No. 19 Tennessee and Texas A&M both entered the 2023 college football season with high hopes. Many people believe those expectations haven’t been reached as the season nears the halfway point, but on Saturday, the Volunteers and Aggies will square off in a cross-divisional duel televised as the SEC on CBS Game of the Week.
Texas A&M is coming off a heartbreaking 26-20 defeat to Alabama. The Aggies led 17-10 at halftime but a late interception, a blocked field goal, and poor pass defense sunk them in the second half. However, Texas A&M shut down Alabama’s rushing game and made numerous explosive plays in the defeat, and should be able to push the relatively inexperienced Volunteers.
Tennessee defeated South Carolina 41-20 at home two weeks ago before going on a bye week, with the judgment still out on whether it is capable of maintaining the momentum produced during an 11-2 season in 2022. A 29-16 defeat to a poor Florida team on September 16 tarnished the club’s September slate and generated doubts that were not completely resolved in the team’s Sept. 30 triumph against an outmatched Gamecocks outfit.
This is the first matchup between the teams since Tennessee visited Texas A&M to end the 2020 regular season in front of just 22,645 fans at Neyland Stadium during the COVID-19 epidemic. That means the Aggies will visit Tennessee with a packed house for the first time in series history on Saturday.
How to Live Stream Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
Date: October 14 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Neyland Stadium is located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
CBS | CBSSports.com Live Stream, CBS Sports App (Free)
Showtime is available on Paramount+ (Try It Free).
Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: What You Should Know
The jogging game: Texas A&M is tied for eighth in the country in yards allowed per carry at 2.61 after allowing just 54 yards on 18 attempts to Alabama backs Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams. After accounting for the Aggies’ six sacks of Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Crimson Tide had just 23 yards running. Texas A&M was equally cautious the week before against Arkansas, but this week presents a more difficult test. Tennessee ranked second in the country in yards per carry at 6.18 and eighth in total offense with 230 yards per game. In this matchup, what gives way?
If Texas A&M inhibits Tennessee’s rushing game, it will increase the burden on Vols quarterback Joe Milton to throw the ball successfully against an Aggies pass defense that showed vulnerabilities against Alabama. Milroe topped 300 yards throwing for the first time in his career, which should have Milton wondering whether he can do it in a Tennessee jersey for the first time. The sixth-year senior had just eight completions of 25 yards or more in five games, compared to Hendon Hooker’s 31 in 11 games last season.
The influence of Ainias Smith: No one player in this game is more dangerous than Smith, Texas A&M’s all-purpose weapon. Smith is having his greatest season with the Aggies in Year 5. Smith scored touchdowns as a rusher and receiver in Texas A&M’s 34-13 victory against Tennessee in 2020. Smith hasn’t seen much action as a runner this season, but he’s been used as a returner. He returned a punt 46 yards against Alabama to set up a Texas A&M score on the next play, and he returned a punt for a touchdown against Arkansas the week before. He has yet to register a receiving touchdown, but that presumably means he is overdue given that he leads the club in receiving yards with 431.
Predictions and choices for Tennessee vs. Texas A&M
SportsLine consensus odds
The cross-division battle has some intriguing matchups. Texas A&M’s run defense, for example, is great, but Tennessee’s rushing attack is statistically among the best in the nation. The secondary of the Aggies is vulnerable, but the Vols have failed to hit on long throws. Both teams are among just three power-conference programs that average more over nine tackles for loss per game, and they excel at pressuring opposing quarterbacks. In such a close game, the side with home-field advantage takes the lead.
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