Ten Things We Learned From Tennessee’s Win at Oklahoma

10. What Now at QB?

Michael Hawkins Jr. came in for Jackson Arnold and went 11-for-18 for 132 yards with a touchdown plus 22 rushing yards as he scrambled for his life against the fierce Tennessee offense. After the game, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables declared the quarterback position wide open for anyone who wanted to step up and take it. Hawkins’ mobility appears to be a real asset playing behind the leaky Oklahoma offensive line, and perhaps aided by Tennessee letting up some in the fourth quarter, the OU offense operated much smoother with Hawkins than with Arnold. Who gets the nod at Auburn this Saturday, and can either quarterback manufacture an effective attack?

Week 5: Oklahoma (-2.5) at Auburn

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2. Defense Overwhelms Sooners

The Tennessee Volunteers won this game for several reasons, but the biggest was the defense's dominance. The Vols limited Oklahoma to only 222 yards of offense, and they forced Brent Venables to bench starting quarterback Jackson Arnold after he led the team to only 82 total yards and three turnovers. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Oklahoma offense ran 23 running plays in the first three-quarters of this game. On those 23 rushing plays, Tennessee made contact at or behind the line of scrimmage 16 times. Around the middle of the second quarter, it was clear to everyone that Oklahoma could not move the ball on this fierce Tennessee defense. The Vols were content to sit on the lead and let the clock run out.

3. Explosive Plays Propel Offense

Tennessee’s offense did not have a great evening, but they did have multiple explosive plays that gave them enough points to cruise. Dont’e Thornton had a 66-yard receiving score on a strike from Nico Iamaleava. The star quarterback also had a 38-yard completion to Bru McCoy and another for 42 yards. Oklahoma’s defense can slow down Tennessee for much of the game, but the Vols can hit a handful of explosive plays that make the defensive performance all for naught.

4. Display of Maturity

This was an incredibly mature performance from head coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee program. Nico Iamaleava was, by no means, terrific. He was only 13-for-21 for 194 yards with one touchdown, and he did have a pair of fumbles, but Heupel recognized very early that his defense had this game in hand, and all they needed to do was avoid screwing it up with turnovers. With injuries on the offensive line and his defense dominating, Heupel was content to win comfortably instead of trying to put up 40 points on the Sooners. The defense gave up only two explosive plays, and the Vols had six tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a safety (in the first half alone). While the game was still in the balance, the Sooners had -19 yards in the second quarter as Tennessee took control.

5. Tennessee: Playoff Favorite

The Tennessee Volunteers have been called “playoff contenders” for much of this season. After a comfortable win at Oklahoma in primetime, the Volunteers should be called “playoff favorites,” they should begin to be considered a legitimate threat to win the SEC Championship. Tennessee now has a bye week before playing Arkansas and Florida. Alabama comes to Knoxville on October 19, and they play at Georgia on November 16. If Tennessee splits those games, they could make the SEC title game and play for a bye in the College Football Playoff.

6. Welcome to the SEC

This was the Oklahoma Sooners' first Southeastern Conference game, and the atmosphere surrounding the contest fit like a glove into the nation’s preeminent football league. National media descended on Norman, and the reviews of the events surrounding the action on the field were overwhelmingly positive. There are concerns about Oklahoma’s ability in 2024 to hang with the better teams in the SEC. Still, there can be little doubt about the atmosphere and care put into the football program and how well it will fit within the conference.

7. Oklahoma's Offensive Line is a Weakness

The biggest preseason concern for the Oklahoma Sooners was the offensive line and whether or not they could pave the way for a successful offense. The concern was valid and laid bare on national television as the Tennessee defense overwhelmed the Sooners. Oklahoma had only 82 yards of offense in the first half, including a woeful -20 in the second quarter. The Sooners totaled 222 yards, with much of it coming in the fourth quarter, and that yardage total is the second-fewest number in the past 25 years for Oklahoma. Tennessee’s defensive line was consistently in the backfield, and OU’s running backs combined for only 21 rushing yards as the Vols repeatedly hit them behind the line of scrimmage. You can only run what you can block on offense, and the Sooners can’t block good defensive lines.

8. The Prince That Was Promised Flops

Oklahoma pursued five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold with religious fervor and brought him in as the expected next great star at the position for the Sooners. From the outside, it looked like Dillon Gabriel knew Arnold would beat him out, and he bolted for Oregon. That set expectations sky-high for the former five-star, and he was quickly expected to become one of the country’s better quarterbacks with an eye toward an elite future that could lead OU to the top of the SEC. There have been whispers about Arnold turning the ball over a lot during the offseason, which was seen in his bowl game start. Those whispers became screams on Saturday night as Arnold looked lost and he had three turnovers in the first half before getting benched for OU legacy Michael Hawkins Jr. Hawkins is a mobile threat and a four-star freshman, and he looks like the better fit given the Sooners’ dreadful offensive line. Believing you have “the guy” at quarterback and having those dreams come crashing down quickly is an awful place to be.

9. Defense Gives Sooners Hope

The night did not go as planned for the Sooners, but the Oklahoma defense is much-improved and deserves some credit for their effort. Tennessee held back in the second half, choosing to chew the clock and sit on the ball as it became clear the Sooners had no chance to come back on the Vols defense. That much is true, but the Sooners still caused some problems for Tennessee’s explosive offense. Nico Iamaleava was only 13-21 for 194 yards, and Oklahoma had two strip sacks. Plus, they limited Dylan Sampson to just 3.83 yards per carry during the game, well below his season average. The Sooners have improved a lot on defense under Brent Venables, and they’ll need the defense to carry them until the offense can figure some things out.

10. What Now at QB?

Michael Hawkins Jr. came in for Jackson Arnold and went 11-for-18 for 132 yards with a touchdown plus 22 rushing yards as he scrambled for his life against the fierce Tennessee offense. After the game, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables declared the quarterback position wide open for anyone who wanted to step up and take it. Hawkins’ mobility appears to be a real asset playing behind the leaky Oklahoma offensive line, and perhaps aided by Tennessee letting up some in the fourth quarter, the OU offense operated much smoother with Hawkins than with Arnold. Who gets the nod at Auburn this Saturday, and can either quarterback manufacture an effective attack?

Week 5: Oklahoma (-2.5) at Auburn

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