The Oklahoma Sooners will make their SEC conference debut with a familiar face on the opposing football team. Josh Heupel will lead his Tennessee Volunteers into Norman on September 21, marking the Sooners’ first conference game as a member of the SEC. Heupel’s history with the Sooners is extensive, having helped lead the program to its seventh national championship in 2000 as the starting quarterback. He returned as the team’s quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator from 2006-2014.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Tennessee Volunteers Matchup History and Excerpts
Heupel — heading into his fourth season as Tennessee’s head coach — will make his first trip to OU as an opposing coach.
Oklahoma has met Tennessee four times in program history, with OU leading the series 3-1. The Sooners most recent football outing with the Volunteers came in an overtime thriller in 2015 when Baker Mayfield helped Oklahoma rally from a two-touchdown deficit en route to a 31-24 win in overtime. But what are the expectations for this year’s matchup?
The Sooners’ first in-conference showdown should be quite the test.
Heupel’s return to Norman will be memorable given his history within the program, given it’ll be his first visit to OU as a visitor on the opposing sidelines. During SEC media day in July, Venables spoke about his relationship with the Tennessee coach.
“We’ve always stayed in touch and try to help each other through the tough moments and celebrate the great ones,” Venables said. “And so this would be one of many big games that the Sooners play.”
Of course, it’s hard to overlook this being the Sooners’ official “Welcome to the SEC” party. This is a huge opportunity for Oklahoma to make a statement that they belong in the conference, but the Volunteers certainly won’t make it easy.
Both sidelines will be highly motivated to perform on September 21. Will Tennessee’s offense be too much for OU’s defense? Will Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold be able to outperform Nico Iamaleava? The storylines are endless, but one certainty is that this game is massive for both teams.
The quarterback duel between the two former five-star prospects will be one of the main things many watch for. With both quarterbacks entering the year at the helm, we will see two completely new offenses.
The Underrated Volunteers
The Volunteers’ offense will be relying heavily on running back Dylan Sampson to continue where he left off last season. The junior had over 130 yards in the bowl game and averaged a whopping 6.7 yards per carry in the outing. Factoring in the rushing ability from Iamaleava, it’s not a surprise that Tennessee has a very balanced attack on offense.
Although Tennessee’s inexperience has them as a dark horse to win the SEC, the talent is there for Heupel’s crew to make a run in the conference.
Tennessee Stats
- Offense: 63.7 points per game (first nationally)
- Defense: 4.3 points per game (third nationally)
- Rushing offense: 336.3 yards per game (third nationally)
- Passing offense: 303.0 yards per game (22nd nationally)
- Rushing defense: 55.7 yards per game (fourth nationally)
- Passing defense: 105.0 yards per game (fifth nationally)
Key Players for the Game
Dylan Sampson, RB – Tennessee
The Vols’ rushing attack has been the best in the country through three weeks, and Sampson is the reason why. Sampson has 357 rushing yards on the season (119 yards per game), which ranks 10th nationally. He’s been incredibly efficient, ranking seventh-best in yards per carry (7.93). Sampson also has 13 plays of 10 yards or more, tied for sixth nationally.
But Sampson isn’t just a rusher. He has seven receptions — third most on the team — for 70 yards as the Vols have found different ways to utilize him in the offense.
Nico Iamaleava, QB – Tennessee
The redshirt freshman has been impressive so far this season. He’s averaging 232.7 passing yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 71.6 percent of his passes. He’s also been involved in the running game, averaging 34 rushing yards per game and six yards per carry.
Iamaleava hasn’t had to do much through three weeks as the Vols have dominated. However, he’s shown the upside that made him a four-star quarterback.
Jackson Arnold, QB – Oklahoma
Arnold has not yet been able to make good on his lofty expectations for the Sooners. Injuries to the offensive line have hampered the offense’s effectiveness, but Arnold has been sacked nine times through three games.
Arnold has completed 62 percent of his passes. Meanwhile, he’s rushed 36 times through three games and added two scores (both coming last week against Tulane). Overall, OU is outside the top 100 in yards per play, can Arnold find answers as SEC play picks up?
