KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 19 Tennessee beat the Texas A&M Aggies in its third SEC matchup of the season on Saturday. The final score was 20-13 inside Neyland Stadium.
Texas A&M won the toss but chose to defer to the second half. Tennessee started with the ball at the 25-yard line but couldn’t make anything happen after Jaylen Wright got stuffed on third and three.
The Aggies exploded on their first drive. After a 29-yard pass to Noah Thompson, Quarterback Max Johnson scrambled in the pocket to score an impressive three-yard rushing touchdown. Texas A&M was ahead 7-0.
The Vols started their second drive on their own 25-yard line. Jaylen Wright found a big hole down the middle on third and five for a 13-yard gain. The junior running back hurdled over a defender and hit him in the head with his knee, resulting in an injury timeout.
On third and 14 of that same drive, Dylan Sampson picks up 12 yards, but on the next play, Milton throws incomplete on fourth and 2, resulting in a turnover on downs at the 18-yard-line.
Texas A&M was back with the ball, but it was James Pearce Jr. who sacked Max Johnson on third down, forcing the Aggies to punt the ball.
After a nice run by Jabari Small, Milton found Jacob Warren in the end zone for a seven-yard score, his third touchdown of the season. Both teams were tied up 7-7 going into the second quarter.
The Aggies started with the ball to open the quarter, and eventually Randy Bond kicked a 41-yard field goal to end the drive, putting the Aggies up 10-7.
Flags were thrown nonstop on Tennessee's next drive. The Aggie's defense gave up 35 yards in penalties, but the Vols still kicked a field goal. From 51 yards out, Charles Campbell's attempt was no good.
A turnover on downs gave Tennessee the ball back. Milton was sacked on first down, but two 15-yard runs from Jaylen Wright kept the drive alive for a little longer. Dylan Sampson fumbled the ball on third and 21, but Gerald Mincey recovered it quickly. The Vols were forced to punt on fourth and 22.
Tennessee was still down 10-7 at the start of the second half. The Aggies started with the ball at the 25-yard line but couldn’t get things moving offensively, forcing them to punt it away.
The Vols began their first drive of the half on the A&M 44-yard line, but Milton was sacked on fourth and 7, setting the Aggies back up on their own 36-yard line just five plays later. However, they were forced to punt the ball shortly after.
The Aggies went three and out on their next possession and had to punt the ball away from deep in their own end zone. Dee Williams returned the punt for a 39-yard touchdown. This was Williams' first touchdown of the season and a huge momentum shift in the game. The Vols were up 14-10 with about 7 minutes remaining in the third.
Tennessee started the fourth quarter in the lead – 14-13. Milton’s pass intended for Dont’e Thornton was intercepted by A&M’s Josh DeBerry right inside the end zone. This handed the ball right back to the Aggies.
However, the Vols defense dominated in the fourth quarter, forcing the Aggies to face big third downs. Randy Bond eventually missed a 50-yard field goal, leaving the score 14-13.
Johnson's pass on third and 10 was intercepted by Gabe Jeudy-Lally who picked it off and returned it all the way to the six-yard-line. To end the game, Johnson's fourth-down pass was intercepted once again, this time by Kamal Hadden -- the Vols secured the win 20-13.
Next up, the Vols are set to take on No. 11 Alabama on October 21st. Game time starts at 3:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa.
