'All 3 Phases of the Game!' Tennessee Volunteers Coach Josh Heupel Praises 'Dangerous' Texas A&M Aggies
Two straight mid-afternoon matchups for the Texas A&M Aggies marked the hardest back-to-back stretch for coach Jimbo Fisher and company prior to the start of the season.
Now, not only is it the hardest stretch of the season, but it's also the most important.
Texas A&M's loss to Alabama just over a week ago set the stage for an Aggies bounce back this week and moving forward, and facing the Tennessee Volunteers is a strong place to start, if they can establish momentum on offense and come up with stops on defense.
And according to Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, the Aggies have all the personnel they need to accomplish that.
Oct 7, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Walter Nolen (0) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field.
© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
"When you look at them in all three phases of the game, they have a scheme and players that can change the way the game is played," Heupel said of the Aggies Tuesday. "Defensively, they're playing as good as anybody in the country. Offensively, [they have] a veteran quarterback, and on special teams, they're extremely dangerous as well."
Between Max Johnson, Edgerrin Cooper, Taurean York and Ainias Smith, Texas A&M does have weapons across the board. In place of an injured Conner Weigman, Johnson has shown that he's prepared and comfortable in a starting role.
On defense, York, Cooper and Demani Richardson have led the way in tackles to make things difficult on the Aggies' opponent's top performers — with Tennessee's running back room being no exception. At least that's what Texas A&M hopes.
"They're good at stopping the run," Heupel said. "They're good at getting after the quarterback, too. First of all, they've got really good skill. They're physical and dynamic. They play strong. We've got to do a good job of communication, and we've got to win some 1-on-1s too."
Tennessee sits in second place overall in the SEC in rushing yards, while graduate quarterback Joe Milton III has put up his own share of production through the air, leaving the Aggies with a test on defense.
And coming off of a week when Texas A&M only put up 67 yards, that test will extend to its offense as well. If the Aggies play as well as Tennessee has been preparing for them — at least according to Heupel — both schools will be gearing up for a back-and-forth competition.
Kickoff from Neyland Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m.
