6 Tennessee football takeaways from hard-fought road win vs Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, TX – Tennessee football outlasted Texas A&M for a 22-7 win on Nov. 14, hanging tough on the road in pursuit of a College Football Playoff bid.

The No. 9 ranked Vols (8-2, 5-2 SEC) followed their season-long winning formula. They relied on a power-rushing attack, a lockdown defense and a tendency to close games well. They scored 19 unanswered points to pull away from Texas A&M (4-6, 1-6) at Kyle Field.

Tennessee kicker Cooper Ranvier made a career-high five field goals. He made kicks from 23, 27, 30, 32 and 44 yards.

Tennessee was short-handed after losing sack leader Tyree Weathersby (knee injury), starting guard Nic Moore (illness) and playmaker running back Daune Morris (broken leg in car wreck) in the days leading up to the game. And it lost star wide receiver Mike Matthews to an apparent right leg injury during the game.

But UT withstood those losses for a big road victory to follow-up a top-10 win over Kentucky and surge in the CFP race.

Tennessee plays No. 22 LSU on Nov. 21 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium. Here are six takeaways from Tennessee’s win over Texas A&M.

Tennessee kept momentum going toward playoff bid

Tennessee was No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings and projected to host a first-round game. This road victory will only enhance its resume.

The new CFP rankings will be released on Nov. 17 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).

If the Vols beat LSU and Vanderbilt to finish the regular season with a 10-2 record, they’ll coast into the playoff. If they lose one game and finish 9-3, their path will narrow considerably.

Faizon Brandon sparked Vols after replacing injured George MacIntyre

George MacIntyre, a former Brentwood Academy standout, made his fifth straight start at quarterback. But freshman Faizon Brandon took his place in the third quarter after MacIntyre limped off the field with an apparent knee injury.

To that point, MacIntyre had played well, albeit in a very conservative approach by UT’s offense. He completed his first 10 passes to push the Vols into the red zone twice, but they settled for field goals. And he was 13-of-17 passing for 109 yards.

The Vols needed a different dimension, and Brandon’s threat as runner delivered that. He ran quarterback draws, zone-read plays and speed options. And he tossed a 5-yard TD pass to tight end DaSaahn Brame in the fourth quarter to extend UT’s lead to 16-7.

Vols defense smothered QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Tennessee’s overpowering defense traveled well to Kyle Field, holding an opponent to 20 points or less for the sixth time in seven SEC games.

Texas A&M gained only 179 yards of total offense. It didn’t pick a first down in the second half until about six minutes remaining in the game.

And quarterback Marcel Reed, a Nashville native, was harassed into inaccurate throws. He completed only 9 of 22 passes for 71 yards and one interception. TJ Metcalf picked off Reed late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. And Dejuan Lane intercepted backup quarterback Brady Hart.

Wide receiver Mike Matthews left game with leg injury

Matthews left the game with an apparent leg injury, potentially delivering a crucial blow to an already-injury plagued roster.

After catching a 17-yard pass in the second quarter, Matthews ran into multiple Texas A&M defenders attempting to gain extra yards. He came down awkwardly at the Aggies' 11-yard line and did not get up.

Matthews ultimately went to the locker room on crutches with a towel over his head and a brace on the right knee. He is UT's leading receiver with 39 catches for 608 yards and four TDs this season.

DeSean Bishop became top-five rusher in Tennessee history

DeSean Bishop, a former Karns standout, moved to fifth place on UT’s career rushing list by passing Jamal Lewis (2,677 yards in 1997-99) with two regular-season games and the postseason remaining. Travis Henry is UT’s all-time leading rusher with 3,078 yards in 1997-2000.

He rushed for 97 yards on 34 carries, ending his streak of five straight 100-yard games.

Early on, Vols settled for field goals instead of touchdowns

Tennessee entered the game with the SEC’s leading red-zone offense, and Texas A&M had the league’s best red-zone defense. The Aggies got the best of that battle early on to keep it close and low scoring.

UT marched 70 yards in 16 plays in 9:28 of game clock on its opening drive. But it was stopped by a goal-line stand and settled for Ranvier’s 23-yard field goal.

In the second quarter, UT drove 63 yards on 13 plays over almost 7 minutes, but it stalled at the Aggies’ 11-yard line. Ranvier made a 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, UT drove 66 yards in 11 plays and reached the 13-yard line. But a false start penalty stalled the drive, and Ranvier nailed a 32-yard field goal to put the Vols ahead 9-7. The Vols finally broke through in the fourth quarter.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: 6 Tennessee football takeaways from hard-fought road win vs Texas A&M