The Good, Bad and Ugly of Texas A&M Aggies' Win Over Notre Dame

Texas A&M's pivotal matchup against Notre Dame lived up the hype as both squads endured extreme highs while the lows kept the game a trade of blows for the majority of the contest. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that coach Mike Elko's squad showed who they truly were, emerging victorious in the final seconds.

It wasn't a pretty game to say the least, but the Aggies did just enough to come back from their woes and put the college football world on notice that A&M could just be the real deal this year.

Let's take a look at the good, bad and ugly of the Maroon and White's 41-40 win on the road:

The Good: Mario Craver ties school history in the first half

An incredibly rough start for the Aggies was remedied by the offensive fireworks provided by wide receiver Mario Craver, a Mississippi State transfer who has made his new shade of maroon red-hot since arriving in College Station, Texas.

The Alabama native made a booming impact throughout the first two quarters, hauling in six crucial catches for a whopping 173 yards, including an 86-yard pinball-like hustle that answered a mishap on special teams, which put the Aggies in a hole to kick off the game.

In just the first half, Craver etched his name in A&M history, tying the school record for consecutive games with 100 yards receiving as he made it three straight with his efforts against the Fighting Irish. His final stat line of seven catches for 207 was the difference maker as the Aggies cruised out of Notre Dame Stadium as winners.

The Bad: Special. Teams.

Getting a penalty is a way to kill the chance to get some points; having the ensuing punt get blocked for a Notre Dame touchdown is a way to kill your chances at winning the ball game. After a costly holding call stalled the Aggies' promising drive, punter Tyler White lined up to punt when he saw a Fighting Irish rusher go unblocked straight into his attempted punt.

Granting Notre Dame a free touchdown to open up the game is a cardinal sin, a confession the Aggies are sure to admit. When on the road, the margin for error shrinks to the point where one little mishap can tell the story of the entire game.

If things couldn't get in any worse for A&M on special teams, even the luck had its deal of misfortune. Wide receiver Terry Bussey had an electric kick return touchdown that looked to take the lead for the Aggies; however, it was all called back thanks to a penalty. Seeming a killer for the Aggies, had they not engineered one of the greatest comebacks in school history.

The Ugly: Bryce Anderson goes down

In such a hostile environment, sometimes, there's moments where the game becomes more than football. The momentum shifted in favor of the Aggies as the first half came to a close, though this change in pace came at a price.

After a first-down gain in what would be Notre Dame's final drive of the second quarter, wide receiver Eli Raridon was on his way to the ground when he collided with safety Bryce Anderson, rendering the Beaumont native unresponsive on the ground.

Minutes passed as the once-rowdy Notre Dame Stadium grew silent while Anderson was being tended to on the field. When he was finally able to be stretchered out of the stadium, Anderson held a thumbs-up, "gig 'em" gesture to the crowd, as the Blue and Gold offered condolences by offering applause on his behalf.