This game is a rock fight, which is probably just what Texas A&M wanted.

A&M has hardly had the ball, with Tennessee holding onto the ball for more than 21 minutes. But the Aggies have been more efficient.

Marcel Reed has struggled, completing 4 of 9 passes for 44 yards. But not a lot of that is on him, because the line has been consistently whipped by the nation’s best pass rush. Reed has been able to escape, but hasn’t been able to make anything positive happen when he leaves the pocket. When he has time, he’s been able to make some throws, like the 23-yard completion to Aaron Gregory. It’s just been a matter of getting him that time.

On the other hand, the line has absolutely dominated Tennessee in the running game. Both KJ Edwards and Reuben Owens have ripped off big chunks of yardage, and they were the primary reason the Aggies took the lead. Owens has been running with a vengeance, with six carries for 32 yards. The only play he was stopped on, shock of shocks, was on a 3rd and 1 — and that didn’t have anything to do with him. Edwards is just magic. Give him a small opening and he’s going to hit it. His 25-yard touchdown run showed his power as he ran through the line and then broke an arm tackle at the line of scrimmage to take it the distance.

The Aggies need to stop losing receivers. Hopefully Gregory or TK Norman can come back in the second half. Losing Norman is a real blow, because he’s a reliable receiver and a good blocker on the edge.

Defensively, they’ve bent but haven’t broken yet. Their mission was to limit DeSean Bishop and they’ve done a pretty good job of it so far. Bishop already has 15 carries, but for just 43 yards. Up front, Marco Jones has been really good. He’s been able to slow down the run and has been effective in pass coverage too. CJ Mims has had one of his better games already, helping blow up Tennessee’s 3rd and goal play for a loss, holding them to a field goal.

Daymion Sanford has been fantastic. He’s got two TFLs, including a sack, and has been everywhere. Tawfiq Byard has played a lot of the third safety and has been busy with six tackles. Both Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe have made plays in the running game.

The Aggies have two sacks already and four tackles for loss. They’ve held Tennessee to just three for 10 on third down, but they’ve allowed two fourth down conversions, which extended long drives. A&M needs to take away the slant routes, because that’s where McIntyre is thriving. He hasn’t had any success against the corners, but like other teams, they’re picking on the corners.

A&M needs to move the ball more consistently and give the defense a break. Obviously, you aren’t going to win with 7 points, so they need to get something going.