Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football: Texas A&M Aggies Q&A with Good Bull Hunting

Guys, we’re finally here. It’s FINALLY the Thursday before the season opener and we all get to TASTE the glorious first full college football Saturday (and get ready for a surprisingly fun college football Thursday tonight). We’re so close.

With just a few days left before the #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish takes on the #20 Texas A&M Aggies in College Station in a HUGE first test for a team with big expectations, we figured it was time to reach out to a respected counterpart once again to get the lowdown on ND’s first opponent of the 2024 season. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Robert Behrens, Managing Editor at Good Bull Hunting, SB Nation’s one-stop shop for all things Aggies.

Robert answered our usual wide-ranging array of questions about Mike Elko, Conner Weigman, stolen valor, packing materials, the plural of last names, and much more. You don’t want to start Saturday night without reading all the insights, insider tips, and witty quips he provided to kick off another fun season of opponent Q&As.

So let’s not waste any more time. Time to dive in so we can all prepare for 103,000 Aggies to scream at Marcus Freeman and co. this weekend.

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1. What do Aggie fans think of their new boss and former ND defensive coordinator, Mike Elko? What do you think he will change about Jimbo Fisher’s disappointing program, and do you think he has what it takes to get A&M to a point where they are competing for SEC/national titles?

Also feel free to use this question to bitch about Jimbo a little — that’s always welcome here.

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: We’ve heard a lot about how detailed the program was under Mike Elko, like better off-season practice attendance, players having to report to every meal, and eating together to improve team culture.

Now I know that every time a new coach comes in, everyone gets excited about all the problems the previous coach had that the new guy is going to magically fix. We said it ourselves when Jimbo replaced Kevin Sumlin. But I do think that Elko, from an organizational standpoint, is a much better fit than Jimbo, it’s probably no coincidence that Jimbo had a .708 winning percentage with Elko as his DC and a .500 coach without him.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The other big thing A&M fans will want to see from this new staff is a revamped offense. It’s no secret that Jimbo’s system was outdated, somehow too complex for his players to execute and too simplistic to defend. Enter OC Collin Klein, who Notre Dame himself has been courting somewhat recently. If Klein can maximize the talent on this A&M roster, they can do big things.

Right now I think the Aggies are very optimistic about what the Elko era will bring, whether it pays off on Saturday or not.

2. What does A&M starting QB Conner Weigman do well, and what concerns do you have about his play early this season? Which of his receivers should Irish fans keep an eye on as his top weapons this weekend?

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: I would say Conners two biggest strengths are pocket presence and accuracy. He has shown himself to be good at avoiding sacks by throwing the ball away when necessary or moving around the pocket to buy time. He is also more mobile than many would think, even if you wouldn’t really call him a dual threat QB.

If there is one shortcoming for Weigman, it might be his raw arm strength. He doesn’t have a rocket for an arm, but his accuracy more than makes up for it.

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: Honestly, it could be a challenge. I know Notre Dame’s secondary is pretty highly regarded, and pass protection is something the A&M OL struggled with last season.

For the Ags to pass effectively, they need to be able to pass the ball well enough that the Irish can adjust accordingly. Additionally, A&M coaches need to know how to open up the game.

4. I moved to a new house this past weekend. I’m still packing and unpacking. If you had to choose a packing material/method that would best fit the Aggies offensive line, what would you choose?

Do you think they’ll give Weigman bubble-wrapped, fully insured movers protection on Saturday? Or will he essentially be let loose in the rickety moving van that is the Irish front seven? Or something in between?

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: At this point I would say the A&M OL is the packing material your buddy said he could get for free from his hookup, but he was very vague on the details. What I mean by that is it’s a big unknown. It could be a white glove service with custom memory foam padding, or it could be a bungee cord and a blanket.

A&M has experience on the line and we hope new OL Coach Adam Cushing puts them in a better position to succeed. But after several years of watching that position group be a liability, A&M fans are very much in the dark.

5. Mike Elko’s specialty is defense, and it’s no secret that A&M still has a lot of blue-chip talent on that side of the ball from recent elite recruiting acquisitions. Who are the Aggie defenders that ND fans should be concerned about, and if you had to pick one weakness on defense that you think the Irish offense could exploit, what would it be?

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: A&M is bringing in two absolute monsters at defensive end in Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. Stewart is a former five-star recruit entering his third season, and Scourton is a Purdue transfer who led the Big Ten in sacks last season. Both could be first-round picks in April if they live up to their potential.

While there is no glaring weakness in A&M’s defense, I think the biggest unknown is the overhauled secondary.

The unit struggled at times a year ago, but a few position moves (Tyreek Chappell to nickel, Bryce Anderson from nickel back to safety) and a huge transfer portal haul (Will Lee from KSU, Dezz Ricks from Bama, Jaydon Hill from Florida, etc.) have completely overhauled the position. Most A&M fans are expecting big improvements there, but as always, we won’t know for sure until we see it on the field.

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: Believe it or not, Texas A&M’s first Reveille is even older than Lassie (although the first two were not rough-coated collies).

But they are both good girls who should never be in the front line, because then their fur would become a matted mess.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: How dare you take the good name of Tom Berenger’s best non-Major League work.

8. For Irish fans who are not familiar with this tradition, can you explain what Yell Leaders are and what Midnight Yell is?

Additionally, after playing for ASU, Pitt and Hawaii, quarterback Joey Yellen entered the transfer portal this past offseason and appears to have gone nowhere for his final year of eligibility. Why wasn’t he brought to College Station to fulfill his destiny as The One True Yell Leader?

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: Yell Leaders, true to their name, are five elected students who stand on the sidelines and lead the student section in various yells throughout the game. While some of the hand signals may seem strange out of context, they are effective and give Kyle Field a truly unique flavor that goes beyond just being “loud.”

As for Midnight Yell, it’s best to think of it as a fun, quirky tradition that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. It’s a chance to get together with tens of thousands of other Aggies the night before a game, listen to some corny, tongue-in-cheek stories to tease the other team, and get pumped up for the next game. It’s not a life-changing event, but it’s part of what makes a game weekend in Aggieland special (and yes, visitors are welcome at Midnight Yell if you so choose).

As for Mr. Yellen, as a fervent believer in wordplay, he has my vote.

Photo by Smiley N. Pool/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

9. Is the plural of Weigman “Weigmans” or “Weigmen”?

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: Did you just assume our quarterback’s last name is the gender?

10. Okay, let’s get started: who wins the game, what is your expected final score, and give me a few (or more) sentences explaining your reasoning.

Robert Behrens, Good Bull Hunting: Right now, A&M is listed as a 2.5-point favorite, meaning that as a home team, this is considered a close matchup. And I have to agree. I think both teams have solid defenses, but also some offensive question marks (especially on the line) that could make for an absolute grind of a game. The kind that might be boring to the casual observer, but is compelling to those of us with a personal stake in it.

I can certainly see either team winning this game. Notre Dame is in its third year under Marcus Freeman and is ranked in the preseason top 10 for a reason. But it’s easy to paint a picture of Mike Elko and his staff capitalizing on the significant talent left behind by Jimbo Fisher and pulling off a statement win right away.

While I’m not exactly sure since the matchup seems so close, I’ll give my inner optimist the final blow and say: Texas A&M wins 24-20. Give them a performance.

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Alright folks, that’s about it for our A&M Q&A. I want to give a huge thanks to Robert for his fantastic answers and willingness to play along with our usual aggressive/weird questions, and I encourage you all to head over to Good Bull Hunting to check out all the great stuff they’ve been publishing and will continue to publish leading up to this College Gameday contest on Saturday night.

I further urge you to go follow Robert And the Good Bull Hunting account on Twitter for all the witty riffs and breaking analysis they have before, during and after the game. Gotta keep the enemy close, right?

That being said, let’s all enjoy the excitement and thrills of the coming days. And as always: GO IRISH, BEAT AGGIES!!!