COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M's game against No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday signaled the start of an important stretch for this team.

For the third straight year, the No. 8 Aggies started the season with five straight wins. But the question surrounding A&M during the week was if this team could do what teams of previous years couldn't -- finish the season without faltering in the end.

A&M started answering that question on a night when it looked like the Aggies weren't going to finish what they started. A&M withstood Tennessee's frantic rally and won 45-38 in double overtime.

"We finally got over the hump, the little 5-0 hill that we've been facing every year," A&M junior defensive end Myles Garrett said.

During many moments in the fourth quarter, it looked like A&M was destined for another loss and Tennessee's magical undefeated run was going to continue. But junior Armani Watts' interception in double overtime sealed A&M's first 6-0 start since 1994.

A&M (6-0, 4-0 SEC) squandered a 14-point lead and two chances to salt away the win. First, freshman running back Trayveon Williams had the ball knocked out of his hands 2 yards away from a touchdown that would have put A&M up by 13 points late in the fourth quarter.

Then, after Tennessee tied the game at 35 with 41 seconds left, A&M sophomore kicker Daniel LaCamera's 38-yard field goal in the final seconds went well left of the uprights.

But Williams and LaCamera made the most of opportunities to redeem themselves.

A late attempt to strip the ball from Williams again came up empty, and he finished with 217 rushing yards and one touchdown. And LaCamera drilled a 34-yard field goal that sent the game into double overtime.

"I couldn't be more proud of the way our guys continued to stay even-keeled through that adversity," A&M senior quarterback Trevor Knight said.

Knight threw two interceptions but also rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns, including a 1-yard touchdown run in double overtime that proved to be the game-winner. He did the same thing in the Aggies' season-opening win against No. 16 UCLA, another game that required overtime when A&M saw a sizable fourth-quarter lead disappear.

Prior to Saturday, no team was able to put Tennessee away. The Volunteers (5-1, 2-1) won against Georgia on Oct. 1 on a 43-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game after giving up the lead with 10 seconds remaining.

And for another week, even without four key starters and as the Volunteers suffered injury after injury, it looked like the SEC East team's magical run was about to continue.

"We knew they weren't going to give up and lie down," Knight said.

A&M's ability to finish was called into question Saturday night, much like its ability to not squander another strong start to the season. Not that A&M coach Kevin Sumlin cares for that storyline.

"We pay attention to what we're doing and not the narrative that's out there about who we are, and that's obvious," Sumlin said. "We wouldn't be where we are if we listened to what everybody else is saying."

Sumlin didn't say anything as he walked off the field. He silently walked into a tunnel with A&M fans hanging over the edge, cheering for a team that is still undefeated after six games.

Sumlin left the roaring fans and lingering doubts about his team behind him and disappeared into the depths of Kyle Field.

Twitter: @Ben_Baby

More coverage

Box score

Hump day: A&M overcomes late mistakes, clears its 5-0 barrier in crazy 45-38 2OT win over Tennessee

Kevin Sumlin: 'This is the type of atmosphere people had envisioned'

5 takeaways from Texas A&M's overtime win: 5-0 curse is over, Aggies possess best safety group in SEC

Quick hits: Vols' magic runs out in turnover-filled loss to A&M; Kyle Field draws its second-largest crowd

Rocky Top magic striking again? Would-be Texas A&M TD turns into fumble, Tennessee capitalizes

Watch: Trevor Knight's run was so huge for Texas A&M that even Johnny Manziel had to give him props

WATCH: Texas A&M's Justin Evans turns Tennessee's tipped pass into a diving interception

Texas A&M's 12th Man Cullen Gillaspia waves goodbye to Tennessee player that got ejected for targeting him

It's Peyton on Saturday: Manning shows up at Kyle Field for Texas A&M-Tennessee game

Photos: Peyton Manning at Kyle Field; tense injury moments, Aggies eventually celebrate wild 2 OT thriller over Tennessee

Photos: Trolling Peyton, touting Trump ... check out the scene and the College GameDay signs from Texas A&M