NORMAN, Okla. – No. 6 Tennessee football showcased its defensive prowess in a commanding 25-15 SEC-opening victory over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
The win marked the Vols’ 10th over a ranked opponent under head coach Josh Heupel, who made the return to his alma mater a memorable one.
Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) established defensive dominance from the outset, limiting the Sooners to just 222 total yards. The impressive performance continues a trend, as the Vols have now held their last five opponents under 250 yards of total offense, dating to their Citrus Bowl triumph over Iowa on Jan. 1, 2024.
The Vols had an impressive defensive streak end on Saturday as they went 19 quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown until Oklahoma scored with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter. This streak went down as the second-longest in program history and the longest since Tennessee shut out 15 straight opponents from Nov. 5, 1938, to Dec. 9, 1939.
Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1 SEC) struggled early, committing multiple turnovers that the Vols capitalized on. Cornerback Jermod McCoy recorded his first interception as a Vol, halting Oklahoma’s third drive and leading to Tennessee’s opening points with a 27-yard field goal from kicker Max Gilbert.
After the Sooners tied the game with a field goal, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava found wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. for a spectacular 66-yard touchdown pass as the first quarter closed.
With Oklahoma deep in Tennessee territory after a turnover, the Vols’ defense struck again. Defensive lineman Joshua Josephs forced a fumble and recovered it on the UT six-yard line to flip the game’s momentum back in Tennessee’s favor.
On OU’s next drive, a false start by the Sooners then pushed them back to their 2-yard line, where defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins burst through the line to tackle Oklahoma’s running back in the end zone for a safety, extending Tennessee’s lead to 12-3 with 9:12 remaining in the second quarter.
The Vols continued to capitalize on mistakes, forcing their third takeaway of the first half when defensive back Jakobe Thomas recovered a fumble on a backward pass that hit the turf. Tennessee made Oklahoma pay, as running back Dylan Sampson plunged in for a one-yard touchdown on UT’s ensuing drive, marking his 10th of the season and pushing the lead to 19-3.
Gilbert added two more field goals in the second half from 41 and 32 yards, keeping Oklahoma at bay.
The Sooners made a quarterback change at halftime, bringing in freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who led Oklahoma on a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
Linebacker Arion Carter was a standout for Tennessee’s defense, recording six tackles, including one for a loss, and breaking up a pass. Andre Turrentine, Christian Harrison, and Keenan Pili each contributed five tackles, with Pili particularly disruptive, adding a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries. As a unit, the Vols’ defense registered three sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
On the offensive front, Iamaleava had a solid performance, completing 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown in his first SEC start. Wide receiver Bru McCoy was the top target, catching four passes for 92 yards. Sampson finished with 92 yards on 24 carries, while fellow running back DeSean Bishop contributed 65 yards on 16 carries.
Iamaleava presented the game ball to his head coach as the clock expired.
UP NEXT
After an open week, Tennessee travels to Fayetteville to face Arkansas on Oct. 5. A game time will be announced next week.
