Tennessee vs. Texas A&M score, takeaways: No. 19 Volunteers use suffocating defense to stay in SEC East race

The Vols picked off Aggies quarterback Max Johnson twice and returned a punt for a touchdown

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 19 Tennessee topped Texas A&M 20-13 at Neyland Stadium in a massive game between cross-division foes. Aggies quarterback Max Johnson was picked off by Kamal Hadden at midfield on a fourth-and-10 with 22 seconds to play to ice things away and keep the Volunteers at least in the mix of the SEC East title race.

With Tennessee up 17-13 under four minutes to play, Gabe Jeudy-Lally picked off Johnson on third-and-10 and returned it to the Aggie 6-yard line. The Volunteers couldn't punch it in for six, but Charles Campbell kicked a 24-yard field goal to make it 20-13 with 2:31 to play and force the Aggies to try for the end zone on their final drive. 

The biggest play of the game came in the third quarter when Tennessee took the lead on a 39-yard punt return for a touchdown courtesy of Dee Williams. The short field was set up by Vols punter Jackson Ross, who pinned the Aggies at their 1-yard line, and a defensive stand that forced the Aggies to punt from the back of the end zone. That play gave the Volunteers the 14-10 lead -- one that they wouldn't relinquish.

Johnson was harassed all day by the stout Volunteer pass rush, which recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss. That doesn't include the numerous times it impacted plays by forcing Johnson out of the pocket or a running back to make an early cut. Johnson finished the afternoon 16 of 34 passing for 223 yards, zero touchdowns and two picks.

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton didn't have a great day with 50% passing for 100 yards, one touchdown and one interception. However, he added 34 yards on the ground and his 7-yard strike to Jacob Warren in the first quarter gave the Volunteers the early lead. 

A new way to win

Tennessee returned to national prominence in 2022 on the back of an aerial attack led by quarterback Hendon Hooker and Bilentnikoff Award-winning receiver Jalin Hyatt. The Vols advanced to 5-1 on Saturday, however, with little help from their offense. On a day when quarterback Milton completed just 11 passes and threw a potentially devastating interception in the end zone, the defense and special teams took over. 

The Vols reached Texas A&M territory nine times but scored just one touchdown and two field goals in those forays into Aggie territory. Thus, it was up to an often-maligned defense to keep Tennessee in the game. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks' unit met the challenge, holding Texas A&M to just 277 total yards and 54 yards rushing. The Vols were credited with 11 quarterback hurries, which kept Johnson out of rhythm throughout the day.

Validating the run game

Tennessee's passing attack will remain a concern as the Volunteers throttle toward a rivalry showdown at No. 11 Alabama next week. Beating the Aggies validated the legitimacy of the Volunteers' rushing attack, though. Tennessee racked up 232 yards rushing behind a 136-yard effort on 19 carries from Jaylen Wright.

Texas A&M allowed 2.61 yards per carry entering Saturday, which ranked top-five nationally, and had just successfully mitigated Alabama's rushing attack in a Week 6 loss. Still, the concerns over the Volunteers' ability to run against the Aggies proved overblown. Wright and Jabari Small repeatedly bit off chunks on the ground to help atone for their team's lackluster passing game.

Texas A&M's outlook

For a second consecutive week, Texas A&M's shoddy pass protection left Johnson struggling to stay upright. The Aggies failed to hit a pass play of 30 or more yards and struggled to find leading receiver Evan Stewart, who caught just four passes on 12 targets. Defensively, A&M played to near-perfection by repeatedly stiffening against Tennessee in critical moments, but the effort went to waste.

With three losses already on the ledger and road tests still ahead against No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 22 LSU, another season with of 4 or more losses now appears almost inevitable. The Aggies are squandering a chance to make noise in an unusually weak SEC West. In coach Jimbo Fisher's first five seasons, the Aggies lost four or more games in every year except for the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Saturday's outcome will only ratchet up the heat on Fisher as the Aggies head to late October with little hope of winning the SEC West.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 7:11 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tennessee hangs on

Final: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13

It wasn't pretty, but Tennessee is 5-1 (2-1 SEC) after hanging on with the help of some ferocious defense to beat Texas A&M inside Neyland Stadium. The Vols limited the Aggies to just 277 yards and came up with two crucial late interceptions to preserve the win as their offense struggled to find the end zone. The Aggies have now suffered three losses, including two in the SEC, and must regroup to avoid another bitterly disappointing season as heat ratchets up on Jimbo Fisher.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:39 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Walter Nolen down

The star defensive lineman for the Aggies suffered what appeared to be a leg injury midway through the fourth quarter when he was upended by his own player while chasing down a Tennessee ball-carrier. He was helped to the cart by trainers and was in obvious pain as he rested on his left side. 

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:30 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Randy Bond wide left

It's been a grind for Texas A&M's offense, but it found a way to get into field goal range. However, Randy Bond's attempt that would have given the Aggies the lead sailed wide left. That might have been Texas A&M's last real shot at points as, even though quarterback Max Johnson was able to get them into field goal range, the offense looked horribly disjointed.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:29 pm ET · David Cobb]

Another stand

Tennessee's defense stood tall again when its back was against the wall, and the Vols avoid damage with a wide left miss from A&M's Randy Bond. The wind has absolutely played a role in the kicking game today as the flags continue whipping from left to right atop Neyland Stadium. Both kickers have missed from nearly that exact spot.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:25 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Texas A&M's offense

Max Johnson is getting precisely no time to throw and, yet, he's consistently been in passing situations that have little-to-no chance of succeeding. I'm not sure who's calling these plays for Texas A&M, Bobby Petrino or Jimbo Fisher. Whoever it is, the other one should take over.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:24 pm ET · David Cobb]

No one else to blame

If Tennessee can't close this one out, it will have no one to blame but itself. Between 10 penalties for 95 yards and counting, dropped passes, poor decisions from Joe Milton and a couple of untimely defensive miscues on third downs, the Vols have managed to back themselves into a corner here as A&M drives and tries to surge ahead with just over 11 minutes left.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:18 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Aggies get a BIG defensive play

Josh DeBerry picked off a Joe Milton III pass right in the middle of the end zone as Milton didn't see DeBerry at all. The Aggies defense was on skates for the majority of the drive, and an eight-point deficit in front of the raucous crowd at Neyland Stadium would have put them right in the middle of the danger zone. It'll be fascinating to see if the Aggies offensive front can hold the Vols back. 

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:17 pm ET · David Cobb]

Brutal blow

One play after picking up a huge first down with his legs, Joe Milton threw a horrendous interception in the end zone. He telegraphed the throw right into double coverage, and it never had a chance. The Aggies take over at their own 16 down a point. Tennessee just made its seventh trip into A&M territory and has come away with only one touchdown on all those trips.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:16 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Penalties

It looked like Tennessee was going to be set up in the red zone after Chas Nimrod was mauled on a deep pass down the left sideline. The officials kept their flags in their pockets, though, much to the disdain of the Volunteer faithful. The officiating today has been -- less-than-stellar. The two teams have combined for 18 accepted penalties (10 for Texas A&M, eight for Tennessee), and yet there seems to ben six or seven blatant no-calls. 

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:13 pm ET · David Cobb]

To the fourth

Tennessee's downfield passing game remains a weakness. It's not entirely on Joe Milton, because his receivers have been far from perfect today and this season in general. But the general lack of threat from the Vols through the air continues to hamper them when they reach A&M territory and the Aggies bow up against the run. To the fourth we go with Tennessee clinging to a 14-13 lead and facing a critical offensive sequence.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 6:05 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Aggies rebound

3:15 Q3: No. 19 Tennessee 14, Texas A&M 13

A great Tennessee punt followed by an Aggie three-and-out and Vol punt return for a touchdown had the Aggies on the brink of disaster. They rebounded to re-gain a little of momentum, though. Randy Bond's 24-yard field goal has cut it to a one-point game, which is a minor miracle given the way that quarterback Max Johnson was running (and throwing) for his life. The Aggies haven't been able to protect him during the second half, and that has to change in a hurry.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:57 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Texas A&M is in world of hurt

6:47 Q3: No. 19 Texas A&M 14, Texas A&M 10

Texas A&M was pinned back at the 1-yard line and had three shots to get it out of the shadow of their own goal post. It didn't move an inch. In fact, it moved back a few inches because of a delay of game. Nic Constantinou's punt was fielded at the by Dee Williams at the 38-yard line, and the Aggies punt team didn't even lay a hand on him. That's the kind of play that can absolutely swing a game. Texas A&M's defense has stymied the Vols virtually all game, but a special teams touchdown to take the lead has swung momentum to the Vols.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:55 pm ET · David Cobb]

Iowa style

Tennessee just scored the ultimate Iowa touchdown. A punt to the 1-yard line left Texas A&M against its own goal-line. The Aggies then had to punt from their own 1. Dee Williams then returned the punt 39 yards for a touchdown to put Tennessee ahead 14-10 and ignite Neyland Stadium. The Vols aren't getting it done offensively, but their defense and special teams have them ahead nonetheless.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:48 pm ET · David Cobb]

Six trips

The overall incompetence of both teams is mounting inside Neyland Stadium as these teams trade punts, botched snaps, drops, overthrown passes, etc. Tennessee promptly reached Texas A&M territory again on its second possession of the third quarter but quickly stalled. That marks six trips inside Texas A&M territory with just one score for the Volunteers. The overall mediocrity of this matchup is sucking the life out of a checkered Neyland Stadium crowd.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:39 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

A&M's defense is relentless

Fadil Diggs came in hot and sacked Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III on fourth-and-six from the 29-yard line. It was Diggs' fourth sack over the last two games, and Texas A&M's sixth tackle for loss on the afternoon. It was the fourth time this afternoon that the Volunteers have been in Aggie territory. The Aggies have stopped them on downs twice, forced a field goal attempt once and allowed one touchdown.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:38 pm ET · David Cobb]

Five trips

Tennessee is up to five trips into Texas A&M territory with just seven points to show for it. On the latest unsuccessful incursion, the Volunteers faced a fourth-and-7 from the 30 and left the offense on the field. Milton was sacked by Fadil Diggs as A&M's defense came up with yet another stand. The Vols have had plenty of chances but are 0 for 2 on fourth downs and 0 for 1 on field goals.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:32 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tennessee's defense

Give the Vols' defense credit. The unit has been steady today and just forced A&M to go backwards on the opening possession of the third quarter, resulting in a short punt that will set Tennessee up at A&M's 45-yard line. The Vols have consistently generated a pass rush and aren't giving up much on the ground. This program is known for its offense under Josh Heupel, but the defense is earning its keep today.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:25 pm ET · David Cobb]

Tennessee's offense

The Volunteers ran the football well in the first half against Texas A&M's vaunted run defense but struggled throwing the football a week after the Aggies were torched for more than 300 yards through the air by Alabama's Jalen Milroe. Joe Milton is just 6 of 11 for 38 yards at the break. Tennessee may need more from Milton and its receiving corps in the second half if it's going to get a victory here. The Vols have made four trips to A&M territory but have just one score to show for it.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:08 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

It's a three-point game at the break

Halftime: Texas A&M 10, No. 19 Tennessee 7

It's been a sloppy 30 minutes on Rocky Top as the visiting Aggies leave the home-standing Volunteers by a field goal at halftime. Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson scored from two yards out after diving for the pylon on a scramble for the game's first touchdown. Tennessee answered back on a 7-yard touchdown strike to Jacob Warren to even things up. A 41-yard field goal by Randy Bond midway through the second quarter has given the Aggies the edge. 

There are two big stories here. The first is the defense for both squads. The Aggies defense has stopped the Volunteers behind the line of scrimmage seven times on the afternoon and held Milton to just 38 yards passing. The Vols have two tackles for loss and have held the Aggies rushing attack to just 31 yards on the ground. The second story has been the penalties. Each team has six penalties in a wildly disjointed game.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 5:03 pm ET · David Cobb]

Penalty problems

These teams have been penalized a combined 12 times for 115 yards, and it's not even halftime. The Vols were hamstrung by a couple of penalties on their most-recent series and were forced to punt as a result. Tennessee has now been to Texas A&M territory four times with just seven points to show for it. Volunteers have to be more precise offensively when they reach plus territory.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:57 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Aggie mistake leads to a turnover

The Aggies had it fourth-and-1 from the Tennessee 37-yard line and decided to go for it. Quarterback Max Johnson could have easily snuck up the middle to move the chains since the Volunteer defensive front left a wide gap over the center. Instead of changing the play, he stayed with a running back who was set to go off tackle. There was a problem, though. Johnson tripped over his center's feet before he could hand the ball off. Horrible break for the Aggies

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:55 pm ET · David Cobb]

Exchanging stands

Tennessee will be credited for a couple of sacks from this half that it may only partially deserve credit for. The Vols are getting after Max Johnson and he's inexplicably just tripped on a couple of occasions, including just now on a fourth-and-1 play. It looked like he may have hit the foot of an offensive lineman. It sent him to the turf, and the Vols take over at their own 34 trailing 10-7. Neither team is playing particularly well here.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:51 pm ET · David Cobb]

Short-yardage woes

Tennessee continues to bite of chunks of yardage in the run game, but the Volunteers are struggling in short-yardage situations when A&M can reliably predict that the Vols are going to run. Tennessee got into a second-and-4 on this past series but failed to pick up the first down on consecutive running plays before missing a 51-yard field goal attempt instead of trying to go for it on fourth-and 3 from the 33. Still 10-7 Aggies as both teams work their way through a bunch of penalties.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:41 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Johnson tough for the Aggies

10:48 Q2: Texas A&M 10, No. 19 Tennessee 7

Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson took hit after hit during the Aggies' 11-play, 51-yard drive. It didn't result in six, but Nik Constantinou's 41-yard field goal has given them the lead. The big play of the drive came on third-and-17 when Johnson hit Noah Thomas to move the chains in the midst of big pressure from the Volunteers. Johnson is clearly limping. It'll be interesting to see how that Aggies offensive line holds up, because it's clear that Tennessee is going to continue to bring the heat.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Third-down defense

Third-down defense was a problem for Tennessee in its loss at Florida last month, and it was a problem for the Volunteers again just now when the Aggies converted a third-and-17 to reach Tennessee territory. Ultimately, it only cost the Volunteers a field goal as Randy Bond hit from 41 yards out to put the Aggies ahead 10-7. The Vols did do a great job of getting to A&M quarterback Max Johnson on that possession as their pass rush continues to thrive.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:28 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Texas A&M's defense on skates

1:44 Q1: No. 19 Tennessee 7, Texas A&M 7

The Volunteers rushing game got cranked up toward the end of the first quarter when they went 51 yards on six plays to tie the game up at seven. Jabari Small had 27 yards on four carries to set things up, and quarterback Joe Milton III hit Jacob Warren on a 7-yard strike to finish things off. Texas A&M's defense was on its heels during the entire drive due in large part to the hurry-up style of Vol coach Josh Heupel. 

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:26 pm ET · David Cobb]

Vols answer

Tennessee got on the board with a 6-play 81-yard touchdown drive capped by a 7-yard pass from Joe Milton to Jacob Warren. The Vols dodged a bullet on that drive as receiver Ramel Keyton dropped a sure touchdown earlier on the series. The Vols continue to run the football surprisingly well against an A&M defense that entered ranked one among the nation's best run defenses. Jaylen Wright has 46 yards on six carries to pace the Vols, and Jabari Small/Dylan Sampson have also picked up chunks in the ground game.

[Oct 14, 2023 at 4:15 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Texas A&M holds

The Aggies defense recognized that Tennessee was running a half field read to the running back on fourth-and-2 from their 18-yard line. Vol quarterback Joe Milton III was unsure where to do when no windows were open and essentially threw it away for a turnover on downs. Fadil Diggs was breathing down his neck which forced some indecision. The Aggies have to be thanking Vol coach Josh Heupel for being a little too confident in his play-calling ability.