Story Links
Match Summary: Football |
The victory was the Vols’ tenth against a higher-ranking opponent under the head coach Josh Heupelwho made the return to his alma mater an unforgettable experience.
Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) showed defensive dominance from the start, limiting the Sooners to just 222 yards totaling. The impressive performance continues a trend, as the Vols have held their last five opponents under 250 yards on offense since their Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa on Jan. 1, 2024.
Saturday ended an impressive defensive streak by the Vols that went 19 quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown until Oklahoma scored with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter. That streak went down as the second-longest in program history and the longest since Tennessee shutout 15 consecutive opponents from Nov. 5, 1938, to Dec. 9, 1939.
Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1 SEC) struggled at the beginning and caused several turnovers, which the Vols took advantage of. Cornerback Jerome McCoy recorded his first interception as a Vol, stopped Oklahoma’s third drive and led to Tennessee’s first points with a 27-yard field goal from kicker Max Gilbert.
After the Sooners tied the game with a field goal, Nico Iamaleava Wide Receiver found Not Thornton Jr. for a spectacular 66-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first quarter.
When Oklahoma penetrated deep into Tennessee territory after a turnover, the Vols defense struck again. Defensive Lineman Joshua Joseph forced a fumble and recovered the ball at UT’s six-yard line, turning the momentum of the game back in Tennessee’s favor.
On OU’s next drive, a false start by the Sooners pushed them back to their 2-yard line, where the defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins rushed through the line to tackle Oklahoma’s running back in the end zone and score a safety, extending Tennessee’s lead to 12-3 with 9:12 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Vols continued to exploit mistakes and forced their third possession of the first half when the defensive back Jacob Thomas recovered a fumble on a return pass that hit the turf. Tennessee made Oklahoma pay for it when running back Dylan Sampson rushed to the basket on UT’s ensuing drive and scored a one-yard touchdown, his tenth of the season, to increase the lead to 19-3.
Gilbert scored two more field goals in the second half, from 41 and 32 yards, to keep Oklahoma at bay.
The Sooners changed quarterbacks at halftime, bringing in freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who led Oklahoma to two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
Linebackers Arion Carter was a standout player on Tennessee’s defense, recording six tackles, including one for a loss, and breaking up a pass. André Turrentine, Christian HarrisonAnd Keenan Pili Each contributed five tackles, with Pili being particularly disruptive, adding a tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries. As a unit, the Vols defense recorded three sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.
On offense, Iamaleava had a solid performance, completing 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown in his first SEC appearance. Wide Receiver Bru McCoy was the top target and caught four passes for 92 yards. Sampson finished the game with 92 yards on 24 carries, while his running back colleague DeSean Bishop contributed 65 yards on 16 carries.
Iamaleava handed the game ball to his head coach as time expired.
Next
After an off week, Tennessee travels to Fayetteville to face Arkansas on October 5. The game date will be announced next week.
