With the bye week over, it’s time to focus on Tennessee’s next opponent, Texas A&M. Coming off a loss last week to Alabama, the 4-2 Aggies roll into Knoxville looking to get back in the win column. On this week’s Vol Report, TE Jacob Warren previews the game, focusing on what the offense and defense needs to do to ensure victory this Saturday.
It’s no secret that the 2023 Vols’ offense isn’t lighting up the scoreboard like last year’s squad. Yet, they are effective as they continue to evolve each week. “(The run) part of our game is still definitely very much present,” Warren noted. “Those talking about the deep shots and being able to score 60 points a game… the offense just has not gotten to that point yet. We’re still in a lot of development.”
So far this season, Tennessee’s offense has proven their success in the run game. How will they matchup with a Texas defense that is just as good at stopping the run? “They recruit really well at A&M,” said Warren. “They get a lot of really talented, big, strong, fast physical defensive linemen, linebackers supporting the run, so that in turn should mean you have good run defense… and they do.”
This begs the question, how will Tennessee’s run-heavy offense fare against Texas’ strong defense? Well, they just need to study their own defense for clues. “They (Aggies defense) do a really good job and are very similar to us in the way they’re able to get in and out of different (situations),” Warren observed. “That’s probably why our defense is also good in run defense, just because of the looks they’re able to present and the way they’re able to attack the ball.”
“I think it allows you to do cool, different things when you have the personnel,” Warren continued. “If you have bodies that you can plug and play… like a defensive end that plays on the edge. If you can trust him to play out in coverage, you can do cool things. To drop him out and bring in pressures from the outside or put him in the defensive backfield and let him move around… that creates a lot of problems in the run game.”
At the end of the day, No. 19 Tennessee will prepare for unranked Texas no differently than if they were playing a top ten team. “Regardless of whether it’s the best team in the league or the worst team, it’ll be a challenge and it’ll be tough,” said Warren. “It doesn’t matter what color they’re wearing, doesn’t matter what logo they got on, what their name is, how many stars they had, how much money they’re getting paid. I think that’s the beautiful thing about the sport. It doesn’t matter.”
But what does matter is how the Vols play this Saturday. Warren keeps it simple.“You’ve got to go out there… it’ll be a fight every week. You go out there and just try to be your best.” Hopefully Tennessee will be at its best at home this weekend.
