Tennessee's defense prepares for Max Johnson, effective Texas A&M offense
At this point, Tennessee has boasted one of the strongest defenses in the SEC.
The Vols lead the conference in sacks per game and have leaned on the strong stop multiple times.
However, Tennessee hasn't faced an attack as statistically effective as its upcoming opponent.
Currently, Texas A&M ranks fifth in the conference with an average of 35.5 points scored per match.
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While the Aggies use a healthy balance, they have typically used the pass game to put together successful drives. Their 275.7 yards through the air ranks sixth in the SEC compared to their ninth ranked rush attack that averages 144.8 yards a match.
This comes despite a quarterback change midway through the start of their season. Originally, it was sophomore Conner Weigman heading the team's offense. However, an injury moved veteran and LSU transfer Max Johnson to the starting role.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel doesn't see much of a difference between the pair of quarterbacks, though. In the matches Johnson has appeared in, the offense hasn't taken a visible step back.
“Not a ton of difference in them," said Heupel. "Both of them were able to extend and make plays. I don’t think they philosophically have changed what they are doing. Max (Johnson) is a guy that has played a lot of football, has played in a lot of different environments. Does a really good job of taking care of the football. He has the ability to extend and make plays and throw the football down the field when the play breaks down or when he has pressure on him. So, we have to do a great job of matching guys out on the perimeter.”
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has a similar opinion.
Banks credits a big part of the lack of a drop in production to Johnson's experience at the college level.
"I think they’re the same," said Banks. "Honestly, I knew the quarterback got hurt, but I didn’t realize how many snaps Johnson has played in his career. I mean, this kid is a veteran. He’s extremely poised. They’re running their offense, and some of the plays that he’s made under duress just kind of speak to his confidence and the confidence they have in him as a quarterback. I don’t think they’ve really missed a beat. I think that they’ve tried to play to his strengths, he’s a lefty. But at the end of the day, I think they’re very similar.”
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What helps Johnson succeed is the heap of talent around him.
Between Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart at wide receiver, Johnson has plenty of targets capable of making big plays. They have 431 and 403 yards this season, respectively. Stewart also has brought in four touchdowns.
Johnson has built a strong connection with his brother, Jake Johnson, at tight end, as well. He has the third most receiving yards on the team and a pair of scores.
At running back, Le'Veon Moss leads the way with 325 yards and three touchdowns. Behind him, Amari Daniels has racked up 287 yards and two trips to the end zone.
“From the running backs to the skill guys on the edges, they have really good players that have shown up on tape against everybody, week in and week out," said Banks. "Those guys do a really good job with their coaches putting them in situations for them to be successful. And when the ball is in those guys’ hands, we have to do a great job of tackling. It is going to be a tremendous matchup. It really is. I feel really good about our back-end and our secondary and the direction that we are headed. Just like every SEC opponent we’ll see, these guys are no different. They have a tremendous amount of skill over there and we will have to play at a high level in order to be successful.”
Texas A&M won't necessarily give Tennessee typical looks on offense, though. Instead, the Aggies aren't afraid to use both backs.
This includes using fullbacks as blockers and trying to get the ball downhill to gain early yardage.
However, the Vols have previously seen success stuffing the run making it an interesting matchup.
“I think the gap schemes that these guys run and all the pin-and-pull plays," said Banks. "They’re a physical group. They want to run the ball downhill. They have a pretty healthy amount of running backs that are interchangeable that they’ll bring in there. You don’t see a lot of two-back run games from a lot of people and those guys have the ability to get into some two-back situations. They’ll try to out-gap you with a true fullback. It’s a tough scheme to get ready for, particularly in this day and age of football because you don’t see a lot of that. We know we’re going to have our hands full and we’ll need every single practice to be able to get ready for it.”
This test will reveal a lot about the Vols' defense. Against Florida, it couldn't stop the Gators during the first half. However, outside of that 30-minute stretch, it has dominated everyone else it's shared the football field with.
Although Texas A&M's offense isn't the best the country has to offer, it is still likely the best the Vols have faced this season through six games.
Before a trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama, a lot will be learned.
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