Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M is one of the most anticipated nonconference games in the entire college football season and the Irish football team is headed south to face the Aggies for their first game of the season. This game is the sixth all-time meeting between the two schools and only the second time it's being played at College Station, Texas.
Given the short history between the two schools, it is tough to say that past results will be indicative of what will happen this Saturday night in Texas. However, the Irish do hold a slight advantage over the Aggies with a 3-2 record.
The first three of these five previous games were played at a neutral site, in Dallas, for the Cotton Bowl. The first meeting was in 1988 at the end of the 1987 season. The Irish dropped the game 35-10 but would go on to win the national championship the following year. The next two meetings were back-to-back Cotton Bowls in 1993 and 1994. Both times the Irish came out victorious.
The two teams would not meet each other until after the turn of the century. The matchup was renewed in the 2000 and 2001 seasons, with each team defending their home field. In 2000, the Irish won 24-10, in South Bend. In 2001, the Aggies won 24-3, in College Station.
As mentioned above, the brief history of this matchup — and close all-time record — makes it difficult to predict if either team will perform well against their respective opponent. However, the lack of history between the two teams also makes it a very interesting game for many fans. There is no norm for a Notre Dame-Texas A&M matchup. Very few people have seen these two teams lineup on the same field. The uniqueness of this rare matchup only raises the buzz around such an important game for both programs.
Each team is coming into this game with a lot to prove and fans will not know what to expect from their respective teams. With new faces in high profile roles, like Mike Elko for Texas A&M and Riley Leonard for Notre Dame, fans are anxious to see if their teams live up to their rankings. The week one anxiety coupled with a rare matchup raises the stakes and is turning heads from all across the country. There is much at stake and there will be many eyes watching Kyle Field for this primetime matchup — on the gridiron — between the Irish and the Aggies.
