Tennessee's Run Game Key to win over Texas A&M

The Tennessee Volunteers could use the run game to get going against the Texas A&M Aggies as it would help to shut down their powerful front seven.

On Saturday, the Tennessee Volunteers will play game number six of the season against the Texas A&M Aggies. Kickoff for the matchup in Neyland Stadium will be at 3:30 p.m. E.T. It is the first prime-time SEC football slot the Vols have gotten this season. One of the major factors in helping Tennessee win is to get the run game going as they have all season. As of right now, at this point in the year, the Vols are second only to LSU for the most rushing yards in the SEC and lead the conference in rushing yards per game (231.20 yards per game).

This success has been spearheaded by the Volunteer tandem of running backs in their stable. Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small, and Dylan Sampson have done their parts to make the Tennessee run attack great. These players have found the endzone at least once this season (Sampson has scored six times) and have at least 250 yards on the ground so far this year. Wright, in particular, has had three 100+ yard games to begin in 2023 through just five games of play. He is the Tennessee leader in rushing.

They will face a Texas A&M front seven that has been on their "A" game this season. The two Aggie linebackers that have led this effort are Edgerrin Cooper and Taurean York, who have combined for 73 tackles and seven sacks this season. Their activity could easily be a threat to the Vols' run game and can halt the explosiveness it has had right in its tracks. The two sides of the ball (Vols offense and Texas A&M defense) will be a big-time battle to watch on Saturday. The winner of it can really set the tone for the rest of the game. 

Tennessee Volunteers RB Jaylen Wright during the win over South Carolina. (Photo by Randy Sartin of USA Today Sports)

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