Before the season began, the month of October loomed large on Tennessee's football schedule.

The Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) passed the first test last Saturday, using a dominant defensive effort with some help from special teams to beat Texas A&M, 20-13 at Neyland Stadium. Now the focus shifts towards a daunting two-game road slate that begins with No. 11 Alabama (6-1, 4-0) at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, tight end Jacob Warren and offensive lineman Cooper Mays met with the media on Monday. They recapped the Vols' win over Texas A&M, previewed the Crimson Tide and more.

Here are the takeaways.

Not many teams are better at getting after the quarterback than Tennessee.

The Vols asserted their dominance at the line of scrimmage vs. Texas A&M, accounting for five tackles for loss and two sacks of Aggies' quarterback Max Johnson. The pass rush was key in both of Johnson's late-game interceptions, too.

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Through six games, Tennessee has 24.0 sacks, which ranks third nationally and second in the SEC. The Vols also rank third among FBS teams and first in the league in tackles for loss with 52.0.

They'll face one of their biggest challenges to date in Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who has a proven ability to make plays outside of the pocket.

"(Milroe) is amking a bunch of plays from inside of the picket, pushing the football down the field," Heupel said. "His ability, if you don't have rush integrity, to get out and make plays with his feet, it's something that pops out on the tape. And then, obviously, like when the ball is in his hands and he's part of the run game, he's dynamic. So he's somebody that you got to have bottled up every snap. He's a dynamic playmaker."

The Alabama offensive line has struggled in protection at times, though, allowing 26 sacks this season, including six against Texas A&M and five vs. Arkansas last week, providing one glaring weakness that Tennessee is capable of exploiting.

"Man, just really proud of the effort (from the defensive line vs. Texas A&M)," Heupel said. "All 11 that were out there on the football field. Up front, front six, front seven and in particular our front four. Just played really good football. They came off the ball. They were destructive in the run game, guys snagging off and making plays, backdoor cuts, playing with gap integrity, second-level fit extremely well. And then the ability to get after the quarterback with just the front four rush, too.

"Felt those guys did a really good job of changing the way the game was played. I feel like they are continuing to improve as we go through this season. Proud of the effort. We're going to need a great one from them this Saturday, too."

Tennessee's offense has struggled to replicate the production it had a year ago.

The Vols had issues in the red zone against Texas A&M, reaching deep inside Aggies' territory several times and coming away with just one touchdown. The other trips either ended in fourth down stops, a turnover or field goals, something the Vols hope to shore up on the road.

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"Each Saturday essentially is a new season. Each game unfolds and the identity of the game takes place during the course of the game," Heupel said. "You got to manage all those situations, from play calls to what decisions you're making and special teams, all of it. So, I'm proud that we got a win and you continually evaluate what you're doing in all areas and then also try to push those lessons forward, too."

Though Tennessee has dealt with inconsistencies in the passing game, Jacob Warren has provided a weapon on red zone possessions.

The Vols senior tight end has match his previous career high in touchdowns with three this season, including a 7-yard pass from quarterback Joe Milton III in the first quarter that tied the game at 7-7.

Tennessee's tight ends have scored a touchdown five of its six games.

"I think, personally, just developing my game to the point that I can make plays like that (in the red zone)," Warren said. "I'm not doing anything spectacular or crazy or out of the ordinary. Just being in the right positions. Putting myself in position to make those kind of plays has been big for me. Obviously, when the opportunity comes, you want to make the best of it and I think that's what the tight ends have done up to this point and have had some good success."

Tennessee's rushing performance against Texas A&M made a resounding statement.

The Vols have leaned on their run game for much of this season and had one of their best outings against a Texas A&M defense that led the SEC in stopping the run, holding previous opponents to just 84.0 yards per game.

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Tennessee rushed for 232 yards with running back Jaylen Wright accounting for 136 yards on 19 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per rush.

The Vols average more than 230 yards per game.

"In this game, it changes from year to year and sometimes week to week, too," Heupel said. "I did think (at the beginning of the season) that we had a chance to be a very mature, physical football team up front. The three running backs all were playing their best football. They had the best understanding of what our schemes were. Fundamentally, they were at their best. I thought they had a chance to be a group that would do a really good job in the run game and at the line of scrimmage...

"People have gotten caught up in the pass game numbers with us, some of the explosive plays, but the bread and butter of what we do, it all starts with the run game."

Like Texas A&M, Alabama has been successful in run defense, ranking third in the SEC at 104.4 yards allowed per game, but few teams have figured out a formula to slow down Tennessee so far.

Having a room that features three experience backs in Wright, Dylan Sampson and Jabari Small helps.

"I'll take any opportunity I can to praise (the running backs) a little bit. They're doing a great job," Mays said. "They've got a really loaded room. You know, three guys that have a really similar skill level that can do great things in the running and passing game. And they step up there in protection, too and do a lot and help clean us up sometimes, too. Super proud of those guys."

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