NORMAN, Okla. — The emotion in his voice and on his face said it all for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on Saturday night in his long-awaited return to his alma mater.
Heupel, who 10 years earlier was stung by his firing as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, repeatedly said the No. 6 Vols' 25-15 win over the No. 15 Sooners “was never about me” in a game in which Tennessee built a 22-3 lead entering the fourth quarter and dominated defensively the entire way.
When it was over, with family, players, former OU teammates and coaches hugging him before he walked off the field, the normally stoic Heupel was clearly emotional when Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava handed him the game ball on the field.
“This game was never about me coming back here, not for this football team,” Heupel said in his post-match press conference. “I say all that, but they also understood that this game was a little bit different for me personally as well. It wasn't about that, but I appreciate their recognition.”
In the locker room he was even more emotional and had to pause on a couple of occasions while speaking to his players.
“I appreciate you all having a little bit extra for me,” Heupel said, struggling to find the right words as players clapped and cheered. “I love you guys. I mean it. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of how you've grown. The best of us is yet to come.”
Asked where the game ball will go, Heupel said: “It will probably go to the office.”
Tennessee (4-0) came into the game as the nation’s top-scoring offense, and while the Vols managed just two field goals after halftime against a stout Oklahoma defense, it’s Tennessee’s defense that makes this Heupel’s most complete team since he arrived in Knoxville in 2021. The Vols’ defense finished with 10 tackles for loss, forced two turnovers on the next play after Iamaleava fumbled deep in his own territory and held the Sooners to minus-4 yards in the second and third quarters.
Tennessee's defense had gone 19 straight quarters without allowing a touchdown until Oklahoma scored both of its fourth-quarter touchdowns, the last with 1:01 left. The Sooners benched starting quarterback Jackson Arnold in the second quarter and turned to Michael Hawkins Jr. for the rest of the game.
Heupel acknowledged the Vols handled the game on offense a little differently and more conservatively in the second half after seeing the way their defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Also, Tennessee played with backup offensive tackles for much of the game, and wanted to be careful not to put Iamaleava in too many precarious situations. Iamaleava finished with 194 passing yards and a 66-yard touchdown pass to Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the first quarter. Iamaleava was also sacked three times.
“Ultimately, if you want to play high-level football, you're going to have to have a high-level defense, and our guys are playing really well,” Heupel said. “They're excited about the way they're playing, but they also know there's more out there, and it's been fun to watch this group continue to grow.”
Tennessee's defensive line depth and talent are the best in two decades, and that depth wore down an Oklahoma offense that managed just 36 rushing yards and was 3 of 15 on third down.
“Watching our offense score, honestly, is another opportunity for the defense to come out and play,” said junior defensive lineman Joshua Josephs, who had one tackle for loss and forced two fumbles. “It’s just energizing. We love it. We love being on the field. We love playing, and as a defensive line, we have so much depth that we can rotate and rotate, and it’s just fun to watch our guys make plays. It’s fun to watch Jaxson Moi make plays. It’s fun to watch Jayson Jenkins make plays. It’s just fun to watch.”
At one point, OU had six consecutive offensive possessions with three plays or fewer. And in the first half, the Sooners had 10 consecutive plays without gaining a yard.
“In this league, you have to be able to win in different ways as the season goes on,” Heupel said. “Every game is different, every opponent, the matchups, all that. We need to be the most physical football team on the field every Saturday. That's one of the pillars of being able to win.”
For Oklahoma (3-1), it was a disappointing SEC debut in front of a crowd of 84,701 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where Heupel starred as a player and quarterback for the Sooners to the national championship in 2000.
“Josh is a great coach,” said coach Brent Venables, who was OU's defensive coordinator in 2000 when Heupel played. “He's had success everywhere he's been, and I don't think that's ever been in question. I'm proud of all the success he's had. It's not one of those times where you're happy for him because you're not, but that's part of the game. … They're going to win a lot of games.”
It was Tennessee's first win over an AP top 15 team on the road since beating Georgia in 2006.
Heupel's father, Ken, still lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, and was at the game along with many other family members. Heupel's mother, Cindy, died earlier this year.
“She was here, watching us from heaven,” Heupel said after the game.
Before Heupel finished his press conference, he thanked all of his former teammates who reached out to him during the week.
“I didn't get to see many of you again. I'll do that on the plane back, but you changed my life and my family's life forever, and I'll be eternally grateful to all of you,” said Heupel, getting emotional again and with tears in his eyes. “There are also many former players I should mention.”
He added: “The second thing is that I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who had an impact on my mother while she was here, and I just want to say thank you for the relationships and what they meant to her.”
