REACTION: Texas A&M Falls To Notre Dame In College Station

offense wins games defense wins championships and sometimes Luck of the Irish prevails and that's kind of the case for Riley Leonard Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame as they Advance 2313 over the Texas A&M fighting Aggies welcome on into the SEC unfiltered postgame show he's Dave shoemate I'm Cole Thompson coming to you live breaking down everything that we saw tonight in front of the fourth largest field ever at Kyle Field 23 13 the final the Mike Elco era starts off in a very traditional way that I think we expected though the outcome did differ for Dave and I in terms of what we thought was going to be that last try real quickly make sure that you subscribe down below because this is your number one source for all things SEC download the podcast version of the show we're having get your podcast listening systems thank you for joining us throughout the entire offseason but now it's real time it's no longer talking time it is time time to sell the score on the field and the best way to do so is by following us on podcast Forum follow us on the social channels Tik Tok Facebook Instagram Twitter we are live and we're going to be everywhere moving forward at SEC unfiltered follow Dave on Twitter at Mock Sports follow me on Twitter Mr Co Thompson and to keep up with the number one source for all things SEC visit SEC unfiltered.com this episode of postgame press conference is brought to you by priz pick go use the promo code SECU preps.com or sign up to get an instant play when you use your first bet $50 Plus priz ps.com promo code SECU shoe mate the Mike Elco era started off with the bang in terms of what he does best defense defense defense the problem is it takes two sides of the coin for you to walk away with the win and unfortunately that's going to be an area where moving into next week's matchup before they go travel down to the swamp con Klein and Conor wman bar be speaking the same language dude 100% I mean not skipping ahead to that too far but that looks like it's gonna have to would say a must win but it's gonna be a needed win for both those teams in Florida and Texas and yeah it was kind of you you said it the game went exactly how I thought it would I mean it hammered the under I thought it'd be a low scoring Affair I thought both defensive lines and defensive fronts had a massive advantage against both offensive lines quarterbacks Riley Leonard playing in his first game at Notre Dame in a road game against the coordinator is familiar with him you saw that stuff Conor wigman still had major question marks in my opinion coming in I know a lot of people are high on him but again it was almost one of those things like you see the raw ability and the small sample sizes he had but it almost was one of those things too it's like well can it translate over to the field he just look like a deer in headlights at times but but give Al golden is an under the radar defensive coordinator in college football he's done a phenomenal job the last two years as the coordinator Notre Damon yes I'm talking about the former University of Miami head coach as well but I don't I mean yeah the offense I mean it wasn't all uh Conor we to it was Colin Klein even that last drive there where they could have went and tied it the third down and fourth down calls there were were but third down you're trying to run it you're trying to get into I I understand it fourth down call you're throwing a central horizontal pass that I mean a timing route that even if the defender isn't there it's got to be perfect I just I don't know I feel like Colin Klein left a lot of meat on the bone from a standpoint of that was a really poorly called game you tell Elco at the end was pissed he was even like hey just run the ball let's get us out of here like stop throwing the football like I don't know it was a very underwhelming game offensively I still think A&M doesn't have a lot of weapons really around I mean ever since uh Ruben Owens went out there there's no real weapon outside where was moose muhamad tonight yeah Thomas isn't there um Walker got some some opportunities and again it's not really just you're looking at one unit it's like that's their it's their problem on off that's why they're the issue why they can't get anything going it's like well the offensive line can't protect to give Conor wigman time Conor wigman is inconsistent throwing inaccurate passes receivers don't get a lot of Separation I understand it Notre Dame's got one of the better secondaries in the country but overall just man how much better can this offense a get it can get better obviously it's week win but how much better again we knew the defense would show up I mean people are going to talk about they lost but hey tip the cap to Mike ELO and Jay baitman as well they caught a hell of a game Nick scorton was blowing up plays we saw Will Lee making plays the case State uh transfer from uh that plays corner for A&M I was fired up about the A&M defense and I think they can build off that I I don't feel as confident now as I had them at nine and three 10 and two now I do think again it could be a little bit of an overreaction I think they're back in that eight and four range that Florida game will be massive though but yeah a lot of stuff got to work on offensively a lot of stuff the game was there to be one it was there to be one at your plays defense gave you a chance offense just couldn't take enough of those opportunities when they had chances Dave what do you want to do do you want to start off with the positives or the negatives let let's end on a good note start off with the negatives let's start off with the negatives conter Wegman it was a game to where you are going to look back at the punchline culture is going to be potent as all hell tonight you are going to have A&M fans you are going to have Longhorn fans you're going to have the Fighting Irish fans you're going to have everyone in their mother comment on this performance and you want know what unfortunately people like me at the eat crow I have been a very big proponent of Conor wigman I believe when I see him actually be able to deliver what that potential is but therein is the keyword and we have got to stop doing what we always do with Texas A&M including several players putting the wagon before the horse if the potential when he is hitting his stve when if if this that it you can't keep doing it because of again this was a prime opportunity and I get it I understand this is going to be one of the best secondaries that you will face off against all year if you are Colin Klein and you are Conor w I'm not going to give away any discredit in that sense Benjamin Morrison and Xavier wats that interception that major turnover when they're piling into the Red Zone when you should be walking away with at least a Randy bond field goal you see why this is one of the best secondaries that has ever played underneath Marcus Freeman they don't have talent like that in the past coming into South bent Indiana you see it in Baton rou Louisiana you see it in fville Arkansas you'll see it in in in Knoxville Tennessee you'll see in Athens Georgia you don't see it in South Bend but when you have the right coach that's what you get and you saw that but at the same time inconsistent throws and for the entire first half as bad as the wide receivers looked at times and we'll get to that in a moment it just felt like every single throw was a hair off either a second too late a second too soon a little bit overshot he never got that confidence and that is the entire Drive killer for any quarterback you have have to start fast not because you need to deliver constantly against a team like Notre Dame but it's for the confidence it's to establish an identity and when your running attack can only move the ball so adaptly and so quickly you have to have your curveball you have to have your slider that is where you get a five-star quarterback to deliver and unfortunately this is one of those games where you didn't see it you saw almost none of it you watched a little bit of the mobility and you saw a few times where they were able to convert on second and short outside of that it was a very underwhelming performance by number 15 a quarterback that myself and many others who work in this industry we're extremely high on and we have got to stop with the potential stuff we have got to stop saying potential we just got to see results yeah yeah I mean he's gonna have some time to make up or there's gonna be opportuni but again it's what our guy Andy here Andy I appreciate you listening to the comments I'm putting your comment on no offens of identity yeah it was kind of just like man I think a lot of people that question is probably not the right word I think conin Klein's a good offensive coordinator within his own right I don't G doubt that yeah and I'm not saying you did I think just Conor wigman we may be looking at the end of the year and I kind of lean there right now and I that's easy a prisoner of the moment but it's always been a thought in my head heading into the season I was high on A&M because I think their defense is gonna carry them and give them a chance in most games but it is one of those things we may look back on the end of the year and be like God it's just Conor wean came back and you hired Colin Klein it's like I just don't see the fit I just I just I don't know the dynamic of how that ultimately broke down Mike Den Brock and Colin Klein I know it came down to those two as the final OC's those are the two guys actually play tonight so I don't know if Elco chose Colin Klein over him or not or over Mike denrock but it it's like man like I mean Colin Klein's only ever had Skyler Thompson and K State who's a runner uh between the tackles will Howard similar he was a runner himself as a player like it just may just Mar may never marry up this year and it's just kind of like huh interesting like I don't know I mean Cole what's your thoughts now I mean what do you what's the ceiling floor for a in in for you now as we speak like after game one right after well by the way ladies and gentlemen if you just want more information on things that go on behind closed doors this is why we hire Dave shoemate used to work in Personnel he just kind of gave you an actual inside scoop that Den Brock and Colin Klein were the finalist for the A&M job and they went toe totoe against each other and ultimately a veteran quarterback was the reason why one team won here's my thing you have a mobile quarterback and I'm not going to go ahead and say that you had to pull the trigger yet and move over to Jaylen Henderson because of that's unfair to that's unfair to Conor wigman we know that Conor wigman from a skill standpoint has more potential and upside than Jaylen Henderson but when it's not working and you just need to see some identity click you need to see something change to get the gust Stone moving to start seeing first down conversions start seeing a more uptempo why not go to him why not you have Marcel Reed Marcel Reed in the bowl game last year in against Oklahoma State showed you some potential that he could move outside the pocket and actually be a little bit of an elusive Runner and he's got a good arm and that's a Young quarterback that you can build around and one that maybe Colin Klein feels more adaptive to and so those are some early mistakes that when you look at that's G to be a coaching decision that will ultimately come back to either bite Mike ELO in the keyer when he's looking at what the schedule looks like and they're eight and four they're potentially 9 and three and that could be 10- two and in that playoff hunt because you didn't decide to switch things up it's a big deal it absolutely is I I always thought this team was eight and four I I I figured that I was done trying to put the wagon before the horse because if I've gotten to cover this team up close and in person for four years I was there during the Jimbo Fisher times and it was dark and desolate in a lot of the moments where you didn't get an inside scoop you got told that you were dumb at what you did and that you weren't great at at your own job meanwhile you watch as Jimbo doesn't change a damn thing about his offense and at the results paved the way to him having the biggest blowout of his entire career and the decision was made by Ross purian company to be fired after that moment so you went out on a high note and there was nothing to say but at the same time I was done letting A&M be a victim of the moment and a priority of the moment I knew they were going to play W in big games because they always do play wall in big games and that's where the defense steps up but when you go and unfortunately I have to read the statline and to discuss me 12 of 30 and average 3.3 yards per pass attempt you have to make a change and the problem is that you could say the running back room did its job it did Le'Veon Moss was awesome that was one of the few bright spots that when you look at offensively you know that that is your first pitch seven The Yards 3.8 yards per attempt one rushing touchdown he brought life back into Kyle Field that was what you needed at the right time as a unit four yards per play against one of the best defensive lines of the country it's very hard to argue with that but you had to change something up and that is where a young coach that has not been in the situation before has not gone up against these type of matchups even though Mike Elco last year with the quarterback that was standing on the opposing Sidelines was in Durham and being a top 10 team you need to make those type of adjustments those are things that you have to do and you know you should do and that doesn't mean that you don't go back to wigman that mean that that doesn't mean that eventually you don't go ahead and give him another opportunity what you do is you do what's best for your team and you don't worry about the quarterback's feelings this is a top 10 game this is a game that could easily pige and hole you and catapult you to the top of conversations to every bit of the entire you are Sunday morning headline material and instead are you starting wigman and games in two weeks as of right now as of right now like I have to but if he does if there is a moment where you short leash if if there is a moment where you start watching him make the same mistakes I got two quarterbacks waiting in the wins I got two guys and I've seen them and I've seen what they can do yeah with that performance tonight was bad enough where yeah you're probably rolling into Gainesville in two weeks and you're like Hey listen like if it ain't going well in the first half like we're gonna have to make some kind of change here like just to give ourselves some kind of CH well especially if you're down like 10 to seven or something it's like dude our defense is again playing their ass off and it's just like dude we can't generate anything offensively we're gonna go six and six with like with a phenomenal defense like is that also like but I'm not gonna go ahead and just throw only wigman under the bus yeah there were multiple drives there was just no offensive how many time how many times wide receivers just couldn't clean up their routes could not finish at the top of their routs could not win at point of attacks let me just read you off these numbers Juday Walker was the leading Target 31 yards Cyrus Allen Trey Watson Le'Veon moss and Noah Thomas combined for 69 yards nobody else there was no Donovan Green there was no moose Muhammad being involved in there was no Isaiah Williams there was no Ernest Campbell there was no uh Terry Bucy nobody nobody was involved in that and so my question is when you started to watch as these players couldn't create separation and you have a young guy like Isaiah Williams that is known for his speed somebody like Terry buy who's been showing up in Camp and has been literally the talk because of his flashing speed one deep shot because what does wigman do he knows how to throw a deep give him a shot give them one play let him line up one on one opposite of Benjamin Morrison go ahead and throw Cyrus Allen Force Morrison to play down take a shot what about Donovan Green like like like that was a guy that was Wegman's security blanket back in 2022 when they beat number five LSU at Hall what we see tonight and Trey Watson had a moment where he looked promising and I thought the tight ends were gonna be more involved but the fact is wide receivers couldn't get open you couldn't create separation with tight ends linebacker play was phenomenal in coverage tonight I thought for for for for Freeman defense everywhere top to bottom you watch as they had every single counteractive move and that is where you're playing a game of chess where again I am sorry if you are one of these people that doesn't understand that this was a great game because it was because you see the final score and it says 23- 13 folks I promise you great defensive performances on both sides are hard to come by you watched an exceptional defensive showcase and I'm gonna tell you what Notre Dame will be one of the top two teams that you face all year simply because of the way that their defense FL oh you won't see as many well schemed defenses and fundamentally sound defenses and just veteran defenses guys that played a ton like they will T I like a discipl defense that's not out of their gaps or Gap sound overall technique sound yeah I mean I would agree with that from top to bottom from a standpoint of what Al Golden's done with that defense A&M to me just a little that was a major concern coming in it's like they were they're gonna have to hit two or three explosive plays I think for a score because I just do not consistently see either of these teams driving on each other much less A&M just cuz Notre Dame had such the matchup advantage on the outside and I mean it was worse than I thought I mean it was worse than I thought off it's I I thought it'd be lowc scoring I didn't think it'd be that bad though from a from an A&M standpoint I think that every I I will say who was their longest play from scrimmage do you know you he&m or nerd yeah A&M offensively A&M's longest play from scrimmage I believe was the pass to Trey Watson for 18 yards I believe that was their longest play and it was the only play that Watson got involved that was it so again they they had no explosive plays where you watch earlier in the game against Miami on when we did the pre when we did the postgame show then Grim Merz had 95 yards there were more explosive plays by cam Ward and that's not including the rest of the deakon dun plays that he had there was nothing this was literally like imagine you're going to a fireworks stand and trying to buy the most magga son of a [ __ ] biggest thing that you could freaking find and you have to settle for sparklers like that's what it is like that's what that was what you got in terms of spark Oh yay I will say you and I both did the pregame and we talked about this and Chris S did the pregame and we did the preview I believe this was going to be a defensive performance that was exactly what happened I also thought this was going to come down to one explosive play and it didn't yeah but it came from Jeremiah Love and we got talk about that the killer for A&M tonight they were almost perfect defensively it is very hard to complain even though they allowed 5.8 yards per run even though they allowed Riley lard to be successful on fourth down conversions they held Notre Dame two of 12 on third down attempts and 5.1 yards per pass attempt and they got weapons I I mean I'm going to be completely honest when you look at the weapons you're eventually going to see guys like like Evan uh Mitchell Evans you're going to see guys like jadden Greenhouse you're going to see Chris Mitchell the wide receiver from FIU finished with 200 yard passing uh passing games because number one they're in to Mike Dem Brock offense and number two they got talent and ANM did a good job shutting them down but just those three plays that was it it was terrible yes St look at our guy stubby here he's right oh no he's talking about he's talking about uh Oklahoma I think oh he's talking about mean h i mean not Dame wasn't better on third yeah they were two for 12 ADM was four for 13 on third down and again it was kind of again going back to I thought it'd be a highly penalized game for Notre Dame they had 11 like I just thought going into that environment everything shook out the way I thought I think it sounds like you did too from a low scoring Affair I just thought if this game was anywhere but Kyle filler I would have picked Notre Dame to win the game but it went out exactly how I thought it just the game was there for the taking it just I didn't expect not I didn't expect Texas A&M's offense to be that Ina if I that's probably what it comes down to and I don't think anybody did I mean you tell in our comments what A&M fans and people are saying on social media it's just I was like the defense was probably even a little better than people thought I think most people assumed it was going to be pretty good let's talk about it for a yeah off was just like I think Dave might have Frozen on us yeah I think D unfortunately you you decid to freeze us let's let's turn to the positives because there were some Mike ELO takes the field power's playing it's back cyfield it's awesome fans are rocking it's an exciting moment it's a new era it's the best ERA of A&M football that we have seen in a hot minute back in the field I with the comparison to Deadpool and Wolverine Mike gcko was the anchor of that Jimbo Fisher era because of he always had seller defense it was back it was 100% back tonight everything that you looked at it's better than advertised and I think that that's what you hold your hat guys who were a part of other systems that never were able to find their stride just looked completely Scooby Williams is a perfect example of this if you go back and you watch his film last year at Florida and you watch the way that he was completely out of place and the way that he was overe exceeding angles he was running past wide receivers he was missing Targets in the open field he was such a Difference Maker tonight he was so that run stop on third down where you were watching Jeremiah Love try to push that that that's a reason why A&M was able to stay in the game you watch the way that atach how played you watch that the way that Nick scorton came on in and demanded respect from everyone Shamar Stewart they shied him inside they played him on the edge he did so much of everything the fact that his defense was already up to par like this that is your Saving Grace if you are a Texas A&M fan if we can get the offense somewhat consistent anything any type of idea we are at least going to be in games because that defensive performance this is one of those times where you look like it is a shame that we had to play this great defensively and not be able to come away with anything offensively because I'm not sure you're going to find a defensive performance like this again no that's a that's a tough it's a tough one to it's a tough pill to swallow your football it's like you just gave up a touchdown in the wrong spot boys it was early in the first half nobody be thinking about but again nobody's blaming the defense it's it's the offense they got to get back to draw on board figure some things out just bad fit I just I I have less confidence just it just looked like it was I I didn't think it was a good fit with Colin Klein and Conor wigman right off the bat but now it's like all right you're in season you go back to the drawing board man it's a lot to ask I have major concerns with them offensively it'll be interesting two weeks big game for both Florida and A&M if you are A&M fan and you're trying to just find some Solstice is the biggest thing that you can take away that it's game one and this might be the toughest opponent that you face for the next month and a half because you got to look at their schedule they play MCN State they play Florida and we know that Florida is going to be tough because of yes the swamp does have that environment but you don't know if you're G to get Graham Merz you don't know if DJ lagway is going to be up to speed at this offense you don't know what you're G to get in that running game and by the way your defense balled out probably more so than I would play say Miami did at times this in this game against Florida so you feel good about that Arkansas we don't know what we're GNA really get I I yeah Arkansas Pine Bluff what you'll find out about Arkansas next week that's what I'm saying like let's pump the breaks on tailon green for Heisman b patrino gets the last laugh over Agy land like let's not do any of that until we see them play against a real team like Oklahoma State or one that gives you a better indication about where they are your next major test may not be until Missouri and even still Missouri we don't know what they are right now so you look at where you are and that's the positive that that that is I think the positive of all of it yeah our guy Jason Matthews said played well defensively you gave up 356 yards dude you also have two of 12 on third down yards given up in college football now is a pretty irrelevant stat it's absolutely egregious are you get the fact that this the the fact here let me just go through the drive real fast because because I hate to be that guy but let's just go through the drive real fast and talk about how this team went um oh yeah uh punt punt feel field goal punt field goal punt end of half turnover on Downs touchdown punt punt touchdown field goal if you hold if you're forcing more field goals than you're I mean more punts than you're forcing field goals it's a good performance it is and by the way your defense was out there consistently because your offense couldn't do anything it was more sleek and slow than molasses that is freezing up in the middle of winter this guy I think this guy just thinks you're an A&M fan here this point I'm notm fan I don't care about that no I'm saying that regardless a type of performance like this defensively does not come around every once every every so anybody saying that wasn't a good defensive performance in modern day college football by A&M doesn't know what they're looking at now before we get on out of here let me just ask you that performance tonight from a notre day perspective do they look like a playoff team that's a good question playoff team I'd probably lean no right now because I think that offense has to get better but I think they will be in the playoff like just off record wise like I don't know if they'd end up being like right now after that I don't know if I want to say they're a top 12 team in the country because I did I do think it was sloppy even though they're a top 10 team I'm I think that defensively if they're they could be a top 10 I still think it's too early right now again everybody played so many different opponents which like to be fair to you it's like you got to give Notre Dame some credit for that hey they went on the road to Kyle Field in a hostile environment and won a game it wasn't pretty offensively but they did win it I I still just want to see a little bit more from them offensively to say there would be a TW playoff team but I think they it will end up being one just because I think the schedule B of in him I don't see him losing three games and at 10 and two Notre Dame's gonna be in it's unfortunate because of again we know that Notre Dame schedule plays extremely well in their favor if their offense can look better their defense is going to keep them in games it's going to keep them low scoring they're going to be great in that sense and again if you are A&M I I understand and we'll end on this on some positive note it's your first game with a brand new offensive coordinator for the first time in six years that isn't led by a Jimbo Fisher type of background already that's a win that that's just a win because of you have new change and a new adaptability but again this was always going to be a tough test regardless because am Marcus Freeman has built a team that is good enough defensively to finally get to a college football playoff Colin Klein you got some answers going in next week against MCN state and they probably have to be almost completely solved before you go travel down to gain Florida that is going to be I think for both these teams a very very very big fork in the road to the trajectory of their Seasons that's just my personal opinion yeah I I would love to be the fly on the wall when they're reviewing the offensive film tomorrow afternoon with Elco and the offensive staff that'll that that would be an interesting conversation there but yeah I mean they you got to look ahead to two weeks I mean obviously they got next week but two weeks is the next time we really get to see if this a M offens has made any incremental progress at all Sunday Funday back tomorrow morning 9:00 a.m. Central 10 a.m. eastern for anybody that wants to check it out Chris Phillips will be joining us we'll be recapping everything that we saw on week one from the upset in Nashville to the dumpster fire that was Florida's offense to a new start of an era underneath kayin debor Texas Longhorns find a way to not only shut down Tory Horton but also be able to deliver a performance where Manning got a larger sound of Applause than any bit of the first team offense so much more so make sure you hit subscribe down below make sure that you also follow us on the podcast systems make sure that you're checking us out on Tik Tok Facebook Instagram Twitter at SEC unfiltered make sure you check him out at mocken sports check me out at Mr Cole Thompson and make sure that you're checking out all of our great work found at SEC unfiltered.com Sunday Funday back tomorrow morning 10:00 a.m. eastern 9:00 a.m. Central for day sh mate I'm Cole Thompson have a good night and have a happy safe Memorial Day Weekend later