Texas A&M Game Preview
A lot of streaks and trends will clash on Saturday afternoon. Tennessee has won 12 straight home games dating back to the Georgia game in 2021. That was also the last time Tennessee failed to score at least 30 points at home. In Heupel's tenure, the Vols are 15-3 at home. Also in Heupel's tenure, he only has one loss at home to an unranked team and that was Pitt. The other losses were to Pitt and Ole Miss in 2021. Heupel is 5-1 coming off a bye as a head coach.
Texas A&M has lost 7 straight true road games dating back to 2021. Their last road win was against Missouri. Not including the Covid year in 2020 (sparse crowds), Texas A&M is 3-13 in true road games under Jimbo Fischer. Jimbo is also on an 8 game losing streak against ranked teams on the road. His last win was at Miami in 2016. All of these streaks favor the Vols.
I'm sure most of you have heard the breakdown all week. Both teams have great defensive lines and get after the quarterback. Texas A&M has a really good pass defense. Tennessee's is a bit iffy. No one runs on Texas A&M while the run game is the strength of the Vols. A&M has a very good passing game and some talented receivers and the Vols have had trouble stretching the field. On paper, the matchup really favors A&M. But games aren't played on paper as we well know.
I think the Checker Neyland atmosphere (with a little extra oompf from Gary Danielson) and Tennessee's pass rush are the keys to the game. If the pass rush can hit Max Johnson and the crowd can rattle him, the Vols should be okay. If he gets time to throw, we're going to see how much this secondary has improved.
The obvious play for Texas A&M is to shut down Tennessee's run and force Milton to make plays. They've shut down every other run game so they will likely shut down Tennessee's. At least initially. I think Cooper Mays being back will make a huge difference in this game. The Aggies will probably get some pressure at times but I also think the Vols will give Milton time enough for him to have opportunities for big plays. I think the off week will help the whole team, especially Milton and I think Milton will make enough of those throws to keep the defense honest and open up the running game a bit. I also think Milton's legs could be a factor as well. This is a big game for the receivers as well. They haven't been great this year but I think we will see Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton make some plays. I think Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles will also get involved. Will this be the game where Thornton steps up? If not now, when?
Defensively the Vols have to bring pressure early and often. Luckily they are one of the best teams in the country at getting to the quarterback. I think the crowd and the ferocious pass rush will be on top of Max Johnson all day. This may be a game where we look back and say the defense took over.
The crowd, the pass rush and Heupel having two weeks to prepare will just be too much for Texas A&M to overcome. Neyland remains elite and the home win streak extends to 13.
Tennessee (-3) 31
Texas A&M 27
In other games...
Washington (-2.5) 44
Oregon 41
USC (+2.5) 38
Notre Dame 35
North Carolina (-3.5) 34
Miami 28
South Carolina (-2.5) 27
Florida 24
Kentucky 28
Missouri (+2.5) 27
Last Week 4-2(3-3 ATS) Overall Record 19-11(14-15-1 ATS)
That's all I have for this week. As always, I truly appreciate everyone who takes to time to read this and make me part of your pregame. The Vols will be at the halfway mark after Saturday. Cherish every second of football. It'll be gone before you know it.
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Stay safe everyone and have a great weekend. Enjoy time with family and friends. Go Vols and God Bless!