'Next-Man Approach': Why Aggies' Run Game Success Starts With Kolinu'u Faaiu

Losing Mark Nabou Jr. for the season was a huge hit for the Texas A&M Aggies, but since his injury, they've benefitted from the experience and mindset of backup center Kolinu'u Faaiu, who will now look to fill his shoes.

Sep 7, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive linemen start a play against the McNeese State Cowboys during the first quarter at Kyle Field. / Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Before the first kickoff of the season, Mike Elko placed a heavy emphasis on his team's offensive line.

Scrappier, grittier and tougher were the three adjectives used to describe the five men beginning the action for the Texas A&M Aggies. They were set to be a pivotal piece of the offense, especially if they could find a groove quickly.

"Our ability to get really talented and really good on the offensive line, as quick as we possibly can, will play a huge role in our ability to be successful on offense," Elko proclaimed.

Against Notre Dame, that idea was put to the test.

With a mix of new and returning faces, including Mark Nabou Jr., the Aggies had a tall task ahead of them: Open up the passing game through the run game. If they did that, they'd be able to pull ahead and stay ahead at home.

But they failed.

Weigman struggled mightily and despite six different ball carriers recording at least one rushing attempt, Texas A&M only recorded 146 rushing yards and one late rushing touchdown that ultimately had minimal impact with as stagnant as the offense was.

To make matters worse, Nabou suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return. He was replaced by Kolinu'u Faaiu the rest of the way.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Mark Nabou Jr. (54) in action during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“Mark Nabou, unfortunately, is going to be out for the rest of the year," Elko confirmed two days later at his weekly availability. "That’s what led to Koli playing a lot more. ... (He) had to step up and play the majority of the game at center for us.”

While losing the starting center certainly created another obstacle for the Aggies, Weigman ended up taking responsibility for his own performance, even crediting Faaiu and the rest of the line for adapting to the change quickly.

“I didn’t see any problem," he said. "They stepped up. They played really well. It’s the name of the game in football, people get hurt and (it becomes) the next-man-up mentality.

"I feel like they did a really, really good job at that.”

Playing for the Maroon & White was a first for Faaiu, who transferred to Texas A&M from Utah over the offseason, but taking over for a starter wasn't. The lineman started the final nine games of the season for the Utes, which made for useful experience when he was thrust into the lineup in Week 1.

"Being able to take those experiences I had against those teams halfway through the season and bringing it here, I feel like it's brought me a lot of confidence to my game," Faaiu explained, "and not only that, but (it's) put me in a position to compete with a lot of guys that are at another level."

Coming to Texas A&M, Faaiu was expecting to be challenged. Sure, he had experience at a Power Five school, but he was initially a backup to Nabou. That wasn't a bad thing, but he knew he had work to do before he could become a starting-caliber lineman in the SEC.

And he certainly didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

That's where Aggies run-game coordinator Adam Cushing came into play.

"Coach Cushing was a really big (factor) that made me decide to come here," Faaiu said. "I felt like there was so much more I (could) learn from him. After being at Utah ... it came to a point where it was time for me to move on, and I felt like Coach Cushing was able to raise my sling to a whole other level."

Sep 7, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive linemen start a play against the McNeese State Cowboys during the first quarter at Kyle Field. / Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The instant connection between Faaiu and Cushing was obvious: Both were entering their first seasons with the Aggies. Cushing's resume spoke for itself, and with an already-established relationship with Elko, it made the buy-in that much easier.

Cushing, like Elko, preached the standard, and Faaiu was all-in.

Even when his competitor was Nabou.

"It was great competition between me and Mark," Faaiu said, "It's a tragedy what happened to him, very sad and very heartbreaking. But I took that next-man mentality to (the Notre Dame) game and these next couple of games, of course."

Naturally, the offensive line was smoother in Week 2 compared to Week 1. The Aggies took care of business against the McNeese State Cowboys — largely due to Faaiu and company opening up the run game for Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels, who each tallied a pair of touchdowns.

That was something Elko noted.

"Le'Veon is a really talented back, and we gave him a lot of space to run today," he said after his team's 52-10 victory. "He was able to take advantage of it. It was good that we were able to get him out early and keep the hits off him a little bit because it's going to be a long season."

"Running the ball is going to be critical for us to have success," the coach added. "You go on the road in this conference, you're going to have to be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball."

Sep 7, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Le'Veon Moss (8) runs the ball during the first quarter against the McNeese State Cowboys at Kyle Field. / Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With Faaiu playing center, the season will continue. With Elko on the sidelines, the season will continue. With Weigman taking the shots, the same is true.

The Aggies shook off the rust in Week 2, but their approach didn't change. They know who they are and who they strive to be, their preparation just needs to match. Luckily for Faaiu, he's taken his new role in stride.

“I thought he played well,” Elko said of Faaiu's debut performance. “He’s a kid who played a lot of football. It’s why we brought him here. He battled all the way through (fall camp).”

Faaiu's work ethic got him to where he is now. His hope is that it takes him — and the Maroon & White — to where they want to be.

That starts in Week 3.

"I feel like we took this last week of preparation really hard," Faaiu said. "I feel like we performed to the standard. ... We just (went) out there, put our heads down, and fired off the ball."