Ninth-ranked Tennessee has won two straight home games against teams that were ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25 poll.
asserted
that → rank → poll
But after losing a thriller at unranked South Carolina the week following their victory over Alabama, the Volunteers are focused on avoiding another letdown this week at Texas A&M in the wake of Saturday’s rout of Kentucky.
asserted
Volunteers → lose → Kentucky
And coach Josh Heupel knows his team can’t underestimate the Aggies despite their struggles this season.
asserted
team → know → struggles
“It’s a really good football team,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
I’ve been there before and it will take us being at our best.”
asserted
us → take → best
Tennessee jumped from 16th to ninth in the poll and 13th to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings after its 34-6 win over Kentucky that snapped the Wildcats’ six-game winning streak.
asserted
that → jump → streak
Now the Volunteers visit an A&M team reeling after a 17-9 loss at South Carolina last week that dropped them to 4-5.
asserted
that → visit → 4
The Aggies need two wins in their last three games to become bowl eligible a year after an 11-1 regular season that earned them their first CFP berth.
asserted
that → need → berth
“It’s an opportunity for us to get off the mat and prove who we are and what we’re about,” coach Mike Elko said.
asserted
Elko → ’ → what
“It’ll take a great week of preparation.”
asserted
It → take → preparation
If they hope to salvage their season, the Aggies will have to find a way to slow down running back DeSean Bishop.
asserted
Aggies → hope → Bishop
He had 109 yards rushing with two scores on Saturday to eclipse 1,000 yards for a second straight season, making him just the second player in school history with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and the first since Johnnie Jones (1983-84).
asserted
him → have → Jones
Bishop ranks second in the SEC and 10th in the nation by averaging 118.4 yards a game and his 13 rushing scores are also second-most in the league and rank seventh nationally.
asserted
scores → rank → league
Though probably a bit biased, his position coach De’Rail Sims believes he should be getting Heisman Trophy hype.
“There’s no doubt about it.
asserted
he → believe → it
He deserves it,” Sims said.
asserted
Sims → deserve → it
“When you sit up here and talk about the best player in college football for his team, it’s D. Bishop.”
asserted
it → sit → team
Bishop often gets better as the game progresses, as he did on Saturday when both of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.
asserted
both → get → quarter
“There’s a couple of cuts early in the football game that DeSean and some of our other backs missed, but DeSean is tough, smart and does a great job getting his pads down,” Heupel said.
asserted
Heupel → ’ → pads
“He made people miss in the hole, that four-minute drive.
asserted
people → make → hole
That happens because of his skill set.”
asserted
That → happen → set
Finishing drives
Though the Aggies have plenty of problems, perhaps their biggest one is their inability to finish drives.
asserted
one → finish → drives
The Aggies gained 467 yards against South Carolina but managed just three field goals.
asserted
Aggies → gain → goals
They are the first team in college football history to gain at least 450 yards with no turnovers and not score a touchdown.
asserted
They → gain → touchdown
It was the third game this season where they failed to score a touchdown after they also couldn’t get into the end zone in losses to LSU and Missouri.
asserted
they → fail → LSU
Despite this, Elko said this week that he plans to stick with first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins as his play caller.
asserted
he → say → caller
“I’m just doing what I believe is the best thing to give us a chance to be successful right now,” Elko said.
asserted
Elko → do → chance
“I think that’s how we evaluate everything and if I felt like there were better options or better opportunities or better things that we could do within the program to help us win, we would certainly do them.”
uncertain
we → think → them
But he said all the problems on offense can’t be blamed on coaching.
asserted
problems → say → coaching
“That’s obviously in part coaching, but that’s obviously something that we’ve got to correct and fix,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → that
Replacing Weathersby
Tennessee’s dominant defense suffered a blow this week when it lost defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby to a season-ending knee injury.
asserted
it → replace → injury
Weathersby led a defense that ranks 18th in the nation in yards allowed per game and his seven sacks rank third in the SEC.
asserted
sacks → lead → SEC
“I hate it for Tyree,” Heupel said.
asserted
Heupel → hate → Tyree
“He’s played extremely well.
asserted
He → play → ?
He’s worked extremely hard, was playing his best football, and I know he’ll bounce back from it.
asserted
he → work → it
Heupel said he’ll look to Mariyon Dye and Jordan Norman as well as some young players to step up to make up for the loss of Weathersby.
asserted
he → say → Weathersby
Running strong
Texas A&M’s inability to get in the end zone Saturday overshadowed a big performance by running back Rueben Owens II.
asserted
inability → run → II
He had 137 yards rushing for his fifth career 100-yard game and his most yards rushing since running for 142 last season against Mississippi State.
asserted
He → have → State
His performance Saturday gave him more 1,500 yards rushing in his career.
asserted
performance → give → career
The Aporia
