After so many letdowns, Regis savors Notre Dame win
SOUTH BEND, IND. — It’s been a bumpy ride for veteran Texas A&M football players like defensive tackle Albert Regis.
When Regis arrived in 2021, the Aggies were coming off an Orange Bowl victory and a top-four finish in national polls. But that season spiraled after starting quarterback Haynes King was hurt in week two, and 2022 was even worse as A&M stumbled to a 5-7 record.
Regis saw the man who recruited him, Jimbo Fisher, get fired late in the 2023 season, then endured last year’s collapse as the Aggies lost four of their last five games.
Saturday night’s result against Notre Dame was a welcome change from such disappointments.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing, truly,” the redshirt senior said.
If the Aggies needed any more motivation than a prime time showdown against a college football blue blood desperate for a win, Notre Dame provided it when their players confronted the Aggies coming off the field before the game.
“I’m not one to do a lot of talking, but I’ll be honest with you, it pissed me off when they tried that rah-rah before the game. I took it personally,” he said. “It was lip service. It was a lot of rah rah, trying to be something they’re not. No disrespect to them, but I’m calling it how it is.”
Regis proceeded to have the game of his life, racking up 7 tackles (5 solo), 1 tackle for loss, a sack and helped force quarterback CJ Carr into throwing an interception as he won SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. Even though the Fighting Irish racked up 429 yards of total offense, they found running up the middle to be tough sledding as Regis, Tyler Oneydim and DJ Hicks combined for 18 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
“All week, as a defensive line, we were saying ‘Walk into your trap, take over your trap’, and that’s what we did,” he said. “It wasn’t perfect, they’re a phenomenal team … but the end of the day, there’s one winner and one loser.”
Last year in the season opener at Kyle Field, Notre Dame ran the ball 34 times for 198 yards, an average of 5.8 yards per carry. That stat, along with comments about A&M’s run defense made in the week leading up to the game, fired up the defensive line even more. Though the Fighting Irish ran for three touchdowns and had several big runs, their final stats were a far cry from 2024’s: 39 carries for 136 yards, or 3.5 yards a carry.
“They talked all that talk, 200 rushing yards, saying our rushing defense wasn’t that good, so we took that very, very, very personally,” Regis said. “We did good. We could’ve been better. I mean, they’re athletes; they’re gonna make plays. That’s what they’re known for. I had the time of my life playing against them … I was fueled by (the competition) the whole time, knowing they have stars on their team, but we have stars on our team too.”
The defense didn’t just have to deal with Carr, running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and wide receiver Malachi Fields, they had to respond to a scary injury to one of their own. Safety Bryce Anderson was knocked out after a hit on tight end Eli Raridon late in the first half and was eventually carted off the field after a long delay. That, Regis said, was the toughest moment of the night.
“I’ll be honest, it was kind of sad. I started crying, because I saw his mom and his little brother and it broke my heart. No mother wants to see their child drop and not move,” he said. “Every play, sometimes we take it for granted. But it motivated us even more to win this for Bryce, because we knew if he was here, he’d be celebrating with us … he’s in the hands of God and I know he’ll be just fine.”
After Love scored his second touchdown of the night with 2:34 remaining in the game to put Notre Dame up 40-34, all Regis and the defense could do is watch as the offense looked for one final counterpunch. With 13 seconds left, they got it when Marcel Reed found Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard score. The following extra point by Randy Bond gave the Aggies a one-point lead that would hold up.
For his part, Regis claimed he was never worried about whether the offense would be able to get it done.
“I had faith in them. Y’all see the offense on Saturdays; I’ve seen the offense since the beginning of August,” he said. “I know what they can do, so I never had an ounce of doubt in my body.”
After a standout performance and a major team win, Regis allowed himself a moment of introspection.
“To endure all those hardships that I’ve been through since I first got here in (2021) to beat at team, top 10, in their home stadium — their first home game — it’s a blessing,” he said.
