Notre Dame Football: Week 1 Opponent Loses Star RB to Injury

The Fighting Irish will not have to prepare for RB Rueben Owens in the opener at Texas A&M. The talented Aggie sophomore was lost for the season after suffering a lower leg injury in practice.

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Rueben Owens (2) runs the ball during the second half as Mississippi State Bulldogs linebacker Jett Johnson (44) defends at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

When Texas A&M hosts Notre Dame on Aug. 31 in a key Week 1 showdown, it'll do so without projected starting running back Rueben Owens. The sophomore, who was expecting to make a leap in Year 2, suffered a season-ending lower leg in practice.

Losing Owens is a tough break for the Aggie offense. The 6-0, 205-pounder from El Campo, Tex. was one of the most decorated backs of the 2023 recruiting cycle. The explosive Owens started five games and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after leading the league's rookies in all-purpose yards (743), rushing yards (385), and kick return yards (249). He'll be missed, but former A&M coach Jimbo Fisher did not leave the backfield cupboard bare.

What Owens' Injury Means to Notre Dame

Aggie fans were fired up to see Owens 2.0 this fall, so that'll be missed in an offense that has a chance to be very good. However, A&M will have options in the running game Saturday night in Kyle Field. Fortunately, veterans Amari Daniels and Le'Veon Moss stuck with the program even after a new staff took over. And EJ Smith, Emmitt's son, was added through the portal after spending four seasons at Stanford. Depth won't be an issue for the Aggie ground game.

Daniels and Moss were actually A&M's top two rushers a year ago with 532 yards and 484 yards, respectively. Plus, both averaged more than five yards a carry. Moss has bellcow poential and should get the most touches in the opener. The 6-0, 215-pounder has the best combination of size and speed, and he's itching to flourish after missing parts of last year to injury. Like Owens, Daniels has big-play potential as a runner and a receiver.

Owens' injury represents a huge opportunity for Moss, in particular. Few opponents successfully run the ball against the Notre Dame D. The irish haven't allowed more than four yards a carry in a season since 2016, and this year's front wall is dynamite. If Moss can move the chains, it'll ease concerns about the loss of Owens while perking up attention from NFL scouts.

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