Randy Smith
I received an email that said, "I'm pumping the brakes unlike most U.T fans. Out of the last four games in which we haven't given up a touchdown, we've faced inferior competition." That email was sent Saturday afternoon, some six hours before the Vols dismantled a very good Oklahoma squad on the road in Norman, Ok. The Big Orange scored a 25-15 win by racking up twice the offensive yardage than what the Sooners produced. Tennessee withstood every assault from Oklahoma on their way to their fourth win in a row to start the season.
Following the win over Oklahoma, the Volunteers are ranked fifth in the country.
I'm still impressed with Nico Iamaleava's throwing arm and his mobility. He made big play after big play and passed for 194 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Now, he did fumble a couple of times after being pressured by a tremendous pass rush by the Sooners. But the Tennessee defense rose to the occasion and stopped them each time. The defense was so strong against the run, the leading rusher for Oklahoma was back-up quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. with 27 yards.
The game was Tennessee's first win over a ranked opponent on the road, since 2006. And guess who got the game ball. Head coach Josh Heupel...who returned home to his alma mater after being fired as the Sooners' offensive coordinator. The entire night marked a sweet homecoming for Coach Heupel who now turns his attention to Arkansas on October 5th after taking a week off to rest up and relish the good start to this 2024 season.
As well as Nico Iamaleava has played, the key to success for this Tennessee football team is defense. In the past, even with a decent defense, the Vols would often miss tackles and seem to be confused at times. Not this year...they have had an answer for every offense they've faced and they totally dominated every opponent thus far. Now, the person who sent me the email was correct about the schedule. The early season competition is inferior. However, as I mentioned Oklahoma is a good football team and was ranked 16th in the country going into the game. Tennessee has the perfect combination of offense and defense...including quality depth at every position.
No matter what happens the rest of the way, Tennessee fans can be assured this is no ordinary Volunteer football squad. Will they finish unbeaten? Probably not. Will they make the playoffs? I believe they will. Will they win a national championship? Stay tuned and stay excited to find out!
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Randy Smith can be reached at rsmithsports@epbfi.com