Was Texas A&M’s bowl win over West Virginia an aberration, or a sign of things to come?

Against the Mountaineers in the Liberty Bowl, Texas A&M did something unusual: it leaned on its running game. In a 45-37 shootout, the Aggies hit season highs in rushing attempts (48) and yards (235), punching in two touchdowns on the ground and averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry.

With a rookie quarterback in Kyle Allen, having the running game step up in the final game of the season was a welcome sign. If Allen is continuing to develop this spring as he did over his five starts at the end of the season, though, the Aggies will be as pass-heavy as ever in 2015. But that doesn’t mean the running game won’t be a necessary component for Texas A&M’s success this fall.

Trey Williams, on the strength of his bowl performance, decided to bolt to the NFL at the end of the season. The Aggies still return Tra Carson, a 6-foot, 235-pound wrecking ball, as well as dynamic runner Brandon Williams. On top of that, Kevin Sumlin brought in a new run game coordinator and offensive line coach in Dave Christensen, the former offensive coordinator at Utah.

Christensen is going to play a big role in helping the Aggies maintain some semblance of balance in 2015. In ’14, Texas A&M was at its best when the option of running the ball was at least present. When it wasn’t and defensive linemen could pin their ears back to harass the offensive line and Allen (and Kenny Hill), Texas A&M found itself in a more difficult position.

Both seniors, Carson and Williams should find themselves playing a bigger role than ever. Carson has proven himself capable of hammering defenses between the tackles when given the opportunity, while Sumlin informed the media that Williams has finally added some weight to go along with his dazzling speed and elusiveness, calling him one of the most impressive players early in spring practice.

The numbers don’t lie: when the Aggies ran the ball 30 or more times in 2014, they were unbeatable, at 6-0. When they were under that figure, well, you can do the math and realize they were much more vulnerable. While the Aggies’ talent at wide receiver and Sumlin’s devotion to the Air Raid make it logical for Texas A&M to throw it as often as possible, that doesn’t mean the run game needs to be completely pushed to the side. And with the number of plays the Aggies run per game, there should be enough snaps to run it a fair amount.

This coming season is critical for the direction of Texas A&M’s program. While Sumlin would surely like to place the team’s fate in the hands of Allen, a prized recruit a year ago, the Aggies must trust the running game to carry a part of the load.