Isaiah Spiller led the way for Texas A&M on the ground all season, but in the fourth quarter Saturday night, it was Devon Achane who turned in the biggest runs of the Orange Bowl, helping lift the Aggies to victory over North Carolina.

Achane’s 12 carries for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns earned him game MVP honors. He shared that Spiller, who was dealing with a foot injury, was excited to celebrate Achane’s breakout moment on the big stage.

“Isaiah was hurt he had a little foot injury, but I was glad I was there to come in and help my team,” Achane said. “Isaiah has taught me a lot because he has been here a year. As a freshman, I needed to come in and he treated me like I was a little brother to him. He was happier than me, I was pretty happy but he came up to me every time I scored, he was the first one to come up to me and congratulate me.”

Achane entered the night with 31 carries on the season spread out over five games. He acknowledged that he was patiently waiting for an opportunity like the one that presented itself Saturday night in Miami.

“You know, I was patient,” Achane told reporters. “I was just waiting on my turn. Everybody — I’m a freshman, so I know I ain’t going to come here and just get all the carries that I want. It’s all about just being patient and just waiting on my time.”

With his two touchdowns to cap off Texas A&M’s best season yet under Jimbo Fisher, Achane has gone from being a barely known freshman to a bowl game MVP. It will be exciting to see what Achane contributes in his second year and beyond.