1. Devon Achane will go over 1,000 yards in spite of a bad offensive line. He's at 867 yards, and his performance over the past month has been outstanding. That makes the lack of carries in the second half of games all the more frustrating.

2. That has his draft stock rising -- but I'd tell him to stay anyway. I've seen reports that have him now as a "second day pick". Is he, talent=wise? Yes. Will that really happen? Almost certainly not. Remember, running backs are continually undervalued, and this is a fantastic year for running backs. And when I see "great third down back", I roll my eyes. He's more than that, and if he's still being stuck with that label, he's not going to get the respect he deserves in the draft. So I'd stay home, run track, get NIL, run behind a better line and help his draft stock further.

Am I biased on this? You bet.

3. Look at the disaster that is the offensive line. This was the opening weekend lineup: Zuhn/Ogunbiyi/Wykoff/Robinson/Fatheree.

When fully healthy for a half-second, it was Zuhn/Ogunbiyi/Foster/Robinson/Fatheree.

Last weekend? Zuhn/Nabou/Wykoff/Robinson/Fatheree.

40% of the starters are gone for the year. They've had two starters at left tackle due to injuries, four at left guard and two at center. Robinson hasn't missed any time, but he's a long way from 100%. Only Fatheree has been healthy, and he's gone backwards in terms of performance.

4. The young D-line has worn down and it will likely get worse. With the loss of Fadil Diggs, Anthony Lucas still suspended and Tunmise Adeleye's status still uncertain, the Aggies are getting thin up front. You're looking at guys who have played a lot of snaps who aren't used to it. Shemar Stewart, clearly, is getting worn down and understandably so. He showed up on campus and was starting in five months. And he's playing increasingly more snaps because the depth is evaporating. Shemar Turner is in his sophomore season, but he's playing a ton more. Enai White has gone from off the bench to in the rotation. LT Overton has already been hurt. It's a tough, tough situation. It may be beneficial in a year or two, but right now, it's absolutely brutal.

5. Losing Anthony Hill is a massive blunder. That was the one guy A&M had to have, and they lost him. That goes on the staff, who didn't do enough to keep him on or off the field. The play of the linebackers had to concern him. Also, I don't think they kept on him enough with the right messages. A&M has to make some changes in the offseason, not only in the coaching staff, but the recruiting staff as well. The new arrivals have been insufficient when it comes to replacing staffers who moved on to new positions --- promotions, by the way.

6. Hoops team impressed with its depth last night. It's still real early and they'll likely blast Abilene Christian Friday night, but the Aggies were able to go very deep last night, and it wasn't like they were putting walk-ons out there. They had full two units they were able to put on the floor.

7. They were a little sloppy, but it seemed like they were trying to figure out what they were capable of doing. A&M had 14 turnovers and there were times where they looked choppy, but this was also the first opportunity to get out there with all these new players and see how they could work as a group. So you had some of "Let's see if I can get the ball into the post here for a dunk" or "can this guy hit a three in the corner?" As they get increasingly used to one another, some of those mistakes may be reduced.

8. Taylor, Dixon and Hefner could bring a new element to the offense. A&M was bad from 3-point land last year. I mean bad. How bad? Their season high for 3-pointers in a game last year was 11. They hit 12 last night, and it several guys showed the stroke. Wade Taylor hit 4 3s in a row, Hayden Hefner hit his first two and former Wichita State guard Dexter Dennis hit 3 out of 4, including two really nice ones in transition. If the Aggies can just be respectable from 3, then their offense gets a lot better.

9. The big guys can ball a little bit. The Aggies went small to start, with freshman Solomon Washington starting at the power forward spot while Henry Coleman started at center. But when the second team came in, Michigan State forward Julius Marble came in and he's a powerful presence. Javonte Brown came in later and had 4 points, 6 rebounds and a block in 7 minutes. And, of course, the team continues to go through Coleman, the team's best player.

10. Manny Instant Offense. Manny Obaseki only played 14 minutes last night, but when he was out there, he looked extremely comfortable on the offensive end. He was 4-6 from the floor, hit a 3 and had a couple of slam dunks in his 10 points. With the loss of Quenton Jackson to the pro ranks, the Aggies need someone to step up and be lightning in a bottle on offense. Obaskei seemed ready to fill that role last night.