Texas A&M hasn’t had much experience playing too far away from Kyle Field this season. The Aggies will play outside the state of Texas for just the second time this season when they travel to Nashville for a 7:30 p.m. (ET) Saturday game with the  Vanderbilt Commodores.

In addition to seven home games, the Aggies (7-3, 3-3 in the SEC) also played in Houston to open the season with Arizona State, and later took on Arkansas in Arlington. In the only game so far this season outside the Lone Star State, Texas A&M fell 23-3 at Ole Miss.

Vanderbilt (4-6, 2-4 in the SEC) won’t provide an easy path to victory, either. The Commodores are coming off an impressive 21-17 victory over Kentucky. It was their second consecutive SEC win at home, having beaten Missouri 10-3 a few weeks earlier. Vandy has won its past three home games, dating back to a 47-7 victory over Austin Peay.

The Commodores must continue their winning ways to become bowl eligible. A victory on Saturday would put them in position to do so, but another quality opponent awaits the following Saturday. Vanderbilt must go to Tennessee in the season finale, so the Commodores have their work cut out for them.

Saturday’s game shapes up to be a classic contest between Texas A&M’s high-flying offense and a stubborn Vanderbilt defense. The Commodores lead the SEC and are fourth nationally in third-down conversions, holding opponents to just 25 percent on third-down opportunities. In addition, Vandy is also tops in the SEC and fourth nationally in red zone defense with a 68 percent success rate. Opponents scored on only 25 of 37 red zone possessions, including just 14 touchdowns.

So far this season, only three of the Commodores’ 10 opponents (Georgia, Ole Miss, Houston) have scored more than 19 points.  Five got only 14 points or less. The Vanderbilt defense ranks 10th in the nation in scoring defense (17.4 points per game), 11th in first downs allowed (15.7 per game) and 17th in total defense (319.1 yards per game).

Conversely, in just two games this season have the Aggies been held under 23 points.

For Vanderbilt to have success on Saturday, it is imperative that its defense put a lid on the Aggies’ attack. That’s because outside of the 47 points piled on Austin Peay early in the season, the Commodores had not scored more than 17 points in a game this year until the 21 they hung on Kentucky last week.

A low-scoring game certainly favors Vanderbilt, which comes into the game as a 7-point underdog.

VANDERBILT COMMODORES, A CLOSER LOOK

Best offensive player, RB Ralph Webb — The redshirt sophomore is the workhorse in the Commodores’ backfield and can also flare out and catch a pass as well. In 10 games this season, Webb leads the team with 970 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He will look to surpass the 1,000-yard mark on Saturday. In addition, Webb is second on the team with 24 pass receptions, totaling 188 yards and two touchdowns. He is a weapon Aggies defenders will certainly be aware of.

Best defensive player, S Oren Burks — The sophomore was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding play in the victory over Kentucky. Burks intercepted two passes in the game, returning the second one for a touchdown which proved to be the difference in the game. For the season, Burks is among the team leaders in tackles with 43, including two for loss. He leads the team with three interceptions and also has recovered a fumble. He will be tested on Saturday against Texas A&M’s high-powered passing game.

Best special teams player, P Tommy Openshaw — The redshirt sophomore has been a nice complement to Vanderbilt’s stout defense this season. Openshaw averages 40.2 yards on his 63 punts so far this season. He’s lofted 25 punts that resulted in a fair catch and nailed 23 others inside the 20-yard line. A total of 12 of his punts have gone for 50-plus yards. He looks to keep the Aggies on their side of the field on Saturday.