First Glance: Texas A&M vs. Tennessee Volunteers

What You Need To Know:

• This is the first ever matchup at Kyle Field between two undefeated, top-10 teams in October.
• There are no tickets available on 12thman.com ticket center. Good luck on the secondary market.
• The Vols are 5-0 overall (2-0 SEC) on the season and are currently ranked 9th in the Coaches Poll. The Vols’ have battled all season to remain unbeaten; needing overtime to knock off a feisty Appalachian State, a second-half comeback from 21-3 to beat Florida, and a last second Hail Mary to stun Georgia this past weekend. The Vols find a way to win.
• The Vols are also riding an 11 game winning streak dating back to October 31, 2015. This is the second longest in the nation after San Diego State lost on Saturday. Alabama has the current longest at 17 in a row.
• Head on over to the Vols’ SB Nation site Rocky Top Talk for all your Volunteer News. Warning: It is very orange.

Betting Lines:

• Texas A&M opens up as a -6.5 home favorite.
• A&M is 4-1 against the spread, while Tennessee is 3-2 against the spread.

Historical Notes:

• The Aggies and the Vols have played twice, with the Vols winning both matchups. The first was a 3-0 game in the 1957 Gator Bowl. The second was a 38-7 beat down in the 2005 Cotton Bowl. #FRAN
• Tennessee is the oldest school on A&M’s schedule, as it was founded in 1794. (Davy Crockett was only 8 years old)
• Famous Volunteers include Payton Manning, Jason Witten, Dave Ramsey, Fort Worth chef Tim Love, Survivor winner (2001) Tinna Wesson, the Co-founder of Garmin Min Kao, wrestler/actor Lou Albano, and poker star Chris Moneymaker.
• Tennessee has a live dog mascot named “Smokey” who is a Bluetick Coonhound. The current Smokey is Smokey X. Smokeys have served as Tennessee’s mascot since 1953, after a contest was held to see which Tennessee hound dog breed would represent the university. This was done at halftime of a game against Mississippi State. The dogs were lined up and the students cheered for the dog they thought was best. Brooks' Blue Smokey was the winner, and the Bluetick Coonhound has been Smokey ever since. Smokey is cared for on gamedays by Tennessee’s Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.

Volunteers to Watch:

Joshua Dobbs

Dobbs is a 6’3” 210 pound senior QB from Alpharetta, Georgia. Dobbs is the key for the Tennessee Volunteer offense. When he struggles, they struggle; when he rallies, they rally. He has thrown for 1035 yards, 13 TDs and 6 INTs (57.9% completion rating), while running for 267 yards and 5 TDs. Dobbs has thrown at least one interception in each game this season.

Jalen Hurd

Hurd is a 6’4” 240 pound junior RB from Hendersonville, Tennessee. Hurd has had 101 rushing attempts so Tennessee is committed to getting Hurd the ball. He has rushed for 407 yards and 2 scores, while adding 2 TDs and 82 yards on 7 receptions. The Aggie Defense will need to shut Hurd down to force Dobbs to win the game for Tennessee.

Media Blitz:

• College GameDay is coming to College Station but the game is on CBS. Wish this was a night game, but will never complain about a national broadcast.
• Game Time: 2:30 pm CT
• Channel: CBS
• Radio

Did You Know:

• This is the fifth time the ESPN’s College Gameday crew will be in College Station.
• A&M Defensive Coordinator, John Chavis, played for the Volunteers as a walk-on. The Chief had 74 tackles and 2 sacks. He later returned to Knoxville, and coached the Vols as a position coach (1989-1994), and later as the Defensive Coordinator (1995-2008). He helped the Vols win their 1998 National Championship.

Weather:

• If the forecast holds, Saturday should be a beautiful day for football with sunny skies and a high of 75 degrees.