Repeat after me: There is no such thing as a bad top-20 road win.

Notre Dame played an occasionally sloppy, uneven game Saturday night at Texas A&M. But at money time, the Irish dominated, and they ended the Aggies’ four-game home win streak against Top 10 foes with a 23-13 triumph that serves as Marcus Freeman’s best win to date.

Despite 11 penalties, including a few maddening offsides on the defense, and despite an offense that for 3 quarters was unable or unwilling to make the Aggie defense pay for selling out against the run, the Irish won. They did it by leaning on their defense, and the defense responded to the challenge, showing why they’re one of the best units in the country.

Anthonie Knapp is going to be a dude. And soon.

When Charles Jagusah went down with a season-ending torn pectoral muscle a few weeks ago, it sparked mass panic among the fan base. When Tosh Baker was immediately announced as his replacement, that didn’t help much. Within days, Anthonie Knapp was taking the first-team snaps at the position. What had happened? Had Baker just collapsed, or was Knapp a real guy?

We have our answer.

Faced with a top-flight defensive line in front of 107,000-plus, Knapp (and the rest of his line) didn’t just meet the challenge, he exceeded the most optimistic expectations. The line didn’t give up a sack. He committed one penalty, a holding call that struck me as dubious; the false start attributed to him was on center Ashton Craig for not snapping the ball. And when Notre Dame’s season was on the line* on 3rd down deep in its own territory, Knapp picked up an Aggie rusher enough to give Riley Leonard time to hit Jaden Greathouse for a first down.

* I don’t think this is hyperbole. A&M was going to get the ball, realistically, no more than 25 yards away from a potential winning field goal had the Irish not converted that 3rd down. Give Leonard credit for being completely unfazed and making the throw.

It is much too soon to project Knapp as the next Joe Alt, who also earned the left tackle job as a true freshman after the starter got hurt and he usurped Baker. But he’s going to be damn good.

The defense is backing up last year’s results.

The Irish don’t win this game if they don’t feel they can lean on their defense. Al Golden trusted his front four to get pressure more often than not, trusted his secondary to pick up the D-line if that didn’t work, and trusted Jack Kiser to keep the unit moving forward amidst inevitably stressful situations.

Check, check and check.

The D-line got regular pressure, forcing Conner Weigman into a pitiful 3.3 yards per pass attempt. Howard Cross got his customary sack. Jaylen Sneed was often seen around the ball, making a couple of big stops and making his presence felt otherwise. Two picks, one each by the great Xavier Watts and his heir apparent, Adon Shuler. Benjamin Morrison was barely seen, which means the Aggies weren’t throwing his direction. And Christian Gray wasn’t perfect, but you don’t beat out a talented guy a year ahead of you (Jaden Mickey) if you’re not a dog. And Gray, who clearly (and gleefully) relishes contact, has some serious dog in him.

A&M was able to get some decent runs off at times, but that was it. At no point did it feel like the Aggie offense had a read on the Irish.

Marcus Freeman ain’t gun-shy.

There have been plenty of times in three years-plus (counting his DC year) where Marcus Freeman took a risk and it didn’t work. Occasionally, too, he’s played things too conservatively. Saturday night, he played to win. Twice on the same drive, he put the ball in Leonard’s hands on fourth-and-1, and both times it should have worked.

(Let’s just all be glad this interesting replay decision didn’t end up amounting to anything.)

Risky? Maybe. But Freeman has quietly been projecting a ton of confidence in what this team can be all off-season. He backed it up with his decisions.

The questions can wait for now.

As with any opener, it wasn’t perfect. Leonard and his receivers had communication issues. Way too many penalties. Missed chances. Jordan Faison’s injury, should it be a long-term one, would suck out loud. (Something cruelly fitting about basically the only receiver from last year that didn’t get hurt going down almost immediately this year.)

And despite all those things, the Irish thoroughly outgained A&M, locked down the Aggie offense, and won at Kyle Field.

It was a good day.