DeSean Bishop brings two streaks to Kyle Field

Tennessee owns the margin, Texas A&M the flags

Against Power 4 opponents, Tennessee is +76 in point margin, 12th nationally and fourth in the SEC. Texas A&M is -24 in the same games, 44th nationally and 10th in the SEC. Tennessee is 5-2 in those games, and Texas A&M is 2-5, with its wins over Arizona State and Arkansas.

Tennessee gains 352 yards a game, 43rd nationally, and allows 308, 10th. Texas A&M gains 318 and allows 376, ranking 63rd and 32nd.

The Aggies are cleaner. They are penalized 47 yards a game, 27th nationally and fourth in the SEC, while Tennessee gives up 68, 73rd nationally and 15th in the SEC. Texas A&M's punt coverage allows 2.4 yards a return on 9 returns, ninth nationally.

Where it's decided

When Tennessee has the ball, it runs it. Against Power 4 opponents the Volunteers rush for 192 yards a game, eighth nationally and second in the SEC, and 47.8% of their runs are successful, 14th nationally. Texas A&M allows 142 rushing yards a game, 35th nationally, but its run defense success rate is better, 37.1%, 16th nationally.

Daune Morris is second on Tennessee in rushing yards with 434 on 66 carries and has 3 touchdowns. The passing game is the quieter half, at 159 yards a game against Power 4 teams, 16th in the SEC. George MacIntyre leads Tennessee in passing yards with 853, with 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a 66.7 completion percentage. Mike Matthews leads the Volunteers in receiving yards and catches, 566 on 37 receptions with 4 touchdowns, and Braylon Staley is second in receiving yards with 309.

When Texas A&M has the ball, it meets a defense that rarely lets drives finish. Against Power 4 opponents, Tennessee ends 74.1% of drives without a score, fourth nationally, and allows 33.3% on third down, 10th. The Aggies score 20.6 points a game in those games, 59th nationally, and rush for 136 yards a game against a Tennessee run defense allowing 120.

Marcel Reed leads Texas A&M in passing yards with 1,639, with 8 touchdowns, a 57 completion percentage and 206 rushing yards. Isaiah Horton, a transfer from Alabama, leads the Aggies in receiving yards with 392, and Mario Craver leads them in catches with 34. Rueben Owens II leads Texas A&M in rushing yards with 469, and KJ Edwards adds 397. When drives stall, David Olano leads the SEC with 16 field goals and a 94.1% conversion rate, and his 4 makes from 50-plus yards rank second.

Tennessee's defense, rebuilt

Tennessee allows 15.1 points a game in all games, down from 28.8 last season and its stingiest average since 1998. That is tied for tenth in FBS. Against Power 4 opponents, the Volunteers allow 16.9 points a game, eighth nationally, and 188 passing yards, fifth nationally and first in the SEC. Opponents succeed on 40.8% of snaps, down from 48.1% last season.

Texas A&M's fall from 11-2

Texas A&M went 11-2 last season, scoring 33.8 points a game. The Aggies are 2-5 against Power 4 opponents this season, with wins over Arizona State and Arkansas. Two of their losses came after they led entering the fourth quarter.

Red zone strength meets red zone strength

Against Power 4 opponents, Tennessee scores on 95.5% of its red zone trips, eighth nationally. Texas A&M allows scores on 66.7% of red zone trips, first nationally and first in the SEC. The other end is the reverse: the Aggies score on 72.0% of their trips, 74th nationally, and Tennessee allows 76.2%, 14th.

Success rate against the best

Against top-25 offenses this season, Kentucky, LSU and Alabama, Texas A&M is 0-3 and allowed success on 46.9% of snaps, against 37.7% in all its games. Tennessee's offense succeeds on 43.5% of snaps against Power 4 opponents, 22nd nationally. Tennessee is 1-1 against top-25 defenses, Texas and Alabama, and succeeded on 38.4% of snaps in those games, against 46.1% in all its games. Texas A&M's defense allows success on 40.2% of snaps against Power 4 opponents, 24th nationally.

Gibson faces Tennessee, and two rebuilt rosters

Texas A&M's Rickey Gibson III played at Tennessee in 2023-25, making 42 tackles and 4 pass breakups, and this is his first game against the Volunteers since he transferred to College Station.

Mike Elko has never faced Tennessee in 5 seasons as an FBS head coach.

Tennessee returns 2% of its 2025 passing yards, with Joey Aguilar's 3,565 gone, and MacIntyre leads the Vols in passing yards with 853. Texas A&M returns 96% of its 2025 passing yards, and Reed needs 1 touchdown pass to reach 50 for his career.

Tennessee's Xavier Gilliam, a transfer from Penn State, ranks third in the SEC with 11.5 tackles for loss. Chaz Coleman also came to Tennessee from Penn State, as a 5-star transfer. Arion Carter leads Tennessee in tackles with 59, with 4 sacks. Ray Coney, who brought 128 tackles with him as a transfer, leads Texas A&M with 46, and Marco Jones leads the Aggies in sacks with 3.5.

Texas A&M had 10 players drafted, including 4 offensive linemen and 2 defensive tackles, with 4 in the first two rounds. Receiver KC Concepcion went 24th overall to Cleveland. Tennessee had 5 players drafted, 2 of them cornerbacks, and cornerback Colton Hood went in the second round, 37th overall, to New York.

Tennessee loses its sack leader

Update, Sat, Nov 14, 12:30 PM CT: Since Friday's report, Tennessee downgraded JJ Finch (available to out). On the latest report, Texas A&M lists Terry Bussey, Ashton Bethel-Roman, Kelshaun Johnson and 2 others as out or doubtful, and Mario Craver as a game-time decision. Tennessee lists Tyree Weathersby, Daune Morris, Dylan Lewis and 7 others as out or doubtful.

Josh Heupel confirmed Nov. 9 that Tennessee defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby is out for the season with a left knee injury, calling it "a huge bump in the road," according to The Tennessean. Weathersby leads the Volunteers with 7 sacks, tied for third in the SEC.

Heupel said Oct. 28 that Bishop, who hurt his right ankle at South Carolina, would be "in a good spot" for Kentucky after being limited in practice, according to On3.

A short series, mostly close

Tennessee leads the series 3-2 since the first meeting, a bowl game on Dec. 28, 1957. John David Crow won the Heisman for Texas A&M that season and was a unanimous All-American.

Three of the last 5 meetings were decided by one score. Tennessee won the last one 20-13 at home in 2023, when Jaylen Wright ran for 136 yards for a team that went 9-4. That Texas A&M team went 7-6, and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was an All-American.

Since 2016, Texas A&M is 2-1 against Tennessee as SEC opponents. That 2016 season, Texas A&M went 8-5 with All-American Myles Garrett and Wuerffel Trophy winner Trevor Knight, and Tennessee went 9-4 with All-American Derek Barnett.

Three things to watch

Bishop's streaks: 100 yards and a rushing touchdown in 5 straight games, now against the Aggies at Kyle Field.

Turnovers: against Power 4 opponents Tennessee is +8, tied for sixth in FBS, and Penn State transfer Dejuan Lane is tied for the SEC lead with 4 interceptions, while Texas A&M is -1.

Texas A&M keeping the ball: against Power 4 opponents the Aggies hold it 32:06 a game, 11th nationally, and convert 39.8% on third down, against Tennessee's 30:38 and 36.4%.