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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Heinecke, Sandell Earn SEC Weekly Honors
November 03, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — Oklahoma redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after leading the Sooners to a 33-27 road win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., the conference office announced Monday.
Both Heinecke and Sandell had career- or record-setting performances that led OU to its first road win over a ranked team since the 2019 season.
Heinecke made his first career start and registered a career- and team-high 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack. He made 12 tackles in the first half, surpassing his previous career-single-game high of eight, which he set the previous week against Ole Miss. He also recorded his first career forced fumble and second career sack on the same play. The fumble was returned 71 yards by R Mason Thomas for OU's first touchdown of the game. It was the longest fumble return in school history.
Eight of Heinecke's tackles were made within two yards, or behind, the line of scrimmage. He spearheaded an OU defense that held the Volunteers to 27 points (19 below their season average of 46 points per game) and limited them to 63 rushing yards (126 yards below their season average of 189 per game). The Tulsa, Okla., product has 45 tackles and 7.0 TFLs this season after entering the year with 11 career tackles (none for loss).
Sandell, who made all four of his field goal (55, 51, 40 and 55 yards) and all three of his PAT attempts on Saturday, set or tied eight FBS, school or stadium records. Three of his field goals came in the second quarter. The first one tied the game at 10-10 and his next two gave the Sooners a 16-10 lead at halftime. The fourth, his second 55-yarder, extended OU's advantage to 26-17 early in the fourth quarter. The 55-yarders tied his career long and tied for the longest makes in Neyland Stadium history.
According to the NCAA's FBS Records Book, Sandell set a single-game record for longest average distance of field goal makes (min. 4 conversions). He averaged 50.3 yards per make, breaking the previous record of 49.5 yards by East Carolina's Jeff Heath against UT Arlington in 1982. Sandell's 15 points on Saturday tied for the fifth-most kick-scoring points in a game in school history.
The Port Neches, Texas, product tied an FBS single-game record with his three field goal makes of at least 50 yards. Sandell is one of only two kickers in school history with three 50-plus yard made field goals in a single game (Gabe Brkic vs. Tulane in 2021 is the other). His four field goal makes tied a single-game school record and he became the first kicker nationally since the 2021 season with three field goal makes of at least 50 yards in a game. He also became the first kicker nationally since 2011 with two field goal makes of at least 55 yards in a road game.
Sandell is the only kicker in school history with four career makes of at least 55 yards (he has four of the 11 55-plus-yard field goals in school history, all within the last five games). He has made six field goals of 50-plus yards this season to establish a single-season school record (6 for 6). He has now made 12 field goals from 40 or more yards this season, establishing a single-season school record. The previous record was nine, which he tied on Oct. 25 against Ole Miss. Sandell is now 18 of 19 on field goal attempts this season (leads SEC at 95%) and has made 18 in a row. His streak of 18 consecutive made field goals is tied for the longest in program history.
This is Sandell's second SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season. He also earned the award on Oct. 6 after OU's win over Kent State. This is Heinecke's first career conference award.
OU players have now claimed eight SEC weekly awards this season. Freshman running back Tory Blaylock was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and punter Grayson Miller was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 22 (vs. Auburn) and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 (vs. Michigan).
No. 11/12 Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC) is off this week before traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 4/4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Both Heinecke and Sandell had career- or record-setting performances that led OU to its first road win over a ranked team since the 2019 season.
Heinecke made his first career start and registered a career- and team-high 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack. He made 12 tackles in the first half, surpassing his previous career-single-game high of eight, which he set the previous week against Ole Miss. He also recorded his first career forced fumble and second career sack on the same play. The fumble was returned 71 yards by R Mason Thomas for OU's first touchdown of the game. It was the longest fumble return in school history.
Eight of Heinecke's tackles were made within two yards, or behind, the line of scrimmage. He spearheaded an OU defense that held the Volunteers to 27 points (19 below their season average of 46 points per game) and limited them to 63 rushing yards (126 yards below their season average of 189 per game). The Tulsa, Okla., product has 45 tackles and 7.0 TFLs this season after entering the year with 11 career tackles (none for loss).
Sandell, who made all four of his field goal (55, 51, 40 and 55 yards) and all three of his PAT attempts on Saturday, set or tied eight FBS, school or stadium records. Three of his field goals came in the second quarter. The first one tied the game at 10-10 and his next two gave the Sooners a 16-10 lead at halftime. The fourth, his second 55-yarder, extended OU's advantage to 26-17 early in the fourth quarter. The 55-yarders tied his career long and tied for the longest makes in Neyland Stadium history.
According to the NCAA's FBS Records Book, Sandell set a single-game record for longest average distance of field goal makes (min. 4 conversions). He averaged 50.3 yards per make, breaking the previous record of 49.5 yards by East Carolina's Jeff Heath against UT Arlington in 1982. Sandell's 15 points on Saturday tied for the fifth-most kick-scoring points in a game in school history.
The Port Neches, Texas, product tied an FBS single-game record with his three field goal makes of at least 50 yards. Sandell is one of only two kickers in school history with three 50-plus yard made field goals in a single game (Gabe Brkic vs. Tulane in 2021 is the other). His four field goal makes tied a single-game school record and he became the first kicker nationally since the 2021 season with three field goal makes of at least 50 yards in a game. He also became the first kicker nationally since 2011 with two field goal makes of at least 55 yards in a road game.
Sandell is the only kicker in school history with four career makes of at least 55 yards (he has four of the 11 55-plus-yard field goals in school history, all within the last five games). He has made six field goals of 50-plus yards this season to establish a single-season school record (6 for 6). He has now made 12 field goals from 40 or more yards this season, establishing a single-season school record. The previous record was nine, which he tied on Oct. 25 against Ole Miss. Sandell is now 18 of 19 on field goal attempts this season (leads SEC at 95%) and has made 18 in a row. His streak of 18 consecutive made field goals is tied for the longest in program history.
This is Sandell's second SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season. He also earned the award on Oct. 6 after OU's win over Kent State. This is Heinecke's first career conference award.
OU players have now claimed eight SEC weekly awards this season. Freshman running back Tory Blaylock was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and punter Grayson Miller was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 22 (vs. Auburn) and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8 (vs. Michigan).
No. 11/12 Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC) is off this week before traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 4/4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) on Saturday, Nov. 15.
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