Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee vs Texas A&M: 10 Keys to the Game for Vols and Aggies

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 1, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate following their win over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee vs Texas A&M has surprisingly become one of the biggest SEC games of the year. Here are the 10 keys to the game for the Volunteers and Aggies.

The day after the Vols’ overtime win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers, nobody would’ve thought that Tennessee vs Texas A&M would be one of the biggest college football games of the year.

After all, the Aggies began the year outside of the Top 25. Tennessee, meanwhile, began the year in the Top 10 but was sure to drop out after that ugly win.

But five weeks later, both teams are in the Top 10 and in the thick of their divisional races. At 5-0, they are not only thinking SEC Championship. The College Football Playoff is now coming to mind.

For Tennessee, things are looking a lot easier. After all, they have to play the Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide over the next two weeks. However, after that they get to enjoy a very soft SEC West schedule.

Meanwhile, the Aggies have to play the Vols and Tide as well, but they still have very tough games against the rest of the SEC West. That includes the LSU Tigers, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and the Ole Miss Rebels.

However, a win in this game for either team would put them in great position in the long run to get to the playoff, especially when a one-loss SEC team is likely to get there anyway.

That makes this a crucial game for both teams.

Here are the 10 keys to the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game for the Vols and the Aggies.

Oct 10, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers punter Trevor Daniel (93) punts the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38 to 31. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

10. Who wins the field position game?

One of the biggest stories of playing football at Texas A&M is that the Aggies use the 12th man at Kyle Field a lot to dominate field position. The Vols do not want to start lots of drives backed up on their own 10-yard line.

The best way to take the crowd out of it is to pin the Aggies deep. This helped them last week against the Georgia Bulldogs in a lot of ways, and it could help them again.

Tennessee does have a great punter in Trevor Daniel, and Alvin Kamara is a great punt returner, so they definitely have the personnel to be able to win the field position game.

However, the Aggies are no slouch in this area.

Despite a slow start this year, Christian Kirk is an elite punt returner after 14 returns for over 340 yards and two touchdowns last year. His stats this year are skewed by a big negative return against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Meanwhile, Shane Tripucka is capable of punting the ball 60 yards even though his average is below 45 yards right now. As a result, the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game could easily come down to who makes the biggest plays on special teams.

And the field position battle is definitely one that Butch Jones and his team do not want to lose. This is where Larry Scott has to earn his money in his first year as the Vols’ special teams coordinator.

Sep 3, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin on the sidelines against the UCLA Bruins during a game at Kyle Field. Texas A&M won in overtime 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

9. Who gets the fast start?

Putting emphasis on a fast start in the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game seems a bit ridiculous since the Vols have started games slow all year before roaring back. But this is a different team that they are facing.

Kevin Sumlin has recruited well enough to make sure the Aggies are the first team deep enough to hang with the Vols in the fourth quarter. As a result, if they build a huge lead, it’ll be much harder for Tennessee to come back.

At the same time, Texas A&M has the most high-powered offense of any team Tennessee has faced. So while a slow start has meant 21-0 or 17-0 over the past two weeks, it could be 35-0 in a heartbeat against the Aggies.

Couple that with the way Texas A&M plays on defense, which involves a focus on rushing the passer behind Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, and if Tennessee gets down, they’re in huge trouble. They’ll be forced to throw the ball, and John Chavis can dial up exactly what he needs to at that point.

Because of this, the Vols absolutely cannot afford to fall behind early in this game. Texas A&M will keep stepping on their faces if that happens, and this game will be over before they know it.

One thing that could help them is to take control early. That brings us to our next point.

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) scores a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

8. Tennessee’s ability to establish the run

Tennessee vs Texas A&M is a game that features two high-powered quarterbacks, but they also have elite running backs. Unfortunately, the Vols are likely going to be without one of their star running backs in Jalen Hurd this week.

That puts pressure on Joshua Dobbs and Alvin Kamara to establish the rushing attack early.

John Chavis is going to want to send as many blitz packages as possible and keep the Vols in passing situations. They can neutralize that with a solid rushing attack, and Kamara is a big-play speed back who could make the Aggies pay if they blitz.

Also, Butch Jones and Mike DeBord changed up from their fast-paced tempo last week against the Dawgs, and it worked well on offense. This weekend, they might want to consider doing the same thing.

In addition to the advantages it gives them on offense, it also gives them an advantage to change the pace of the game with Kevin Sumlin and Trevor Knight looking to score fast and keep the game up-tempo all game.

Tennessee is the more physical football team, so they should use that to their advantage, and being able to establish the run is a great start, with or without Jalen Hurd.

Using Dobbs as more of a running back in this game while Kamara breaks off big plays is a huge key for the Vols to win. Texas A&M, who isn’t as proven in its rush defense, has to come through in this game to stop it.

Sep 17, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Texas A&M Aggies receiver Josh Reynolds (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

7. Tennessee cornerbacks vs Texas A&M receivers

This story comes down to injuries in the Tennessee vs Texas A&M match-up. The Aggies are missing Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones at receiver, leaving Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds as the guys to go up against.

Meanwhile, the Vols are missing their star cornerback in Cameron Sutton, and Justin Martin is just getting healthy after a tweaked ankle.

That leaves Baylen Buchanan and Emmanuel Moseley to guard the Aggies wideouts while Malik Foreman and Rashaan Gaulden focus on the slot guys. Gaulden has been a great player for the Vols so far this year.

Foreman has been mostly great except for his terrible lapse in judgment on that Georgia touchdown last week.

With all of this talk, the Tennessee football cornerbacks have to show that they were worth the hype this year. Even without Sutton, we knew they were deep. And Bob Shoop, who we’re considering a superstar at defensive coordinator, focuses primarily on the secondary in position breakups.

So this should be their time to shine against a Texas A&M team that spreads it out.

Still, the story here will be Moseley and Buchanan. Buchanan has emerged as a freshman cornerback and a major over-achiever after being a three-star recruit in the 2016 class.

Moseley is a fundamentally sound cornerback, but he can get beat on certain plays. He’s a guy who plays physical, so the most important thing to help him out will be the safeties. That brings us to our next point.

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Shy Tuttle (2) reacts after a play against the Florida Gators during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

6. Tennessee safeties’ ability to stop the run

Last week, the Tennessee football safeties got caught in a crossfire. Because of the injuries at linebacker, they had to cheat up to help stop the run.

In the process, Jim Chaney and Jacob Eason exploited them for some big plays over the middle to their tight ends. This week, the Tennessee vs Texas A&M match will come down to the skill players being able to stay in the right positions.

And the safeties are going to have to stop the run in more ways than one.

Trevor Knight is going to try to scramble a lot for big plays, and at the same time, Trayveon Williams has emerged as a superstar running back. With the previously discussed injuries at linebacker, Todd Kelly Jr. and Micah Abernathy will have to make up for the losses of Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

But they have to make sure they don’t get caught in a crossfire again either.

Against an offense that likes to spread things out, Kelly and Abernathy are going to have to find a way to stay solid in coverage but be in the right position to keep running plays from breaking off for big games.

This is going to take some very creative coaching from Bob Shoop. But if the Vols don’t do it, Tennessee vs Texas A&M could turn into a blowout quickly.

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) runs the ball against the Florida Gators during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

5. How well can Texas A&M contain Joshua Dobbs?

One big thing working in the Vols’ favor for the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game is Joshua Dobbs. Last week, Butch Jones and Mike DeBord appeared to intentionally limit him on running plays because he turned down clear paths plenty of times.

That was probably to keep him as healthy as possible for these next two games. And this week, they will want to turn Dobbs loose.

Dobbs has an advantage over Knight against A&M’s elite pass rush because he doesn’t always run back in the pocket when under pressure. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to step up in the pocket and punch it up the gut when he runs.

With Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall attacking him from the outside this week, that’s going to be the best thing he can do.

So the question then becomes whether or not the Aggies can contain him. They are not as loaded at linebacker as they are up front. At the same time, John Chavis’s aura of being able to stop the spread has only really come against immobile quarterbacks.

Dobbs is clearly not that. However, he has to use his mobility if the Vols are going to win this game.

Meanwhile, the Aggies are going to have to do more than just pin their ears back and rush the passer. They actually have to contain Dobbs. And that could be difficult.

Oct 1, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Cullen Gillaspia (12) celebrates a fumble recovery against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

4. Tennessee’s fumbles vs Texas A&M’s ability to strip the ball

On paper, this is a massive advantage for the Aggies in the Tennessee vs Texas A&M match-up. Right now, Kevin Sumlin’s team is plus-2 in the turnover margin, and the have forced five interceptions and five fumbles for 10 turnovers overall this year.

That’s an average of two a game.

Meanwhile, Tennessee is plus-1 in the turnover margin, but they have fumbled the ball 13 times this year. They have just been fortunate enough to recover 10 of them. However, last week, the Vols’ luck began to run out as they fumbled it twice and lost it both times.

The law of averages say they will continue to be out of luck this week, and that will be a huge issue for them.

Texas A&M already has a high-powered offense. If you start making mistakes, they can cash in even more quickly. The crowd at Kyle Field will get raucous as well, creating that 12th man atmosphere that road teams dread in College Station.

Tennessee doesn’t necessarily have to win the turnover battle, although that would help a lot. They just need to find a way to hold onto the football, something that has plagued them all season.

If they can’t, their defense will be in bigger trouble because Sumlin’s fast offense will be able to turn up the tempo even more. And we’re not so sure about the Vols’ chances in our next key to the Tennessee vs Texas A&M game.

Sep 24, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight (8) celebrates scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Can Tennessee’s linebackers contain Trevor Knight? 

This would have been a major key even if Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Jalen Reeves-Maybin were healthy. Now that they’re not, it is colossal. And we can honestly say that we don’t know which way Colton Jumper and Cortez McDowell are going to go.

Two weeks ago, they shut down the Florida Gators in the second half. Last week, their inability to stop the run nearly cost them against the Georgia Bulldogs.

This week, they are facing the most dangerous offense they’ve seen with a quarterback in Trevor Knight who can guy you in many ways.

Knight has looked like a clone of Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M so far, and remember that he torched the Vols two years ago when he was playing for the Oklahoma Sooners.

So going into this week, Bob Shoop has to find a way to keep him in check with two backup linebackers. One advantage against Knight’s mobility is that he often runs backwards in the pocket when trying to make plays. That will put lots of pressure on Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen to force him backwards.

However, the linebackers have to be there and in the right position to make sure he doesn’t do anything after that. This is the toughest match-up for the Vols in this Tennessee vs Texas A&M game.

And they have got to find a way to over-achieve in spite of all of their injuries.

Sep 24, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) in game action against the Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium. Texas A&M won 45-24. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

2. Tennessee offensive tackles vs Texas A&M ends

On the other side of the football, the Tennessee vs Texas A&M match-up comes down to the ability of the Vols’ offensive tackles to protect Joshua Dobbs. They are obviously going up against a deadly combination in Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall.

The one thing working in their favor is that Garrett is a bit dinged up.

However, the Vols have been inconsistent on the offensive line all year. But another thing working in their favor is that they have looked a lot better ever since Chance Hall returned, and Coleman Thomas looks to be healthy this week for the first time all year.

So Butch Jones and Mike DeBord might finally have the full rotation they were looking for at the beginning of the year.

And while the interior line will most likely be fine, the tackles have the most pressure on Saturday. While Hall has played well on the right side, Brett Kendrick has been good for two bad plays a game. Doing that on Saturday will destroy the Vols with his match-up.

He’s got to find a way to contain Garrett on the left side to allow Dobbs to make plays with his legs and his arm. Really, Kendrick vs Garrett is going to be the story of the game. Dobbs can probably handle Hall on his own.

But if Kendrick doesn’t hold down Garrett, this game could get ugly fast.

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones during the second half against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 38-28. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tennessee’s mental toughness vs Texas A&M’s past

If this were either of the last two years, Tennessee vs Texas A&M would come down to the two teams with the worst intangibles in all of college football.

This year, the Vols have proven to be the exact opposite, relishing fourth quarter games and coming up big when they matter. The Aggies, meanwhile, have yet to prove that they are any different from the last two teams that started undefeated before an October collapse.

This is the game for them to show that this year is different. They are already different in many ways with more experience and a veteran quarterback in Trevor Knight, unlike the last two years.

Knight also has much more mental toughness and is a much less selfish player than the other Aggies quarterbacks, which should help Kevin Sumlin’s guys a lot on Saturday.

However, he has to prove that his mental toughness is on the level of Joshua Dobbs, who is the reason for the Vols’ success and patience on the field.

So right now, proof shows that the intangibles favor Tennessee. And that’s a huge key in this game because based on personnel, injuries, and location, everything seems to favor Texas A&M in this game.

If the Vols can rattle the Aggies in their own house, they’ll have a great chance to win. The question then comes if the Aggies can handle the pressure given the talk of the last two years.

That will be the biggest deciding factor in this weekend’s Tennessee vs Texas A&M game. Like many SEC games, it all comes down to mental toughness.

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