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Chris Low, ESPN editor-in-chief
NORMAN, Okla. — The emotion in his voice and face spoke volumes about Tennessee coach Josh Heupel late Saturday night during his highly anticipated 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 victory over the No. 15 Sooners was “never about me” in a game that saw Tennessee build a 22-3 lead late in the fourth quarter and dominate defensively throughout.
After the game was over — with family members, players, former OU teammates and coaches hugging him before he left the field — the normally stoic Heupel was clearly emotional as Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava presented him with the game ball on the field.
“This game was never about getting me back here, not for this football team,” Heupel said in his post-game press conference. “I say all that, but they also understood that this game was a little bit different for me personally, too. That’s not what it was about, but I appreciate their recognition.”
He was even more emotional in the locker room and had to stop several times to talk to his players.
“I appreciate you all making a little gift for me,” Heupel said, struggling for the right words as the players clapped and cheered. “I love you guys. I mean it. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the way you’ve evolved. The best is yet to come.”
Asked where the game ball would go, Heupel said: “It’s definitely going to the office.”
Tennessee (4-0) entered 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 was Tennessee’s defense that made 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 very next play after Iamaleava lost fumbles in its own territory and held the Sooners to minus-4 yards in both the second and third quarters.
Tennessee’s defense had gone 19 straight quarters without conceding a touchdown until Oklahoma scored its two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:01 left. The Sooners benched starting quarterback Jackson Arnold in the second quarter and started Michael Hawkins Jr. the rest of the game.
Heupel acknowledged the Vols ran the offense a little differently and more conservatively in the second half after seeing how his defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Additionally, Tennessee played with backup offensive tackles for much of the game, and he wanted to be careful not to put Iamaleava in too many precarious situations. Iamaleava finished with 194 yards passing 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 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 a lot more to do, and it’s fun to watch this group continue to grow.”
Tennessee’s defensive line has the best depth and talent in two decades, and that depth hurt an Oklahoma offense that managed just 36 yards rushing and went 3 of 15 on third down.
“Seeing our offense score, honestly, it’s just another chance for the defense to come out and play,” said junior defensive end Joshua Josephs, who had a 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 just rotate and rotate, and it’s just fun to see our guys make plays. It’s fun to see Jaxson Moi make plays. It’s fun to see Jayson Jenkins make plays. It’s fun to see that.”
At one point, OU strung together six consecutive offensive possessions with three plays or fewer. And in the first half, the Sooners strung together 10 plays without gaining a single yard.
“In this league, you have to be able to win in different ways throughout the season,” Heupel said. “Every game is different, every opponent, every matchup, all that. We have to be the most physical football team on the field every Saturday. That’s one of the fundamentals to be able to win.”
For Oklahoma (3-1), it was a disappointing SEC debut in front of a sellout crowd of 84,701 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where Heupel shined as a player and led the Sooners to the national championship in 2000.
“Josh is a great coach,” said coach Brent Venables, who was OU’s co-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 moments where you’re happy for him because you’re not, but that’s part of the job. … 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, passed away earlier this year.
“She was there, looking down from the sky,” Heupel said after the game.
Before Heupel ended his press conference, he thanked all of his former teammates who reached out to him during the week.
“I haven’t been able to get in touch with you. I’ll do it on the plane home, but you’ve changed my life and my family’s life forever, and I’m eternally grateful,” said Heupel, again emotional and with tears in his eyes. “There are also a lot of former players I should mention.”
He then added: “The second thing is I was fortunate to meet a lot of people who impacted my mother while she was here, and I just want to say thank you for the relationships and what you meant to her.”
