NO. 9 TENNESSEE (5-0, 2-0 SEC) AT No. 8 TEXAS A&M (5-0, 3-0)
3:30 p.m. * Kyle Field in College Station, Texas * CBS/106.5 FM
Chance Hall (76) plays right tackle for Tennessee. The Vanderbilt Commodores visited the Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action November 28, 2015.THE MATCHUP
Thanks to game-wrecking defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall and an active group of linebackers and safeties, Texas A&M leads the nation with 50 tackles for loss. Guided by former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis, the Aggies are just ninth in the SEC in total defense, though, after allowing 468 yards to UCLA, 399 to Auburn and 491 to Arkansas.
Neutralizing Texas A&M’s defensive line, avoiding sacks and lost-yardage plays and staying ahead of the chains is paramount for Tennessee’s success on offense.
“What they’ve done is they continue to get better,” offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said of his offensive line. ” I thought that was the best half that line had really played in that first half (at Georgia), run blocking- and pass protection-wise. That group right now, I think they’ve got confidence and they’re playing well.”
FILE – In this Sept. 12, 2015, file photo, Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett rushes during double overtime of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Knoxville, Tenn. The matchup Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, between No. 8 Texas A&M and No. 9 Tennessee potentially features two of the naton’s top pass rushers in the Aggies’ Myles Garrett and Barnett, assuming Garrett is healthy enough to play after sitting out last week’s victory over South Carolina. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File) ONE TO WATCH
Among active Football Bowl Subdivision plays, Garrett and Tennessee’s Derek Barnett are first and second in career sacks. A former five-star recruit and likely top-five NFL draft pick next spring, Garrett is the more heralded of the two, but the Vols firmly believe Barnett is the better player.
He was vital to the Vols beating Florida and Georgia as Barnett racked up four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in those wins. Barnett won’t say it, but he’ll take the field with something to prove.
“I like how I’ve improved from that (Virginia Tech) game,” Barnett said, referencing what he called a “softer” performance. “I just worked on my technique some more. I had bad hands in that game, I remember. My D-linemen, they kept telling me they needed more out of me. They stayed on me and we just kept pushing each other.”
IN THE END
The Vols will have to win this game without four star players. Cornerback Cameron Sutton and linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Darrin Kirkland Jr. again won’t play, and running back Jalen Hurd is also likely to miss out.
Many pundits weren’t giving Tennessee, a touchdown underdog, much of a chance anyway, so the Vols should coach and play this game as if they have nothing to lose. Texas A&M is loaded with talent on its defensive line and explosive playmakers at the skill positions and guided by a veteran quarterback in Trevor Knight. Recently, though, the Aggies have struggled at home against ranked opponents and faltered after 5-0 starts.
To win Tennessee will need its offensive line and secondary to step up and play well in taxing matchups.
PREDICTION: TEXAS A&M 27, TENNESSEE 24