Texas A&M Offense Adjusts Approach Without Top Rusher

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No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) will be challenged offensively the rest of the season as it adjusts to life without running back Le'Veon Moss.

The junior was having a breakout season but suffered a season-ending injury during the Aggies' Nov. 2 loss to South Carolina, causing a unit that already had its share of struggles to do some reshuffling among its personnel.

"A lot of things are on the table," head coach Mike Elko told the media during a press conference on Nov. 11. "Obviously, losing Le'Veon's a big loss. That's a lot of touches. We're going to have to figure out the right way to handle that, and I think there's a lot of different opportunities and options for us to go about it."

Texas A&M Replacements

Junior Amari Daniels and senior EJ Smith are next in line at running back, but both were already seeing carries throughout the season, even with a healthy Moss in the lineup. Because of that, it would be unfair for Aggie fans and the staff to expect his production to be easily replaced by anyone who steps in. But they have to try because Moss was the engine that made the offense run.

"The way we look at it is we've got to replace a lot of production, and I don't think we can replace it the same way," Elko added. "I don't think we have a back that's going to step in and be what Le'Veon is to go along with what we had from Amari and what we had from EJ already. We've just got to figure it out."

Part of that should be the quarterback running game, especially if freshman Marcel Reed gets another start, but Elko would not divulge any further details.

Trusting Klein

The injury and its effects on the offense and the future of Texas A&M's season provide an opportunity for offensive coordinator Collin Klein to display his expertise in designing and adjusting an offensive system. The team could be in for a rude awakening without its top weapon, which makes the way Klein and the staff utilize each player even more significant to its success.

Elko says that was a trait he valued when looking for an offensive coordinator, and he trusts Klein to be up for the task.

"It was always about the utilization of personnel," the head coach explained. "Take our weapons, take who we have and figure out the best plan to utilize them to be effective and score points and help us win football games. We lost a big weapon, but the goal is still the goal. Now, we've got to go back to the drawing board, and we've got to find a different way to move the ball and score points, and we'll do that."

© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Aggies better hope Elko is right and Klein can revamp the offense on the fly. Otherwise, the Nov. 23 game at Auburn (3-6, 1-5) could be closer than they hoped, and the season finale against No. 3 Texas (8-1, 4-1) may go from a winner-take-all to a complete bloodbath.