No. 6 Tennessee's D stifles No. 15 Oklahoma in Sooners' SEC debut

Field Level Media|published: Sun 22nd September, 24:07 2024

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

Nico Iamaleava threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, overcoming a pair of lost fumbles, as No. 6 Tennessee held on for a 25-15 win over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

Volunteers coach Josh Heupel, who quarterbacked the Sooners to the 2000 national title as the Heisman Trophy runner-up, was honored before the game.

Then Heupel's defense dominated the Sooners as Iamaleava did enough to keep Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) undefeated.

The Volunteers held Oklahoma to minus-4 yards combined in the second and third quarters as they steadily stretched their lead.

The Sooners (3-1, 0-1) came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns, but couldn't cut their deficit below 10 points.

Oklahoma starting quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched after going just 7-of-16 for 54 yards, giving way to freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who didn't do much better initially. But he led the fourth-quarter comeback attempt and finished 11-of-18 for 132 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 22 yards on 12 carries.

Bru McCoy finished with four catches for 92 yards for the Vols, while Dylan Sampson ran for 92 yards and a score.

Tennessee outgained the Sooners 345-222.

Iamaleava coughed up the ball twice in the second quarter, each time giving the Sooners the ball in Tennessee territory. But both times, the Volunteers' defense quickly answered.

First, Iamaleava has hit by Robert Spears-Jennings at the Tennessee 6, where it was recovered by Ethan Downs.

But Jackson Arnold fumbled in the backfield on the next play and it was recovered by Tennessee's Joshua Josephs.

In the ensuing drive, the Volunteers were able to pin the Sooners inside their own 5 after punting, and Jayson Jenkins then brought down Jovantae Barnes for a safety.

Later in the quarter, Iamaleava was sacked and lost the ball again; this time Gracen Halton recovered at the Vols' 33.

But again, the Sooners gave the ball right back, as Arnold's swing pass was ruled a lateral and Tennessee recovered in Oklahoma territory.

Tennessee then kept the ball on the ground, as Sampson carried the ball on eight consecutive plays, finishing with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Vols up 19-3 at the break.

--Field Level Media