First Glance: Tennessee Volunteers

What You Need to Know:

• Texas A&M is 4-2 (2-1) after a frustrating 26-20 loss to Alabama last Saturday.
• Tennessee is 4-1 (1-1), and was on bye last week.
• Statistically, this is the best offense the Aggies have faced yet this season other than Miami, with the Vols ranking 22nd in scoring, 7th in rushing and 70th in passing. The Aggie run defense continues to be elite (No. 9 nationally), so much like last week, this game will come down to how Tennessee QB Joe Milton can attack the Ags through the air.
• The A&M offense will face a slightly easier defense this week, but not by much, with the Tennessee defense ranking 23rd in scoring, 37th against the run and 28th against the pass.

Betting Lines:

• The Aggies opened as a 3.5-point underdog.
• The over/under is 56.

Historical Notes:

• The all-time series between the Aggies and Vols is tied 2-2, but A&M is 2-0 against Tennessee since joining the SEC, winning at Kyle Field in 2016 and at Neyland in 2020.
• General Robert Neyland, for whom Tennessee’s football stadium is named, attended Texas A&M.
• Famous Tennessee alumni include Peyton Manning, Jason Witten, Candace Parker, Dave Ramsey, Browns owner Jim Haslam and country singer Pam Tillis.

What To Watch For:

• Who is actually good? There’s a good argument that neither of these teams have beaten a legitimately good team yet (though they both fancy themselves as one). For whoever loses this game, their fans start to suffer a serious identity crisis.
• Running results: Tennessee has the top rushing offense in the SEC while A&M has the top rushing defense. Which one will prove to be superior? (also hopefully A&M’s secondary play doesn’t render this irrelevant.
• Checkers: Tennessee is doing a “Checker Neyland” game this Saturday, so look for that pattern in the stands (hopefully disrupted by a fair amount of maroon).

Media Blitz:

• Venue: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)
• Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
• TV: CBS
• Get your Tennessee coverage from their SB Nation team site, Rocky Top Talk.

Weather:

• Rain showers early with some sunshine later in the day. High 72F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.