COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Tennessee leaned on its kicker and its defense Saturday, beating Texas A&M 22-7 at Kyle Field as Cooper Ranvier made five field goals, the most of his career.
The Volunteers improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee came into the week eighth in the College Football Playoff rankings and has now won five of its last six games.
Points were hard to come by for much of the afternoon. Ranvier opened the scoring with a 23-yard kick at the end of a 16-play, 70-yard drive that ate 9:28 of clock. Running back KJ Edwards answered for the Aggies with a 25-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and Ranvier trimmed it to 7-6 with a 30-yarder before the break. Texas A&M missed a 50-yard try wide right just before halftime.
Ranvier put Tennessee ahead 9-7 with a 32-yard kick late in the third quarter. A roughing-the-passer penalty then kept a Vols drive alive, and Faizon Brandon finished it with a 5-yard scoring throw to DaSaahn Brame for a 16-7 lead with under 10 minutes to play. Kicks from 44 and 27 yards closed out the scoring.
The Tennessee defense smothered the Aggies. Quarterback Marcel Reed completed 9 of 22 passes for 71 yards and was intercepted, and Texas A&M finished with just 179 total yards, its lowest output of the season. The Aggies fell to 4-6 and 1-6 in league play.
Senior running back DeSean Bishop carried 34 times for 97 yards, matching his career high in attempts, as Tennessee ran for 196 yards and held the ball for 42:11. School officials said that ties the program record for time of possession, first set against Kentucky in 1980.
A sellout crowd of 108,504 watched the win, which gave Tennessee eight victories for the fifth straight season under coach Josh Heupel. The Vols return home to Neyland Stadium next Saturday to host No. 21 LSU.
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