Oklahoma made history Saturday night in Norman. But its historical SEC debut was upstaged by Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel’s homecoming at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The 25-15 victory wasn’t a typical Heupel production. The seventh-ranked Vols won as much with toughness as talent, and with defense more than offense.
After dispatching their first three opponents with ridiculous ease, they also proved they could handle adversity.
Tennessee began the game without starting offensive tackle Lance Heard and lost offensive tackle John Campbell to injury in the second quarter. It turned the ball over twice in the first half, and Jackson Ross punted more times in the first two quarters than he had in the first three games combined.
Nonetheless, whatever UT gave up, it took back – and then some.
It forced three Oklahoma turnovers and so overwhelmed Sooners redshirt quarterback Jackson Arnold that coach Brent Venables replaced him with freshman Michael Hawkins on the last series of the first half.
By then, the Vols had a 19-3 lead, which best reflected how their deep, aggressive defensive front relentlessly pressured the Sooners’ injury-depleted offensive line. Given UT’s domination, it’s no wonder Arnold struggled to protect the ball.
