’m sure none of us have really ever played in before. The SEC is different. Coming down here in Texas is different. I remember looking up and trying to see the end of the stands and you literally just can’t even see the top. Incredible place to play. Very grateful for the outcome, obviously.”
He said he recognized some of his former coach’s old tricks, especially on third downs, where the Irish went 2-for-12.
“I feel like there was a game within the game when playing him,” Leonard said. “Obviously, the third-down packages are always big and he got me a few times with the protections. He drew up some really good stuff … It’s funny because we’re playing Notre Dame versus A&M, but there’s obviously a rivalry there, so to speak, with me and Coach. It’s all love at the end of the day, but we’re both very competitive.”
Elko said he did not enjoy the experience.
“It wasn’t fun,” Elko said. “I knew it wouldn’t be. He made a bunch of big-time plays. … He did what he did and made enough plays to win the football game. I told him I loved him after the game. I will be rooting for that kid for the rest of his life.”
The Irish’s defense stifled the Aggies’ offense all night, holding them to 246 yards and harassing Aggies starter Conner Weigman into a subpar performance, going 12-of-30 for 100 yards passing with two interceptions, including going just 5-for-16 for 61 yards on throws five or more yards downfield. The Aggies’ 13 points were their fewest in a season opener since 2000, also against Notre Dame.
“A huge tone-setter,” Notre Dame safety Adon Shuler said. “The hype is kind of what we wanted and we handled business.”
For the massive Aggies crowd, it was a letdown to the excitement of Elko’s debut following the dismissal of Jimbo Fisher and his massive $77.6 million buyout. The Aggies couldn’t get the offense going, and eventually, the Irish ground game took over, rushing for 198 yards and controlling the game late. The ground game wore down the Aggies late, rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns after halftime, including 85 yards after contact, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Jeremiyah Love added 91 rushing yards and his first career rushing touchdown against an FBS opponent.
“They came in here and they beat us,” said Elko, a former Notre Dame defensive coordinator. “There was really no two ways around it.”
For the Irish, it was a strong start in year three for Freeman, who is looking to become the first Irish coach to win nine or more games in each of his first three seasons since Dan Devine in 1975-77. Freeman went 9-4 and 10-3 in his first two years, and the Irish are favored to win each game on the remainder of the schedule according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
Leonard thinks this first win was a huge step.
“I feel like if we can go into this environment and beat a team like that, that’s coached as well as they are, I feel like that gives us all the confidence in the world to go into any environment in the country,” Leonard said.