Tennessee football bulldozes Texas A&M to win nail-biter
No. 17 Tennessee football bulldozed the SEC’s best rushing defense en route to a 20-13 win over Texas A&M on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. And the Vols picked off two passes in the final minutes to clinch it.
Jaylen Wright led the Vols with a season-high 136 yards. And UT racked up 232 yards rushing against the Aggies, who had allowed only 84 yards per game.
UT (5-1, 2-1 SEC) entered the game as the No. 1 rushing offense in the SEC, and Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2) had the No. 1 rushing defense.
It was the most intriguing matchup of the game, and the Vols won it.
UT will play Alabama next Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) in Tuscaloosa. Here are six observations from UT’s home win.
Final minutes turned into a nail-biter
UT extended its lead to 17-13 on Charles Campbell's 31-yard field goal with 3:48 remaining, which was set up by a Wright run.
On Texas A&M's ensuing drive, UT cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally picked off a Max Johnson pass and returned inside the Aggies' 10-yard line. The Vols couldn't punch it into the end zone, but Campbell made a 24-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 20-13 with 2:31 remaining.
Texas A&M had one final chance. But on a fourth-and-10 play, UT cornerback Kamal Hadden intercepted a Johnson pass near midfield to secure the win.
Dee Williams punt return put Vols ahead
Dee Williams broke a 39-yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter that gave UT its first lead of the game at 14-10. He caught the short punt, ran left, cut right, broke a tackle and outran the Aggies to the end zone.
Williams could thank himself for the conditions that set up his score. On the previous possession, he downed the UT punt at the Aggies’ 1. Texas A&M barely moved the ball and were forced into a short punt.
It was the second punt return for a TD by Williams in his two seasons with the Vols. He scored on a 73-yard return against Vanderbilt last season.
Both quarterback faced relentless pass rush
Both quarterbacks were under pressure from two of the best defensive lines in college football. They reacted in their own ways.
UT’s Joe Milton struggled to get into a rhythm. He was 11-of-22 passing for 100 yards, one TD and one interception. Milton overthrew a couple of deep passes. Ramel Keyton and Chas Nimrod each dropped a deep pass.
Johnson was battered by UT defenders, but he also made some timely throws under duress. He was 16-of-34 passing for 223 yards, no TDs and two interceptions.
Entering the game, Texas A&M led the nation in and sacks., and UT ranked fourth.
Vols failed on fourth down
Go for it or kick it? Neither option seemed like the right one for the Vols on fourth down. And it potentially cost them a lot of points.
In the first quarter, UT went for it on fourth-and-2 on the Texas A&M 18. Milton rolled right. But he ran out of room to run it for a first down, and his late pass to Dylan Sampson was incomplete along the sideline.
In the second quarter, UT opted for a field goal on a fourth-and-3 from the Texas A&M 33. But Campbell missed the 51-yard kick.
In the third quarter, UT went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 29 rather than attempt another long field goal. But Milton was sacked by a relentless Aggies pass rush.
Tennessee searched for Bru McCoy replacement
UT used a few options to replace wide receiver Bru McCoy, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the win over South Carolina on Sept. 30.
Nimrod, a redshirt freshman, made his first career start and led UT with four catches for 31 yards. Nimrod had only one catch in his career before this game.
Redshirt freshman Kaleb Webb also played in McCoy’s spot. Dont’e Thornton got playing time at slot receiver after returning from an injury that sidelined him against South Carolina.
Tight end Jacob Warren also was utilized with McCoy out. Warren made a 7-yard TD catch, his second score since McCoy’s injury.
Checkered Neyland won another big game
Checker Neyland is making a comeback. For the seventh time, UT fans dressed in white and orange in coordinated sections to create a checkerboard pattern.
It looks cool. But it didn’t get results in the early attempts. UT lost five of its first six Checker Neyland games since 2014.
But now the Vols have won their last two Checker Neyland games. They beat Florida in 2022.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football bulldozes Texas A&M to win nail-biter
