Almost nothing went right for the Tennessee Vols on Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium. 

The passing game never got going. There were way too many penalties. There were way too many missed penalties. Tennessee's starting right tackle (Gerald Mincey) was injured and didn't return to the game. There were dropped passes aplenty. 

And yet Tennessee walked off Shields-Watkins field around 7:03 PM ET with a 20-13 win against a Texas A&M Aggies squad that has more than enough talent to be a top 10 team. 

It wasn't how the Vols drew it up, but it goes down as a win in the standings. 

For Josh Heupel, it was the first time that one of his Tennessee teams has won a game while scoring fewer than 30 points. It was also the first time that Tennessee's won a game under Heupel after trailing at halftime. 

The Vols won on Saturday not because they played great — I think anyone on Tennessee's roster will tell you that they can play better — they won because even when things didn't go their way, UT's players continued to play with relentless effort. 

Quarterback Joe Milton, if we're being honest, had one of his worst games as a Vol. But he kept grinding. He picked up tough yards with his legs late in the game. Even after he threw a brutal interception in the red zone late in the game, he still rallied the troops and operated the offense well enough to put a few points on the board to give the Vols' some breathing room. 

Tennessee needed a win like this. 

The narrative under Heupel has been that Tennessee has to outscore the other team to win. Even when the Vols' defense has dominated — like the Kentucky and LSU games last season — the offense is what received the headlines. 

But on Saturday afternoon, it was the defense that truly made the difference. 

And Heupel made sure everyone knew that after the game. 

"Our fans played a part in this game and I know our damn defense did," said Heupel in his post-game interview with CBS Sports' Jenny Dell. 

It's not always going to go to plan in the SEC. Sometimes you just gotta find a way to win even when it seems like nothing is going your way. 

Tennessee has a lot to work on before heading to Tuscaloosa next weekend. But this narrative of "if you can keep the Vols to under 30 points then you'll win" is in the past.

The 2022 season was special offensively for the Vols. And there will be seasons like that in the future for Tennessee. This year's team, though, is one that just finds a way. And they do that because of the belief they have in each other and their coaches. 

Saturday's win was a culture win. Tennessee stayed together through some tough moments. They didn't point fingers. And they sure as hell didn't quit. 

Some fans might look at the way Texas A&M played and think that Tennessee should've won by 35 points. 

I look at this game and I see a team that simply wanted it a hell of a lot more than the other team. And ultimately, that's what it takes to win in the SEC. 

Former Vol draws the ire of Deion Sanders after Colorado blows game against Stanford

Coach Prime isn’t very happy with the former Vol