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Devon Achane return touchdown ties game vs Appalachian State

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•09/10/22
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A Devon Achane kick return touchdown knotted the Texas A&M-Appalachian State game at 14-14 in the third quarter on Sept. 10, 2022. (Icon Sportwire / Getty Images)

If not for its lead running back having a fantastic showing in the Texas A&M–Appalachian State game, the No. 6 Aggies may well be in trouble in Week 2 against the Mountaineers. But just after Appalachian State took a 14-7 lead late in the third quarter, a second score, this time via a Devon Achane kick return touchdown, knotted things up once again, at 14-14.

Achane was the answer to the Mountaineers’ first score in the game, as well, housing a 26-yard carry in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

After receiving the ball at the 4-yard line, Achane split a blocking wedge of three Aggies, slipped a tackle and then cut inside two Mountaineers defenders to break free into the open field for the score.

Little else has gone right for the Aggies, who are deadlocked in a tight contest with the Mountaineers.

“Offensively we’ve got to move the ball,” coach Jimbo Fisher said at halftime, lamenting his team’s poor offensive performance. “We come out the first drive, get a nice drive, get a penalty for not snapping the ball. Then next drive, we get a pass protection, we’ve got a guy open and we’re going to make the throw, then we score and we come back, got another missed double-team block, a guy don’t double team. We’ve got to play clean. The plays are there, we’ve got to get back and execute, keep our poise, get the ball on offense and we’ve got to get some stops on defense and win the field position, get off the field on third down.”

Texas A&M desperately needs some defensive stops

With the game tied, though, the Aggies must also find a way to come up with some stops. The Mountaineers have moved the ball relatively effortlessly throughout the afternoon, despite playing in a hostile road environment.

At the time of this writing, Appalachian State had outgained Texas A&M 240 yards to 151.

Fisher lamented his team’s inability to get off the field in key spots defensively, with the Mountaineers recording six third-down conversions on 15 attempts.

“Well we’ve got to get stops on defense. We’ve got to get off (the field),” Fisher told the ESPN2 broadcast crew just after halftime. “They’ve converted two or three fourth downs. But they’re managing the clock. We’ve got to stop the run, win the downs and be good on third down. They’ve popped some third-down runs.”