In losses, one must look at the little victories.
For Texas A&M, Ainias Smith's streak remains intact heading into the bye week.
Smith, A&M's most consistent offensive weapon, caught one pass for a 20-yard reception during the Aggies' 20-13 loss against No. 19 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
The graduate senior has now totaled at least one catch in 34 games, the second-most all-time for an Aggie behind Christian Kirk (2015-17). Kirk, who since graduation has become one of the more consistent No. 2 receivers in the NFL, finished his A&M career with a catch in 39 consecutive games.
Smith's reception now marks the 10th-longest active streak in college football. This season, the Houston native has totaled 27 catches for 451 yards and been one of the nation's better punt returners, averaging 17.5 yards per return.
The Aggies (4-3, 2-2 SEC) struggled to find any offensive consistency in Saturday's loss following a 2-yard touchdown run from Max Johnson on the opening drive. Johnson was consistently met by a swarm of Volunteer defenders and was sacked twice.
Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) totaled 6.5 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback pressures. Johnson, who finished with 233 passing yards, also threw two costly interceptions during the fourth quarter to silence the chance of any comeback.
A&M's defense continues to be a stalwart in conference play, though Tennessee's run game gave the front seven fits. Jalyen Wright finished with a season-high 136 yards on 19 carries. Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson combined for 67 yards to tack on the madness on the ground.
Tennessee's Joe Milton, for the most part, was obsolete through the air, finishing with 100 passing yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception in the red zone to Josh DeBerry at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Aggies return to Kyle Field to take on South Carolina on Oct. 28 at 11 a.m.
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