Limited Offense Results in Sooners Losing to Volunteers

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The No.6 Tennessee Volunteers (4-0, 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference) defense stifled a putrid offense on the part of the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (3-1, 0-1) en route to a 25-15 victory on Sept. 21 in Norman, Okla. The SEC opener for both teams had all the hype, however, the Sooners' offense didn't meet the challenge.

Game Summary

The Oklahoma defense showed it is SEC-ready, but the offense did not. The offense struggled to gain momentum and failed to maintain possession of the ball. During a stretch of six consecutive possessions, the Sooners offense ran only 12 plays. The Tennessee defense played aggressive smash-mouth football.

Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards. He threw an interception and turned the ball over to the Volunteers on a fumble. He was benched before the end of the second quarter in favor of freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who played the entire second half, injected some life in a sluggish offense, and led Oklahoma to its only two touchdowns. Hawkins went 11 for 18 for 132 yards and 1 touchdown. He added 22 yards rushing.

Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava made his first true road start in the SEC and showed the country he is for real. He demonstrated poise under pressure and had a productive night, completing 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and 1 touchdown. The Sooners pressured and blitzed the Volunteers, but Iamaleave stepped up and made plays when necessary.

Dylan Sampson led the way for the Volunteers ground attack, adding 92 yards on 24 carries, resulting in 1 touchdown. Sampson was one of the main cogs in an offense that outgained the Sooners 345-222. The only negative for the Volunteers offense was fumbling twice, but luckily for Tennessee, those turnovers resulted in zero points for the Sooners.

Turning Point for Tennessee

The turning point in the game came with 5:27 left in the second quarter when Arnold threw a backward pass that the Volunteers recovered. Tennessee then took the ball and scored a touchdown eight plays later on a 1-yard touchdown run by Sampson, who ran the ball every play on the drive. That TD gave the Volunteers a 19-3 lead. Arnold was benched for the remainder of the game.

What it Means for the Sooners

The Sooners showed on a national stage that their defense is SEC-ready, but the offense is still a work in progress. With the daunting SEC schedule now underway, it won't get any easier for the Sooners. Next up for Oklahoma is a trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of the most challenging places to play. There, they will take on Auburn (2-2, 0-1), who, like the Sooners, are scuffling on offense.

What it Means for Tennessee

The Volunteers went on the road and dominated the game. The score was not indicative of the play on the field. Tennessee was adept on both offense and defense. The Volunteers appear to be a national championship contender. After a bye week, Tennessee will play another road game against Arkansas (3-1, 1-0).