Paul Finebaum impressed by Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame after win over Texas A&M

After leaving Kyle Field with an opening win in a Top-20 matchup, Paul Finebaum thought Notre Dame was quite impressive.

Finebaum spoke about the 23-13 win for the Fighting Irish over Texas A&M in College Station during ‘The Matt Barrie Show’ on Sunday. He credited them, specifically their defense, and their head coach for the performance in primetime.

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“I’m impressed with Marcus Freeman,” said Finebaum. “He manages his team very well, especially on the defensive side. They made some big stops.”

Finebaum’s props come despite the fact that he originally thought that Aggieland would be too much for Notre Dame. However, they started their year with what may end up being the most notable victory of their entire year.

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“Yeah, I thought the atmosphere would maybe be a little too much,” said Finebaum.

“That was their biggest game. It was the biggest stage they’ll be on probably all year,” Finebaum said. “Quite frankly, it was a significant win because their schedule gets a little more comfortable.”

Notre Dame secured the 10-point road win at the end of the fourth quarter. The two teams were tied after both of their scores in the first and second quarters and were so again heading into the fourth. The Fighting Irish took the lead for good, though, with a 21-yard rushing score by RB Jeremiyah Love. They’d then force a four-and-out defensively before kicking in a field goal to create the final double-digit margin.

In total, Notre Dame held A&M to 246 yards of offense with just 100 in passing yardage. That came from them holding QB Conner Weigman to just 40% completion for no touchdowns and a pair of picks. The Aggies did rush for 146 yards but only at a rate of 3.8 per carry. That was enough paired with the Irish offense to win the game.

This was the win that Notre Dame needed to start their season with considering what it means for them over the rest of the fall. Finebaum knows it too based on how he views what should now be ahead for the rest of the Irish’s season.

“On September 1st, Notre Dame is the first team in the College Football Playoff,” said Finebaum. “I mean I don’t think we need to waste that much more time on trying to figure out their path.”