Game Primer: OU at Tennessee

#18 Oklahoma

#14 Tennessee

Saturday, Nov. 1 / 6:30 p.m. CT / Knoxville, Tenn.

OPENING KICK

• No. 18/18 Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2) plays its first game at Tennessee as a member of the SEC when it takes on the No. 14/14 Volunteers (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe announcing.

• Oklahoma owns a 3-2 record against Tennessee, splitting a pair of Orange Bowl meetings in the 1938 (17-0 UT; was OU's first bowl appearance) and 1967 (26-24 OU) seasons, winning a home-and-home series in 2014 in Norman (34-10) and 2015 in Knoxville (31-24 in double overtime), and falling last season in Norman (25-15).

• The 2025 season marks the 131st in OU football history. The Sooners lead the nation with their 50 all-time conference titles, 27 11-plus-win seasons (tied), 33 AP top-five finishes and five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied). They rank second with their seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied), third with seven AP national championships, their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team and 432 total weeks in the AP Top 5, fourth with their 419 NFL Draft picks and fifth with their 58 bowl appearances.

• Saturday's contest will mark the 1,360th in OU history. The Sooners rank fifth nationally with their .723 all-time winning percentage (956-350-53 record), trailing Ohio State (.737), Alabama (.734), Michigan (.733) and Notre Dame (.732). Tennessee, at 881-419-53 (.671), ranks 10th all-time. Since the end of World War II (1946 season to present), OU leads all programs with 712 wins (27 more than Alabama, the program with the next most), while Tennessee ranks 13th (596).

• OU has already played four games against teams ranked in the AP or coaches polls at the time of competition, and three of its final four opponents are ranked this week: at No. 14/14 Tennessee, at No. 4/4 Alabama and vs. No. 19/20 Missouri. OU also won Oct. 18 at South Carolina, which was ranked as high as No. 10 in both polls, and closes the regular season vs. LSU, which peaked at No. 3 in the AP poll.

Tory Blaylock runs in open space in Oklahoma's game at South Carolina, played at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025

KEY STORYLINES

• Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was Oklahoma's quarterback in 1999 and 2000, setting virtually every school passing record and finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a senior when he led OU to a 13-0 record and the program's seventh national title. Heupel was the Sooners' first-ever consensus All-America quarterback and became OU's first All-America signal-caller since Jack Mildren in 1971. In 2000, Heupel was named Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Player of the Year, The Sporting News Player of the Year and CBS Sports Player of the Year. He completed 654 of 1,025 passes as a Sooner (64%) for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. The Aberdeen, S.D., product served as an OU graduate assistant in 2004 before joining the full-time staff in 2006 as QB coach. From 2011-14, he was co-offensive coordinator and QB coach.

• Saturday's contest will pit one of the nation's top offenses in Tennessee against one of the country's best defenses in Oklahoma. The Volunteers rank second out of 134 teams nationally in scoring offense (45.6 ppg), third in total offense (510.1 ypg) and third in passing offense (321.4 ypg). The Sooners rank fifth in scoring defense (12.5 ppg), sixth in total defense (240.3 ypg) and rushing defense (84.9 ypg) and 10th in passing defense (155.4 ypg).

• OU also ranks first nationally in tackles for loss per game (11.1; next most is 9.1 by Indiana), No. 2 in opponent yards per play (3.9) and sacks per game (3.6), No. 4 in TDs allowed (9) and passing TDs allowed (4), No. 6 in opponent yards per completion (9.6) and No. 7 in opponent third-down conversion percentage (27.9).

• In its six wins, Oklahoma has held opponents to an 18% third-down conversion rate (15 for 84). In OU's two losses, opponents have combined for a 50% rate (19 for 38). Texas was 10 for 17 (59%) and Ole Miss was 9 for 21 (43%).

• Forty-five percent of OU's opponents' offensive plays this season (221 of 492) have gone for zero or negative yards. An additional 27 plays have resulted in a one-yard gain, meaning 50% of opponent plays have yielded one or fewer yards.

• Oklahoma has allowed just 10 touchdowns in eight games, and just nine by the defense.

• The Sooners have given up just 13 points (average of 1.6) and 23 first downs in the first quarter this season. Tennessee leads the country with its 121 first-quarter points (average of 15.1).

• OU is one of just three teams nationally that has produced points on all of its red-zone trips this year (the others are Eastern Michigan and Washington State). It is 26 for 26, with 19 touchdowns and seven field goals.

• Despite starting just three of OU's eight games, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein ranks second in the SEC and 10th nationally with his 11.0 tackles for loss. Wein has registered at least 0.5 TFL in seven of eight games (each of the last six) and has racked up 7.5 over the last four outings. Six Sooners rank in the top 23 of the 16-team SEC in tackles for loss. Joining Wein are redshirt senior linebacker Kendal Daniels (7th; 9.0), senior lineman R Mason Thomas (9th; 8.5), sophomore lineman David Stone (14th; 7.0) and redshirt junior linebackers Kobie McKinzie and Owen Heinecke (23rd; 5.5 each).

• After totaling six catches for 60 yards over OU's first two games, redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III has amassed 37 receptions for 564 yards and five TDs over the last six contests (97 yards at Temple, a then-career-high 127 and a TD vs. Auburn, 75 and a career-high two TDs vs. Kent State, 61 vs. Texas, 73 and a TD at South Carolina and a career-high 131 and a TD vs. Ole Miss). His career highs entering the season were 37 catches and 491 yards last year at Arkansas, but has 43 grabs for 624 yards in 2025.

• Redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell, who is in his first year at OU after transferring from UTSA, leads the SEC and ranks 10th nationally by converting 93.3% of his field goal attempts (14 for 15). The left-footed Sandell missed his first field goal try of the season but has been perfect since. His streak of 14 conversions is tied for the third-longest in program history. Nine of his makes have been from at least 40 yards, tying Gabe Brkic (2021) for the most in OU single-season annals. He has booted three from over 50 yards (52, 55, 55).

• Since the start of the 2023 season, OU is 15-0 when it wins the turnover battle (2-0 this year) and 6-10 when it loses it (4-2 this year).

• Saturday's game will mark the first at Neyland Stadium for OU head coach Brent Venables.

LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE; A FINISH FOR THE AGES

• Oklahoma's last game at Tennessee on Sept. 12, 2015, stands as one of the Sooners' most memorable contests of the last decade. After falling behind 17-0 and trailing 17-3 with less than nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter in Knoxville, No. 19 OU scored touchdowns with 8:20 and 0:40 left in regulation at No. 23 UT and went on to post a 31-24 double-overtime victory in front of the largest crowd to ever watch the Sooners play (102,455).

• Junior quarterback Baker Mayfield, playing in his second contest as a Sooner, accounted for four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing). He finished the game 19 for 39 through the air for 187 yards. In the fourth quarter and overtimes, he was 11 for 14 for 103 yards.

• After surrendering a TD in the first overtime, OU responded with one of its own on 4th and goal from the 1. Mayfield faked a handoff to Samaje Perine and bolted into the end zone following a block by the sophomore running back to knot the game at 24.

• In the second overtime, senior receiver Sterling Shepard turned a short reception on 3rd and 3 into an 18-yard touchdown thanks to an acrobatic move along the sideline. It was his second TD of the night (also scored with 40 seconds left in regulation on a 5-yard catch).

• Junior cornerback Zack Sanchez sealed the game with his ninth career interception on Tennessee's final possession on 3rd and 12 from the OU 27-yard line. Sanchez was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after adding six tackles (one for loss) and a QB hurry.

• OU's comeback win marked the largest by any team against UT in a regular season game.

• The Oklahoma defense allowed only 254 yards of total offense (3.3 yards per play) after the Vols racked up 604 yards (6.9 per play) against Bowling Green the previous week. OU allowed only 93 yards in the second half and overtimes (2.5 yards per play).

• The game marked the first time since 1983 the Sooners had trailed by 14 or more points at the end of the third quarter and went on win.

• OU did not score a touchdown on its first 11 possessions but reached the end zone on each of its last four.

Lead, Mayfield at TENN 2015

OU ROAD SHOW

• Oklahoma has won 36 of its last 48 true road games (.750) going back to 2014, with eight of the 12 losses one-score outcomes.

• OU's 2019 defeat at Kansas State snapped the Sooners' 22-game true road winning streak (it hadn't lost since Oct. 4, 2014, at TCU), which was the second longest such streak nationally since at least the end of World War II. During the 22-game streak, OU outscored foes 1,076-626 (49-28 average) and outgained them by 3,621 yards (583-419 average).

• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 34 of their last 48 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in a nation-leading 42 of its last 53 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped in 2021 at Baylor).

YEAR TWO IN THE SEC

• Oklahoma and Texas officially joined the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, after 28 years in the Big 12 Conference. OU won half (14) of the Big 12's football titles in its 28 years in the league and posted a 187-61 (.754) record against conference competition (includes an 11-1 record in Big 12 championship games).

• Oklahoma's 14 Big 12 titles were 10 more than the program with the next most (Texas won four). From 2010 through 2023, OU won eight Big 12 titles and was followed by Baylor (three), Kansas State (two) and Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas (one each).

• This week's AP poll features a nation-leading nine SEC teams, including five of the top nine and all ranked in the top 20: No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 9 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Missouri and No. 20 Texas. The Big Ten and Big 12 rank second with five AP top-25 teams each while the ACC has four.

MATEER'S SUPER START

• Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer, who transferred from Washington State in January, has completed 150 of 236 pass attempts (64%) for 1,790 yards (255.7 average) and eight touchdowns through his seven games (he missed the Kent State contest due to right hand surgery). He is also OU's second-leading rusher with 226 yards and has a team-high five TDs on the ground.

• Mateer ranks in the top 25 nationally in total offense (21st; 288.0 ypg), passing yards per game (23rd; 255.7) and completions per game (25th; 21.4).

SECOND-STRING STANDOUTS

• Four of OU's top seven tacklers, as well as its tackles-for-loss leader, have mostly played in non-starter roles. Redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke (no starts) ranks third on the team in tackles (33), junior linebacker Sammy Omosigho (no starts) and sophomore defensive lineman David Stone (two starts) rank fifth (28 each) and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein (three starts) ranks seventh (26).

• Wein ranks second in the SEC and ninth nationally with his 11.0 TFLs while Stone, an AP and CBS Sports midseason All-American, ranks fourth on the squad (7.0) and Heinecke sixth (5.5). Omosigho has 4.0 TFLs.

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• True freshman running back Tory Blaylock leads the team with 401 rushing yards on the season (4.3 yards per carry and team-high 50.1 per contest) and has registered two 100-yard performances (100 and two TDs at Temple; 101 and one TD at South Carolina). Against Temple, he became the first OU freshman (true or redshirt) running back to register a 100-yard rushing effort in at least one of his first three games since current running backs coach DeMarco Murray in 2007 (100 in third game).

• Sophomore running back Xavier Robinson rushed 16 times for 50 yards (3.1 per carry) over OU's first six games, but over the last two has 20 carries for 167 yards (8.4 per rush) and three TDs.

• Redshirt junior receiver Isaiah Sategna III leads OU with 43 receptions while redshirt senior Deion Burks ranks second with 36. Sategna III, a first-year Sooner who transferred from Arkansas, paces the squad with 624 receiving yards (78.0 per game; ranks fifth in SEC), and over the past six contests has racked up 37 catches for 564 yards (94.0 average) and five TDs.

• Burks, who spent three years at Purdue and is in his second at Oklahoma, caught seven passes and one TD in each of the first two games this season and has 390 receiving yards. His 88 yards vs. Illinois State and 101 vs. Michigan represent his two highest totals at OU.

• Senior tight end Jaren Kanak played linebacker his first three years (started nine games in 2023 and one last season) before converting to tight end in the spring. The former high school receiver and quarterback has 27 catches for 394 yards (14.6 yards per reception) through eight games. The 394 yards rank fourth nationally among tight ends and represent 87% of the receiving yards by OU's tight ends all of 2024 (455).

• Redshirt senior receiver Keontez Lewis has 19 receptions for 226 yards on the season and caught two TD passes in the opener against Illinois State. His nine catches vs. the Redbirds were a career high (he finished with 119 receiving yards). He has not played the last two games.

• The Sooners threw for at least 270 yards twice in 2024 (284 vs. Maine and 275 vs. Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl), but have done it four times in eight games this season (392 vs. Illinois State, 270 vs. Michigan, 287 at Temple and 271 vs. Auburn).

• In the win over No. 15 Michigan, Michael Fasusi became the first OU freshman to start at left tackle in his first career game. He played 66 snaps and allowed just one QB pressure. He missed the opener vs. Illinois State and the game at Temple before returning in a reserve role against Auburn and starting the last four outings.

• Redshirt senior offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu is the only OU offensive lineman to start all eight games this season. He has started all eight contests at right guard (also started all 13 games there last year).

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

• In a variety of defensive categories, Oklahoma has turned in its best eight-game performance in several decades. OU has held its opponents to 1,922 total yards, 100 points, nine total touchdowns, four passing touchdowns, 1,243 passing yards, 679 rushing yards and 103 first downs. It has been since 1987 the Sooners have allowed their first eight opponents to fewer points (52), fewer yards (1,550), fewer touchdowns (four) and fewer first downs (94). It has been since 2003 they have permitted fewer passing yards (1,238), since 2009 they have allowed fewer rushing yards (640) and since 2012 they have allowed fewer passings TDs (3).

• Of Oklahoma's opponents' 90 possessions this season, 36 of them (40%) have resulted in a 3-and-out with no points.

• The strength of the Sooners' defense very well could be its line, with three players returning who started a combined 33 games last season (senior Damonic Williams 12, senior R Mason Thomas 11 and freshman Jayden Jackson 10) and another who started three and saw extensive field time (senior Gracen Halton). That quartet totaled 118 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 16 QB hurries last season. That doesn't include sophomore David Stone, a former five-star high school recruit who ranks fifth on the team with 28 tackles and fourth with 7.0 tackles for loss this season, or redshirt sophomore Taylor Wein, who ranks second in the SEC with 11.0 TFLs. Phil Steele ranked OU's defensive line as the best in the country this summer, and ESPN/SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic said in May the Sooners have the league's best defensive line, "... and it ain't even close."

• Stone has blossomed this season, earning first-team midseason All-America honors from CBS Sports and second-team acclaim from the Associated Press. Most of his production has come in non-starts (he only started vs. Kent State and at South Carolina). The former consensus five-star recruit, who was ranked as the nation's top defensive tackle by ESPN and Rivals, turned in back-to-back career highs in tackles with five vs. Auburn and six vs. Kent State, and has added nine in three games since. As a freshman last year, Stone played in all 13 games but logged just six tackles (2.0 for loss).

• Four linebackers rank in the top five on the team in tackles. Redshirt junior Kip Lewis leads the squad with 43 stops, redshirt junior Owen Heinecke is third (33), redshirt senior Kendal Daniels ranks fourth (31) and junior Sammy Omosigho is tied for fifth (28).

• Against Illinois State, Courtland Guillory became only the second OU true freshman to start at cornerback in a season opener (the other was P.J. Mbanasor in 2015). Guillory has 19 tackles, a team-high five pass breakups and a QB hurry in his eight games (started first five games and this past Saturday vs. Ole Miss).

A LOOK AT SPECIAL TEAMS

• Oklahoma ranks 16th nationally with its 46.9 yards per punt. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Ulrich (first-team All-Conference USA last season at Kennesaw State) averaged 47.5 yards on two punts in the opener before giving way to redshirt junior Grayson Miller the last seven games. A Sports Illustrated second-team midseason All-American and the Oct. 28 Ray Guy Award Punter of teh Week, Miller ranks 10th nationally with his 47.1-yard average. The transfer from NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma has booted 12 of his 29 punts over 50 yards (long of 66), with 13 downed inside the 20 and only two touchbacks. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 54.4 yards on five punts against Auburn, good for the third-best average in school history (min. five punts).

• Redshirt junior Tate Sandell has handled placekicking and kickoff duties the first eight games. The first-year Sooner leads the SEC with his 93.3% field-goal conversion rate (14 for 15; made his last 14), which includes a make from 52 yards and two conversions from 55 yards. He has also made all 23 of his PAT tries this season and was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after nailing all three field goal tries against Kent State four games ago.

• The Sooners rank 11th nationally by allowing just 15.1 yards per kickoff return.

• Redshirt junior Ben Anderson is OU's long snapper for the third straight year. He earned third-team All-SEC honors last season and was a 2025 third-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

• OU's special teams units were drastically improved in 2024 under first-year coordinator Doug Deakin. After finishing No. 107 in the FEI (Fremeau Efficiency Index) special teams ratings in 2023 the year before Deakin's arrival, the Sooners jumped to No. 34 last season and is No. 18 through eight games this year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (712) than any other program (next most is 685 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 31).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (45), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• No program has more all-time 11-win seasons than Oklahoma's 27 (Alabama also has 27).

• Since the start of the 2000 season, OU ranks second with 18 seasons of at least 10 wins and ranks third with 267 victories.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 13,317 points scored. Boise State (12,971) is second and Oregon (12,708) third.

• Oklahoma's 81 consensus All-Americans since 1950 lead the nation (Alabama and Ohio State rank second with 77 each). Since 2000, OU has produced 31 consensus All-Americans, tied with Ohio State behind only Alabama.

EXTRA POINTS

• The Sooners are 13-4 all-time as the No. 18-ranked team in the AP poll (4-2 on the road). Oklahoma was ranked 18th in the AP poll at the start of this season, winning home games vs. Illinois State (35-3) and No. 15 Michigan (24-12). Prior to this year, OU was last ranked No. 18 in the AP poll in 2024 when it fell to No. 1 Texas 34-3. OU's last two road games as the AP's 18th-ranked team were in 2022 (55-24 loss at TCU) and in 2020 (37-30 loss at Iowa State). Its last road as the AP's No. 18 team was in 2013 (33-24 at No. 6 Oklahoma State).

• Tennessee offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle was an Oklahoma QB during the 2006-08 seasons and went on to serve on the Sooners' staff (quality control from 2009-11 and grad assistant from 2012-14). Volunteers secondary coach Willie Martinez was OU's defensive backs coach from 2010-11, and UT Football Chief of Staff Billy Ray Johnson spent more than 15 years in OU Athletics administration, primarily in housing and ticket office roles.

• OU is 2-0 in true road games this season, downing Temple 42-3 and South Carolina 26-7. In those contests, the Sooners held the Owls and Gamecocks to a combined 328 yards (164.0 average) and 2.7 yards per play. The foes averaged 1.3 yards per rush (80 yards on 61 carries).

• Oklahoma leads all SEC programs with its 915 all-time appearances in the AP poll (followed by Alabama with 900 and Texas with 799).

• The Sooners have won their last 87 games when holding opponents to under 21 points. Their last loss under the circumstance came at Nebraska in 2009 (10-3).

• In their 22 wins since the start of the 2023 season, the Sooners have outscored opponents 189-35 off turnovers. In their 12 losses during the same span, they have been outscored 108-27 off turnovers.

• Since the start of the 2014 season, OU ranks fifth nationally (fourth in Power Four) with its 5.2 yards per rush and seventh (fourth in Power Four) with its 362 rushing TDs.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OPENING KICK

KEY STORYLINES

LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE; A FINISH FOR THE AGES

OU ROAD SHOW

YEAR TWO IN THE SEC

MATEER'S SUPER START

SECOND-STRING STANDOUTS

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

A LOOK AT SPECIAL TEAMS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

EXTRA POINTS

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ben Anderson

Tory Blaylock

Deion Burks

Kendal Daniels

Michael Fasusi

Courtland Guillory

Gracen Halton

Owen Heinecke

Jayden Jackson

Jaren Kanak

Keontez Lewis

Kip Lewis

John Mateer

Kobie McKinzie

Grayson Miller

Febechi Nwaiwu

Sammy Omosigho

Xavier Robinson

Tate Sandell

Isaiah Sategna III

David Stone

R Mason Thomas

Jacob Ulrich

Taylor Wein

Damonic Williams

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