Aggies vs. Hurricanes: No De'Von Achane; Who Steps Up in Week 2?

Last season, De'Von Achane led the way for the Aggies in their 17-9 victory over Miami, but now that he's departed from the program, Texas A&M will need another player to step up in his spot as it looks to add another win to its year.

One of the trademarks of a powerhouse college football program is its ability to retain talent and prevent regression. 

Some of the nation's top programs — Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia, to be specific — serve as examples of that. Since the CFP began in 2014, those three programs combined have finished outside of the top-10 at the end of the season only four times out of 27 total opportunities. Year after year, those programs continue to sit atop the rankings and are expected to do so, less their season be deemed a failure.

For the Texas A&M Aggies, hiring Jimbo Fisher was an attempt to reach that status among the NCAA. Texas A&M wants to be consistently in the playoff conversation, and doing so will require a better season than last year. 

Luckily for Texas A&M, a new offensive coordinator and renewed sense of motivation can help the Aggies to achieve what they're looking for — but not before addressing a major issue, especially when facing the Miami Hurricanes for the second season in a row: Who is going to fill the role of De'Von Achane? 

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Last season, also during Week 2, Achane played a large role in the Aggies' success. In a game where Texas A&M only notched 264 total yards and two touchdowns, Achane accounted for 130 of them and a touchdown, including the game-icing score. 

So, in a defensive-focused game, having Achane as a spark plug ultimately paved the way for an Aggie victory, and with a re-vamped football team awaiting coach Jimbo Fisher and company, another spark plug will likely help. 

Some of the Aggies' top candidates to fill an Achane role this season are naturally the three running back options. Le'Veon Moss, Amari Daniels and freshman Rueben Owens all saw game action against the Lobos, combining for 20 total carries and 102 yards. 

While that statistic isn't the most ideal for a running back room featuring three promising talents, taking Weigman's passing totals into account puts the numbers into perspective, which does bode well for the Aggies' upcoming games. 

Whether it's one of the three running backs who steps up, or another display of Weigman's talent, Texas A&M will need one of its weapons to step up. Achane may not be hitting the field to face the Hurricanes again this season, but given that he's now a Miami resident, he certainly might be in attendance to watch his alma mater take on his new-town team. 

And when his eyes look to the Aggies' backfield, he'll certainly hope to see another standout performance en route to an Aggie victory.