Five keys to Tennessee football's road trip to Texas A&M

Tennessee football is looking to keep its College Football Playoff resume alive as it travels to College Station for a showdown with Texas A&M. 

The No. 8 Vols (7-2, 4-2 SEC) will kick off against Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5) at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here are five keys to the game. 

1. Build DeSean Bishop's Heisman campaign. UT officially launched running back DeSean Bishop's Heisman campaign this week, and for good reason. The former walk-on from Karns has become UT's second player all-time to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His 1,066 rushing yards rank second in the SEC, sixth in Power Four and 10th in FBS through nine games — he's averaging 118.4 yards per game. A big game from Bishop will keep Tennessee in control of the road contest. 

2. Defense travels. Tennessee's defense has been essential in its push for a second College Football Playoff berth. The Vols have racked up 39 sacks — a stat that leads the nation — and 26 of those sacks have come in six SEC games. More importantly, a strong defensive day could mean an early-exiting crowd, and UT could sleepwalk to a win. 

3. Exorcise the road demons. Tennessee has been plagued in road games it should win. South Carolina in October is a prime example, and no one has forgotten the road trip to South Carolina in 2022. UT, for whatever reason, has struggled mightily on the road in recent memory. Avoiding those dumb mistakes on Saturday against Texas A&M will ensure that a struggling Aggie group doesn't get second-life via upset. 

4. No regression from George MacIntyre. QB George MacIntyre hasn't had to do anything otherworldly since he made his first career start at Arkansas on Oct. 10. The sophomore from Brentwood Academy has thrown for two touchdowns, three interceptions and 853 yards on 78 of 117 passing. You would hope MacIntyre continues to improve, but simply being average on Saturday should be plenty against Texas A&M. 

5. Defensive line adjusts after recent injury. Tennessee has lost its sack leader, Tyree Weathersby, for the season — Weathersby started all nine games this season and led the team with seven sacks. The defensive line is a unit that loves to rotate, so Saturday will be a test of how they adjust without Weathersby. Xavier Gilliam, an interior defensive lineman, has shined this season with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.