Texas A&M Football: 3 takeaways from blowout win over Tennessee

Tennessee hung around for a half, but Texas A&M football put the Vols away late to earn its eighth win of the year. What’d we learn from the Aggies’ win?

For the seventh straight time since losing to Alabama in the second game of the season, Texas A&M rolled to a victory. The Aggies dominated Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, 34-13, to improve to 8-1 on the year.

And the playoff committee has something to think about as Ohio State struggled with Northwestern in the Big Ten title game. Does the committee give a one-loss Texas A&M team the nod over an undefeated Ohio State team that doesn’t have a very big sample size?

Texas A&M took care of business thanks to strong defense and the all-around game of Kellen Mond while the Volunteers will be searching for answers this offseason.

What’d we learn from the Aggies’ dominant win?

3. Defense was dominant

Texas A&M’s offense wasn’t exactly explosive on Saturday as Isaiah Spiller wasn’t playing at 100 percent and Kellen Mond did well but points were at a premium in the second half, but the Aggies’ defense was dominant.

Starting with the defensive line, which dominated the line of scrimmage all game long, the Aggies were suffocating as Tennessee couldn’t gain any momentum on the offensive side of the ball. JT Shrout and Harrison Bailey combined for 189 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-20 passing. Shrout also threw a pick.

And the Vols’ run game was non-existent as the Aggies sniffed everything out. They combined for 24 yards on 17 carries.

Jeremy Pruitt didn’t have any answers to Texas A&M’s defensive looks and this is a huge momentum shift for the Aggies heading into a potential playoff berth.