Two top-15 teams will face off in Norman, OK when the #6 Tennessee Volunteers and #15 Oklahoma Sooners play on Saturday at 7:30 pm EST at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
There are several important storylines that will play a major role in the outcome of this game for the Volunteers. Here are just a few of the important ones to follow.
Top Storylines to Watch as #6 Vols Face #15 Sooners
The Defense vs OU
The defense for the Vols through three games has been nothing but elite. According to ESPN, the Vols rank second in the country, and first in the SEC in total defense.
However, they have not faced an offense on par with Oklahoma’s. This matchup could be a statement game for the Vols’ defense, to prove that it is truly one of the elite units in all of College Football.
offense 🤝 defense#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/GN9tKEnVuc
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 17, 2024
Expect James Pearce, Jr. to finally make an impact on the stat sheet, as this is the first game where he should play all four quarters of this game.
Kenni Burns, the head coach of Kent State, had this to say about the Vols’ defense following their 71-0 beat down of the Golden Flashes:
“…But the biggest jump to me and why they are a national championship contender is how good their defense is.”
“Everybody talks about the Tennessee offense, which is really good, but the biggest jump to me and why they are a national championship contender is how good their defense is.” — Kent State HC Kenni Burns on the Vols pic.twitter.com/92p4wcQg5R
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 15, 2024
Nico’s First Road and SEC Game
There are two aspects to this one, and they both go hand in hand. The Vols’ highly touted quarterback will be making his first SEC and road start against Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is certainly not the most ideal location for a first road start, as they boast a rowdy crowd. But, a win in this environment would send a message to the nation that Nico and his team are legit, and a force to be reckoned with.
Thankfully for Vols fans, Nico seems to be up to the challenge of going on the road.
“I definitely love road games more than home games,” said Iamaleava in a July 30th interview, “…I love playing in Neyland Stadium. But I feel like in road games, all the odds are against you. It just gives you a little more of that feeling that you get.”
We have no idea how the opposing crowd will affect the young star, but we can expect Nico to be prepared for this big matchup.
Can the Offensive Line Keep it Up?
The offensive line has shined for the Vols to start the season. The Vols lead the SEC by a wide margin with 1,009 rushing yards on the season. The group has also only allowed Nico Iamaleava to be sacked once in the season.
This has seemingly been a huge step up in production from last year, but the group will face their first real test against the Sooners. The offensive line will be going up against a Sooners’ defensive line that has already accumulated 11 sacks and 23 TFLs on the year.
The Vols’ offensive line will need to establish dominance at the line of scrimmage to ensure victory in this game.
Josh Heupel’s First Game Back (in OU)
Josh Heupel has as storied a career in OU athletics as one can dream of. That is, until 2014 when he was fired. Since then, the National Championship-winning quarterback for the Sooners has gone on to coach the Tennessee Volunteers.
In 2000, ESPN’s College GameDay ran a feature on a young, talented Oklahoma QB named Josh Heupel. Interesting to hear how teammates and coaches described him then. Fast forward to today, not a lot has changed about the kid from Aberdeen, SD. @Vol_Football @CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/rsE2ApQAj0
— Christopher Gabriel (@CGProgram) September 18, 2024
When Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024, a return to Norman for Josh Heupel was inevitable.
This will certainly be an emotional matchup for Heupel, and he will be even more fueled to win. But, he can’t let his emotions overtake his duties as head coach of the Vols.
Luckily, it seems that Heupel isn’t letting the emotions get to him.
“Nobody is saying we want to win this one for Coach Heupel because Coach Heupel isn’t making it about himself, ” says fifth-year senior defensive tackle Omari Thomas. “He pushes Tennessee and the Power T, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re playing for Tennessee and the Power T.”
Coach Heupel has always had his guys ready for gameday, so expect nothing different for this matchup.
The Vols open their conference schedule against the Oklahoma Sooners. The two teams will face off Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 pm EST in Norman, OK.
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1 Comment
Nice!