COLLEGE STATION, Tex. – It felt like we’d seen it all before: a Tennessee team coming back from a seemingly insurmountable deficit to steal the game.
This time, seven turnovers proved to be too much for the Volunteers, who dropped a hard-fought, two overtime game to the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, 38-45.
Here are five observations from the game:
1. Turnovers were the Vols worst enemy
There are turnovers, and then there are turnovers. While it was certainly incredible that the Vols forced overtime while giving up the ball seven times, that number still somehow does not do justice to how critical those turnovers were. Every time the Vols seemed poised to build momentum, the Aggies found a way to get the ball back and neutralize a Volunteer offense that outgained the home side 684-592. Whether it was Alvin Kamara’s fumble at the end of his 53 yard reception or Josh Dobbs’ interception on a very catchable pass to Jason Croom, turnovers were clearly the story of the game. For this team to reach its potential, ball security must become a priority moving forward.
2. The “Never Say Die” attitude is real
In a play that may just embody the entire season so far, Malik Foreman caught Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams as he was about to put the Aggies up by what surely would have been a game-ending two touchdowns. Foreman tracked Williams over 70 yards and stripped the ball at the 1-yard line. The resulting fumble went out of the end zone for a touchback, and the Vols responded with an 80-yard drive to tie the game. While it wasn’t pretty, the team overcame an absurd amount of injuries and turnovers to take the favored Aggies into overtime. At many times, third-string players were forced into significant playing time in College Station and they answered the call. There are no moral victories in SEC football, but the character and resolve at the core of this team showed up. That character and resolve will be tested again next week by the Crimson Tide.
3. The Vols showed their depth
Jalen Hurd is a tremendous running back and may very well have made the difference in the game. That said, 282 yards of rushing against a top-ranked conference opponent on the road is no small feat for a running back corps missing the team’s bell cow rusher in Hurd. Alvin Kamara and John Kelly combined for 216 of those yards, and Kamara’s work in the 4th quarter alone saw his stock rise significantly. While every Tennessee fan undoubtedly hopes to see Jalen Hurd back in orange next week, both Kamara and Kelly carried the rushing load well at Kyle Field. Look for future teams to give these two more respect after watching what they did against the Aggies tonight. Let’s just hope they hold on to the ball.
4. Josh Dobbs played winning football
Let’s get this out of the way: Dobbs’ throw in the second overtime was a mistake. He forced the ball in to an area where his receiver was not able to even compete for it, and it cut the Volunteer rally short. That said, Dobbs threw for 2 yards shy of 400, and played a great game until that moment (his one previous interception came off a very catchable dropped pass to Jason Croom). Dobbs fumbled on a hard hit and a bad handoff, but played with the kind of selective memory quarterbacks must have to bring Tennessee back into the game. Tennessee’s recent history in close games is due in no small part to Dobbs and his composure under pressure. As the team around him heals up and continues to improve, look for Dobbs to continue to lead this team well as he closes out his college career.
5. Vols control their own destiny
While a loss like this is certainly disappointing, this team learned about itself in College Station. This is a beat up team, but it is a beat up team that scored six out of six times in the red zone against the Aggies. The Crimson Tide roll in to Neyland in seven days, and this team has seven days to rest and heal before that test. The Volunteers still control their own destiny on the road to the SEC Championship Game, and that is no small feat considering how injury riddled this team is. For all of the mistakes and injuries, this is a team that has performed remarkably well when it needed to. Here’s to hoping the Volunteers can turn those glimpses into complete performances, and heal up and stay that way heading into the back end of the season.
