Greg McElroy recaps every week of college football action on his show Always College Football.
On Sunday, McElroy discussed an exciting Week 1 slate of games, including the matchup between Notre Dame and Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish escaped College Station with a 23-13 victory and earned a quality early season win.
McElroy gave props to Notre Dame’s inexperienced offensive line, which was considered a weakness of the team heading into this game. The Irish line was thought to be hampered by injuries and players entering the NFL Draft, but the unit held up well against the Aggies.
“I was pretty impressed with what I saw from Notre Dame’s offensive line, all things considered,” explained McElroy. “It wasn’t a flawless performance by any stretch of the imagination, but we have long talked all offseason about how good Texas A&M’s defensive front will be.”
The Aggie defense failed to collect any sacks, and the Irish racked up 198 rushing yards.
“I thought Notre Dame battled,” McElroy said.
Notre Dame’s starting tackles from 2023, Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, were both taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Last year’s starting center, Zeke Correll, transferred to NC State. Additionally, Charles Jagusah suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp.
Against the Aggies, the Irish were forced to start a true freshman at left tackle and 4 other relatively-inexperienced options at the other positions. Still, Notre Dame’s offensive line held their own up front.
It was a solid win for the Irish who will now have a few easier games in a row to get the line more acclimated.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
