University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #19/17 Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13
October 14, 2023 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Oct. 14, 2023 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 19/17 Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13
General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915
- Tennessee has now sold out 10 consecutive home games, a streak dating to Sept. 17, 2022, vs. Akron.
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 872-411-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 861-411-53).
- Saturday marked the fifth meeting between Tennessee and Texas A&M and the second matchup in Knoxville.
- With the victory, Tennessee now owns a 3-2 on-field record against Texas A&M, including a 1-1 mark at Neyland Stadium.
- Saturday's game featured the return of the Volunteers' popular fan-drive initiative #CheckerNeyland, showcasing UT's iconic checkerboard pattern through Neyland Stadium.
- It was the seventh #CheckerNeyland game in program history.
- The Vols are 16-3 at home under Josh Heupel, outscoring opponents 844-386. Tennessee has won 13 consecutive games in Neyland Stadium, a streak that dates to Nov. 20, 2021 vs. South Alabama.
- Tennessee's 13-game home winning streak is its longest since winning 23 straight in Neyland Stadium from 1996-2000.
- It's the fourth longest streak in the country behind Georgia (24), Michigan (20) and Utah (18).
- Tennessee has won seven straight SEC games in Neyland Stadium, which is its longest home SEC win streak since claiming a school-record 16 straight SEC home games from 1996-99.
- Tennessee is 10-0 in orange jerseys and white pants under Heupel.
- Heupel owns a 8-1 record in games played after an open week as a head coach, including a 5-1 mark at UCF and a 3-0 record at Tennessee.
- Tennessee is 85-49-9 all-time after open dates and 51-35-2 after open weeks in league play.
- Tennessee has won five straight games during the month of October dating back to last season.Â
- The University of Tennessee and The National Football Foundation (NFF) jointly honored VFL and 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee Eric Berry with an on-campus salute during halftime of Saturday's game against Texas A&M.
- Berry will become the 26th Vol to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and the second in the last three years. Al Wilson was selected in 2021. Of the 26 inductees, 22 were enshrined as players and four as coaches. The 22 players represent the most of any program in the SEC and the eighth-most nationally.
- Tennessee has now won four consecutive games decided by seven points or fewer after being 1-3 in the prior four such contests.
- The Volunteers have won 31 consecutive games when conceding 14 or fewer points and own a 13-0 such mark under Josh Heupel. In addition, they have won 20 games in a row when allowing 25 or fewer points, posting a 19-0 ledger in Heupel's tenure.
- Tennessee has won 11 straight games when posting a positive turnover margin. It is 14-2 in such games with Josh Heupel as the head coach.
- This is the sixth time in the last 20 seasons Tennessee has rushed for 230-plus yards and allowed 55 or fewer in the same game. Of those six, four have come under Josh Heupel. Prior to his arrival, the Volunteers went 11 straight seasons (2010-20) without achieving that feat in any game. The other two instances came in 2009 and 2005.
Vol Captains/Coin Toss
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: LB Aaron Beasley, PK Charles Campbell, OL Cooper Mays, LS Matthew Salansky,
- Texas A&M won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Tennessee defended the south goal.
First-Time Starters
- Sophomore WR Chas Nimrod made his first-career start on Saturday.
- Eight players have made their first career Tennessee starts this season, including four on offense and four on defense.
Team Offensive Notes
- Tennessee rushed for 232 yards, the fourth time in six games it has reached at least 230 on the ground. The Vols have posted at least four games with 230-plus rushing yards in all three of Josh Heupel's three seasons–14 total times in his 32 contests–after having four such outings in the prior four years before his arrival.
- The Vols' 232 yards on the ground marked the most by any team against Texas A&M his season. The last team to reach that mark was Auburn, which had 270 on Nov. 12, 2022.Â
Individual Offensive Notes
- RB Jaylen Wright notched a season-best 136 rushing yards, marking his fourth time in six outings this year he has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground.
- QB Joe Milton III has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games, tying Tyler Bray, Jonathan Crompton and Andy Kelly for the seventh-longest streak in Tennessee history.
- TE Jacob Warren pulled his second receiving touchdown in as many games with a seven-yard grab in the first quarter. It marked the second time in his career scoring touchdowns in back-to-back games.
- The redshirt-senior from Knoxville has three touchdown catches this season, matching his most in a single season in six years at UT.
Team Defensive Notes
- Tennessee held Texas A&M to just 138 total yards in the first half and 139 in the second half, the Aggies' fourth- and fifth-lowest marks, respectively, in any halves this season. They previously had 103 in the second half against Alabama on Oct. 7, 121 in the first half against Auburn on Sept. 23 and 136 in the second half on Sept. 2 against New Mexico.
- The Volunteers limited the Aggies to just 54 rushing yards in the game. It marked the seventh time in the last four years they held a foe to 55 rushing yards or less (twice each in 2022, 2021 and 2020). Five of the seven occurrences have come under Josh Heupel.
- The 54 marked the lowest total against an SEC opponent of the Heupel era and the lowest for the program in league play since Dec. 12, 2020, at Vanderbilt (31).
- Tennessee allowed just 54 rushing yards, matching the lowest total by Texas A&M in any game over the last four seasons. The Aggies also had 54 yards on the ground on Nov. 27, 2021, at LSU. This is just the fourth time in Jimbo Fisher's six years at Texas A&M the Aggies have been held to 55 yards or less rushing (also twice in 2019).
- The Volunteers logged a season-best 11 quarterback hurries, their highest total since tallying 13 on Sept. 24, 2022, against Florida.
- Tennessee amassed multiple interceptions for the second time in the past three games. Both of them came in the final three-and-a-half minutes of the contest.
- In four of six games this season, Tennessee has allowed 14 or fewer points, conceding exactly 13 in three of them. In the Vols' 19 games the last two years, they have allowed 14 or fewer points in eight of them, including 13 or fewer in six.
Individual Defensive Notes
- DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally recorded his third-career interception in the fourth quarter with 3:25 left on the clock. It marked his first as a Volunteer; Jeudy-Lally tallied the other two interceptions at Vanderbilt in 2020 and 2021.
- DB Kamal Hadden noted his sixth-career interception with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter to seal the game. It was his third interception of the 2023 season.
- DL James Pearce Jr. racked up five quarterback hurries, one shy of his total for the entire season entering the day.Â
Special Teams Notes
- PR Dee Williams gave Tennessee its first lead of the game with 6:47 left in the third quarter, dashing into the end zone on a 39-yard punt return. It was Tennessee's first punt return TD of the season and the second of Williams' FBS career.
- It was the first punt return allowed by Texas A&M since Dec. 29, 2017 vs. Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
- Williams is the fourth Vol with multiple career punt return touchdowns in the 21st century. His first punt return TD came on a career-long 73-yarder at Vanderbilt on Nov. 26, 2022.
- Marquez Callaway (3), Cameron Sutton (3) and Antonio Wardlow (2) are the other Tennessee players to accomplish the feat since 2000.
- P Jackson Ross had a hand in the momentum swinging punt return as his 49-yard punt was downed by Williams at the A&M 1-yard line. The Tennessee defense forced the punt after an A&M three-and-out.
- PK Charles Campbell improved to 9-of-11 on field goals this season, connecting on a 31-yarder with 3:48 remaining in the game and then a 24-yarder with 2:31 to go.
- Campbell also hit both his extra-point attempts, improving to 24-of-24 on such tries in 2023. He is now 33-of-35 across all kicks this year.
Career Highs
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- TE McCallan Castles
- 2 receptions (ties career-high)
- WR Chas Nimrod
- 4 receptions
- 31 yards
- RB Dylan Sampson
- 2 receptions (ties career-high)
- TE Jacob Warren
- 1 touchdown (ties career-high)
Defense/Special Teams
- DL Bryson Eason
- 1 QB hurries (ties career-high)
- DB Kamal Hadden
- 1 interception (ties career-high)
- DL Roman Harrison
- 2 QB hurries (ties career-high)
- DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
- 1 interception (ties career-high)
- 3 passes defended (ties career-high)
- DB Jaylen McCollough
- 1.0 TFL (ties career-high)
- DL James Pearce Jr.
- 3 tackles (ties career-high)
- 2.0 TFLs (ties career-high)
- 5 QB hurries
- PR Dee Williams
- 1 punt return touchdown (ties career-high)
Players Mentioned
FB | Jaxson Moi Media Availability (10.21.25)
Tuesday, October 21
FB | Edrees Farooq Media Availability (10.21.25)
Tuesday, October 21
FB | Kelsey Pope Press Conference (10.21.25)
Tuesday, October 21
FB | Levorn Harbin Press Conference (10.21.25)
Tuesday, October 21