Tennessee football beat Texas A&M with defense, Dee Williams. Will that beat Alabama? | Toppmeyer
At a Knoxville Quarterback Club gathering two weeks ago, a Tennessee fan wanted to know why coach Josh Heupel hadn’t incorporated the Vols’ dynamic punt returner into the offense.
A fair question, considering Tennessee’s best offense Saturday occurred when Dee Williams and the punt-return unit were on the field.
Heupel's offense that once looked infallible now looks static. Texas A&M made Tennessee one-dimensional. Quarterback Joe Milton’s performance had me wondering about the readiness of ballyhooed freshman Nico Iamaleava, Milton’s backup.
How ugly was Tennessee’s offense? One of its best plays occurred when a Milton pass ricocheted off the chest of one player and into the hands of another.
At least the Vols had Williams, plus a resilient defense.
Williams' knifed around and past Aggies en route to the end zone’s checkerboards for the winning score in No. 17 Tennessee’s 20-13 triumph at Neyland Stadium.
This one isn’t headed for the Louvre.
Defensive struggle is the kind way to describe it.
Texas A&M’s offensive futility surpassed Tennessee's. Maybe, Heupel should hire that quarterback club member to an analyst role and task him with figuring out how to incorporate Williams into Heupel’s languished offense.
Williams’ 39-yard third-quarter sprint became Tennessee’s only touchdown after the first quarter. That was enough against a Texas A&M program that continues to be long on hype and short on results.
A wave of Aggies fans took over downtown bars and restaurants here this weekend. Market Square became awash with maroon and cowboy hats. They watched the Aggies (4-3, 2-2) lose their eighth straight true road game.
Embattled coach Jimbo Fisher’s road losing streak will stretch beyond two calendar years.
Vols don't let Texas A&M's Max Johnson find a rhythm
For the season's first month, Fisher’s hire of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino appeared to have paid off. The Aggies’ offense had life in September. Combine the injury to starting quarterback Conner Weigman with tough games against Alabama and Tennessee, and the Aggies once again are comatose.
Quarterback Max Johnson never found a rhythm – the Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) intercepted him twice – and the Aggies’ run game never generated momentum.
Tennessee won 11 games last season behind the nation's best offense. It has reinvented itself behind its defense. Tennessee and Georgia are the SEC’s only teams that have not allowed any opponent to score 30 points.
The Vols benefited from a few breaks, too.
Johnson toppled over after his center trapped his foot on a fourth-and-inches gone wrong. With a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the Aggies missed a field goal.
A third loss means the Aggies are resigned to “wait ‘til next year” mode, a continuation of a longstanding tradition. Tennessee's white-knuckle victory keeps it alive for all of its goals, at least until next week’s game against Alabama.
To have hope of beating the Crimson Tide, the Vols will need more offense than they mustered Saturday.
Tennessee reinvents itself with defense – and punt returns
Tennessee’s offense is almost unrecognizable one year after it averaged 46.1 points. The Vols miss Darnell Wright anchoring the offensive line. They miss Jalin Hyatt’s ability to take the top off opposing defenses. Most of all, they miss Hendon Hooker, a quarterback who was as poised as he was dynamic, a cool maestro within Heupel’s fastbreak.
Milton is a game manager with a bazooka. He can chuck it 80 yards. That’s a neat party trick, but I’d trade a little of that arm strength for more reliability. Milton’s receivers and offensive line didn’t help him, but Milton also did little to help himself. His accuracy is inconsistent, he lacks awareness, and he’s a slower processor than Hooker. Milton’s interception thrown into double coverage extinguished one red-zone opportunity.
Heupel’s decision-making wasn’t much better than his quarterback’s. Rather than attempt a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter while trailing by three points, Heupel opted for fourth-and-7. That produced a turnover on downs.
The Vols’ defense had Heupel’s back. So did a punt returner who needs a few offensive snaps.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football beat Texas A&M. Can these Vols beat Alabama again?
