Road woes continued for Texas A&M on Saturday. Eight straight the Aggies have lost in true road games. If the Aggies are ever to get over the hump, they will have to start with learning how to win on the road in the SEC. They haven’t yet cracked the code.

The 20-13 loss to Tennessee at Neyland Stadium all but knocked the Aggies (4-3, 2-2) from contention in the SEC West. Another year of what ifs or what could have been in this the 6th season under head coach Jimbo Fisher.

Now, the best the Aggies have to look forward to is to play spoiler and qualify for the best bowl they can. That hasn’t been a role the Aggies have done well at in the past. It will be up to Fisher and his staff to keep this team together moving forward.

Player of the Week: Fadil Diggs

The junior DL was among the defensive standouts for the Aggies. Diggs totaled 6 tackles, 3 solo, and 1 sack. He added a team-high 2 QB hurries as well.

With the recent injuries, Diggs will be called upon for an even more prominent role. The veteran will now need to step up his game and become a leader for the defense.

Freshman of the Week: Taurean York

The LB was the team’s leading tackler on Saturday. York recorded 9 tackles including 6 solos. Among those were 2.5 TFLs as York helped lead an Aggies defense that collectively turned in another outstanding effort.

Biggest surprise: Tennessee’s run game

Granted the Vols came into the game with the SEC’s best rushing attack. But the Aggies came in with the conference’s best run defense. But it was the Vols that got the better of it, rushing for 232 yards on 49 attempts (4.7 yards per rush).

It was the most given up this season by the Aggies and allowed Tennessee to continue drives. The Vols’ Jaylen Wright went off, rushing for 136 yards on 19 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per try.

Biggest concern: Walter Nolen/Edgerrin Cooper injuries

Last year, injuries were a major reason for the Aggies’ slide. Decimated by injuries and depth an issue, Texas A&M struggled to keep up.

So, Aggies’ hearts sank on Saturday when 5-star DL Walter Nolen was carted off the field in the 4th quarter with what appeared to be a serious injury. A stalwart in an improved DL, Nolen was the team leader among DLs in tackles this season with 26.

Cooper also watched from the sidelines for the majority of the game with an injury. The team leader in tackles (45), TFLs (13.5) and sacks (6), he was sorely missed.

Developing trend: Tumble

The Aggies lost for the 2nd consecutive game. Now that they have fallen out of the SEC West race, they must be careful not to lose focus and fall into an even deeper hole like last season when they lost 6 straight.

Preventing another slide like that one should be a main focus of the program as it goes into the bye week. A long look in the mirror and a refocus should be on the agenda as the Aggies prepare for their final push of the 2023 season.

Key stat: 232 rushing yards vs. 54

Tennessee’s decisive advantage in the run game was the difference. The Vols were able to move the ball on the ground while holding the Aggies to just 1.9 yards per carry. That put Texas A&M in long-yardage situations, and the Aggies were just 5-for-15 on 3rd down.

First impression about Week 8: Bye

The Aggies have an off week, coming at a good time considering the injuries. It’s a time to readjust after 2 consecutive losses and get prepared for the stretch run.

The Aggies next play host to South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Kyle Field. What their frame of mind will be remains to be seen. What will the Aggies be playing for from this point forward? That’s something Fisher and his staff will have to instill in the program.