5 Keys for Texas A&M Football to Get Back on Track Against Tennessee

Keys to Texas A&M Football Winning on Rocky Top

I’ve talked all week about how pivotal a matchup this is for Texas A&M football and the 2023 Aggie season. There are a lot of historical trends working against the Aggies here, which is chiefly why such a win would be so big for Jimbo Fisher and this Texas A&M team. It would also provide a lot of momentum headed into the back end of the schedule, where the Ags could pile up wins against some subpar defenses—albeit subpar defenses that they will be playing on the road. So how can the Aggies notch a win in their first of three important road games in the last half of the year? Let’s talk keys to the game.

KEY 1: Harass Volunteer QB
I would title this “harass Joe Milton,” but there have been enough (unconfirmed!!!) rumblings about an injury to the normal starter for the Vols that I’m hedging my bets here. Whether the signal caller is Milton or an admittedly-uber-talented freshman making his first start against possibly the best front in the sport, the Aggie defensive line and linebackers need to make their presence felt, knocking the Vols off-schedule and even creating a turnover or two along the way.

KEY 2: Keep Vols Under 3.5 YPC
This one can be a bit muddled by a big run here or there, but if the Aggie front can stop the Volunteers from establishing themselves on the ground, it will be a very long day for the Big Orange offense. The Vols have only had one game under 3.5 YPC, and the Aggies have only allowed over 3.5 YPC once. This is a matchup of one of the best rushing attacks in the nation and one of the best rushing defenses in the nation up until this point, although the Vols have yet to face a truly talented rushing defense. I could also term this as “keep the Vols under a 30% rushing success rate” or “allow no more than one explosive rush”—all these should be goals for the Aggie run defense.