Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) at No. 19 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, (CBS)
Line: Tennessee by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Tied 2-2
Tennessee has won two straight since losing at Florida. Now the Volunteers also are rested after an open date, and a sellout crowd will be turning Neyland Stadium into an orange and white checkerboard for the seventh time in program history. Texas A&M is coming off a physical loss to Alabama. Neither Tennessee nor Texas A&M can afford another loss in the SEC, so both will be fighting to keep alive any hope of playing in Atlanta in the league championship game.
KEY MATCHUP
Tennessee's three-headed backfield featuring Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson is why the Vols are ranked No. 7 in the country, averaging 231.2 rushing yards. Stopping the run is a specialty for Texas A&M with a defense that ranks No. 8 in the country against the run, giving up just 84 yards a game. The Aggies yielded a net 23 yards rushing in losing 26-20 to Alabama last week.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Texas A&M: WR Ainias Smith's versatility is potentially an issue for the Tennessee defense. After going over 2,000 career receiving yards against Alabama, he became the only SEC athlete with more than 250 career yards combined off rushing, punt returns and kick returns.
Tennessee: Dont’e Thornton, Jr., a transfer from Oregon, or redshirt freshmen Kaleb Webb or Chas Nimrod. One of these wide receivers needs to step up and replace veteran Bru McCoy after he was lost for the season with a broken/dislocated ankle in a win over South Carolina. The trio has had little playing time this season, though coaches have had two weeks to figure out who might step up.
FACTS & FIGURES
This is just Texas A&M's second visit to Neyland Stadium. The Aggies' first came Dec. 19, 2020, with a pandemic-reduced capacity of 22,645 fans. That was the last game coached by Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee. ... The Vols rank No. 1 in the country in team sacks per game (4.40). Texas A&M is No. 2 (4.33). … Tennessee has allowed six sacks this season. That's the second fewest in the SEC and 21st nationally. ... The Aggies are tied with Southern Cal for first in tackles for loss (9.5). The Vols rank third (9.4). … Tennessee is looking for its 13th consecutive victory at Neyland Stadium. … Eric Berry, who played corberback for the Vols from 2007-09, will be honored for his induction in the College Football Hall of Fame. … Aggies sophomore DL Walter Nolen spent his senior year of high school in Knoxville when he was the nation’s No. 1 recruit. He has 4.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss this season. … Vols QB Joe Milton III has completed seven passes of 40 or more yards, ranking 14th in the country.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
