Sooners face Tennessee in first SEC game

EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO THE SHOW. TODAY I’M BRYAN KEATING ALONGSIDE HANNAH HOOVER. THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA FORD GAME DAY. AS WE GET READY FOR HANNAH, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND ANTICIPATED DAYS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN A LONG TIME. IN THE STATE OF OKARCHE. WHAT A DAY, WHAT A WEEKEND FOR US. WE HAVE REALLY SOME GREAT MATCHUPS TODAY. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE BOTH OF THEM, I CAN’T WAIT. YEAH, WE’LL TALK OBVIOUSLY ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE AND UTAH IN STILLWATER AT BOONE PICKENS STADIUM. WE’LL GO THROUGH THAT. WE’LL MAKE OUR PICKS AS FAR AS THAT GOES. WE’LL TALK ABOUT JOSH HEUPEL, OBVIOUSLY A HUGE STORY IN OUR GAME RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE. BUT THE HEADLINE OF THE DAY IS OKLAHOMA HOSTING TENNESSEE AND THIS IS THE ATMOSPHERE FOR THIS GAME IS GOING TO BE OFF THE CHARTS TONIGHT BECAUSE OF ALL THE STORYLINES. IT ALSO HAPPENS TO BE OUR FIRST GAME EVER AS PART OF THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE. YOU CAN SEE THE GAME TONIGHT IN PRIME TIME RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE. TENNESSEE A TOUCHDOWN FAVORITE AGAINST THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS. AND THAT’S SOMETHING YOU DON’T SEE VERY OFTEN OÜ AN UNDERDOG AT HOME IN A CONFERENCE GAME. BUT THAT’S THE CASE TONIGHT. SO HOW DID WE GET HERE. LET’S REWIND TO LAST SATURDAY AND OKLAHOMA PLAYED AT HOME AGAINST TULANE. IT WAS CLOSE. AND THE DEFENSE AS YOU WOULD THINK WOULD NEED TO TODAY, MADE SOME HUGE PLAYS AT THE END. THAT’S A BIG ONE THERE. YEAH THE INTERCEPTION BY BILLY BOWMAN, WHICH TURNS INTO A TOUCHDOWN RUN BY JACKSON ARNOLD. THE SOONERS SURVIVED THE GREEN WAVE. IT WAS A GOOD WIN FOR O.U. THEY WIN IT 34 TO 19. AND SO OKLAHOMA IS THREE. AND OH BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HANNAH. THEY ARE PLAYING A TEAM IN THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS WHO ABSOLUTELY TOOK APART KENT STATE LAST SATURDAY. THEY WON 71 TO NOTHING. AND THAT TENNESSEE OFFENSE HANNAH IS OUTSTANDING. THEY ARE THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. AND THEY’VE GOT A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN NICO MUHLY ALVA AND HE IS PUTTING UP THOSE POINTS. HE’S REALLY GREAT ON THE PASS. AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE. THEY ALSO HAVE THE RPOS GOING AND YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO. IS IT GOING TO BE A RUN. IS IT GOING TO BE A PASS. AND THAT’S WHY THIS OFFENSE IS SO EXPLOSIVE AND SO DANGEROUS. AND IT’S A GOOD THING OU HAS A GOOD DEFENSE. OH YOU DOES HAVE A GOOD DEFENSE. AND WE WILL SEE JUST HOW GOOD TODAY BECAUSE NICO ALVA AND THE REST OF THE VOLUNTEER OFFENSE IS OUTSTANDING. THE OTHER STORYLINE AND IT’S A STORYLINE THAT YOU JUST CAN’T IGNORE. IT’S THE RETURN OF ONE OF OKLAHOMA’S FAVORITE SONS. JOSH HEUPEL, TWO MEMORIAL STADIUM AND OF COURSE, THE RUNNER UP FOR THE HEISMAN TROPHY IN 2000, THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERBACK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA. HE’S THE LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERBACK FOR THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS, AND HE RETURNS AS THE HEAD COACH OF THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS. AND IT WILL BE AN EMOTIONAL AND HERE IS JOSH HEUPEL. BIG WEEK IN FRONT OF US. BIG CHALLENGE. HAVE A TON OF RESPECT OBVIOUSLY FOR FOR THE PROGRAM. EVERYBODY THAT’S INVOLVED OVER THERE KNOW A LOT OF THEM. IT WILL BE UNIQUE GOING BACK IT’S GOING TO BE A VIEWPOINT I’M NOT SURE I’VE EVER SPENT A DAY ON THE OPPOSING SIDELINE INSIDE OF THAT STADIUM, NOT EVEN FOR A SCRIMMAGE. SO IT WILL BE DIFFERENT, BUT IT’S ONE THAT I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO. HUGE TEST FOR US. OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GO ON THE ROAD IN A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT OUR BRAND IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. SO JOSH HEUPEL RETURNS AS THE HEAD COACH OF THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS. AND I SAID EMOTIONAL FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE STADIUM, I THINK IT WILL BE. BRANT VENABLES GOES ON TO SAY EARLIER THIS WEEK HE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT O.U FANS, THEY WANT TO WIN AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO FEEL BAD IF JOSH HEUPEL DOESN’T HAVE A GOOD DAY. BUT IT’LL CERTAINLY BE DIFFERENT AND JOSH WAS AN ASSISTANT COACH AT OKLAHOMA AS WELL, SO WE’LL HAVE MORE ON JOSH HEUPEL AND HIS RETURN TO NORMAN AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE SHOW. WE COUNT DOWN TO OKLAHOMA AND TENNESSEE TONIGHT RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE, BUT I WANT TO GET BACK TO THE GAME. AND ONE OF THE THINGS FOR TENNESSEE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK JOSH HEUPEL HAS REALLY EXCELLED IN AND OBVIOUSLY HE KNOWS PLENTY OF OFFENSE. THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS, HANNAH ARE UNBELIEVABLE. THEY’RE NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY IN SCORING OFFENSE POINTS PER GAME. YEAH, THAT’S A REALLY GOOD STAT THERE. AND VENABLES MENTIONED THIS WEEK HE SAID YOU KNOW THEY’RE FAST WITH THEIR TEMPO AS WELL WHICH MAKES THEM SO GOOD IN THEIR OFFENSE AND YOU KNOW GETS THE DEFENSE VERY CONFUSED. THEY DON’T GIVE THEM MUCH OF A OPTION TO REACT. AND THAT’S THEIR JOB. SO WE’LL SEE HOW OU DOES TODAY. BUT THAT’S PRETTY GOOD. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER ONE YOU CAN’T BE BETTER THAN NUMBER ONE. NO YOU CAN’T. SO THEY’RE AVERAGING OVER 60 POINTS A GAME. IT REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THOSE OKLAHOMA TEAMS WAY BACK WHEN UNDER LINCOLN RILEY. THAT JUST PUT UP HUGE TOTAL AFTER HUGE TOTAL. AND THAT’S WHAT OU IS UP AGAINST TODAY. YOU BROUGHT UP NICO OLIVER WHO IS THE YOUNG QUARTERBACK FOR THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS. AND NICO IS A REDSHIRT FRESHMAN. I THINK THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS, HANNAH, IS THAT HE STARTED A NUMBER OF GAMES AT TENNESSEE. BUT THIS IS HIS FIRST TRUE ROAD TEST. AND NO MATTER WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, HE HAS NOT PLAYED IN AN ENVIRONMENT EVER LIKE HE WILL SEE TONIGHT AT MEMORIAL STADIUM. MEMORIAL STADIUM IS GOING TO BE A EXCITING, LOUD ENVIRONMENT AND THERE’S SO MANY FACTORS WE’VE TALKED ABOUT JOSH HEUPEL MAKING HIS HOMECOMING IN A WAY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS HIS FIRST ROAD GAME. LIKE YOU SAID, HE DOES HAVE TWO INTERCEPTIONS ON THE SEASON. YOU GET THOSE YOUNG QUARTERBACKS AND YOU KNOW THEY’RE LEARNING. HE’S OBVIOUSLY SUPER TALENTED, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE A REAL TEST FOR NICO TODAY. NICO OLIVER IS ONE OF THE BIG WEAPONS FOR TENNESSEE IN THE PASSING GAME. HE IS ALSO A TERRIFIC RUNNER. BUT THEY’VE GOT A DUO OF RUNNING BACKS THAT ARE JUST TOUGH TO DEAL WITH AND DYLAN SAMPSON IS GOING TO BE A GUY THAT I THINK OKLAHOMA’S GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT. HOW DO YOU SLOW DOWN THIS TENNESSEE RUSHING ATTACK? HE’S A PLAYER BECAUSE THEY CAN GET AFTER YOU AND YOU JUST SEE THE SPEED HE CAN. THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE WILL CREATE HOLES AND THEN WHEN HE GETS OUT IN THE OPEN YOU DON’T STOP HIM. YOU DON’T SLOW HIM DOWN. AND HE’S IN THE TOP TEN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN RUSHING YARDS PER GAME. HE IS TOUGH TO DEAL WITH, NO DOUBT 45 CARRIES, 357 YARDS SAMSON. SO HE’S A HE’S A REAL POWERHOUSE THERE. SO TENNESSEE’S OFFENSE IS GREAT. THEY ALSO HAVE A TOP FIVE DEFENSE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL AS FAR AS THE NUMBERS GO. THEY HAVEN’T PLAYED A MURDERER’S ROW AS FAR AS THEIR SCHEDULE GOES. SO THAT’S SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR TODAY. THEY’RE CERTAINLY GOING INTO THE MOST DIFFICULT GAME THAT THEY’VE PLAYED AND THE MOST DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY’VE BEEN IN ALL YEAR. BUT OKLAHOMA IS GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SCORE SOME POINTS AND KEEP UP. AND IT’S NOT SOMETHING WE’VE SEEN EARLY THIS SEASON. PUT UP THE NUMBERS BECAUSE O.U. HAS STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT IN IN SCORING THE FOOTBALL. BUT AS FAR AS DEFENSE GOES, THIS IS HOW THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WIN. THEY’RE 23RD IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL IN POINTS ALLOWED. YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER SEVEN IN THE SEC. BUT THEY’RE ALLOWING 11 POINTS A GAME. IT’S JUST HARD TO PLAY BETTER DEFENSE THAN WHAT WE’VE SEEN FROM OKLAHOMA IN THE FIRST THREE GAMES OF THE SEASON. YEAH IT’S EXCITING. IT DEFINITELY GIVES THEM A FIGHTING CHANCE TODAY. THEIR DEFENSE AND LIKE YOU SAID, THE OFFENSE HAS MADE SOME SERIOUS STRIDES TO PROGRESS AND MATURE AS A WHOLE. BUT THE DEFENSE REALLY KEEPS THEM IN THE GAME. YOU KNOW IT’S WHAT GAVE THEM THAT DRIVE THAT JACKSON ARNOLD SCORED ON JUST LAST WEEK AGAINST TULANE, WHEN BILLY BOWMAN HAD AN INTERCEPTION. SO YOU JUST SEE HOW THAT MOMENTUM WORKS IN THEIR FAVOR WHEN THE DEFENSE IS PLAYING SO WELL. NO QUESTION. SO OKLAHOMA IS GOING TO HAVE TO RELY ON THEIR DEFENSE. THEIR OFFENSE HASN’T BEEN WHAT WE’VE SEEN FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA IN PREVIOUS SEASONS, BUT I THINK IF OU IS GOING TO WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME TODAY, IT’S GOING TO HAVE TO BE BECAUSE THEY PLAYED A YOUNG QUARTERBACK. THEY GOT AFTER HIM A LITTLE BIT AND THEY FORCED SOME TURNOVERS AND THE OU DEFENSE HAS BEEN AS GOOD AS ANYBODY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS SEASON. TURNING OVER OPPOSING OFFENSES. AND THAT’S REALLY BEEN THE CATALYST TO HOW THEY’VE WON THE THREE GAMES. BECAUSE THINK ABOUT IT, HANNAH, THE LAST TWO WEEKS THEY’VE BEEN IN A DOGFIGHT. HOUSTON WASN’T PRETTY OFFENSIVELY. IT CAME DOWN TO THE END. IT WAS THAT OU DEFENSE. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE GAME LAST SATURDAY AGAINST TULANE, THEY FOUND A WAY. IT WAS THE OU DEFENSE THAT WRECKED THE GAME AT THE END. FORCED TURNOVERS. THIS TO ME IS AS BIG A KEY FOR OKLAHOMA WINNING NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY WITH TEN. FORCED TURNOVERS THIS SEASON. THAT IS BRANT VENABLES STAMP ON TALK ABOUT OUR MASON THOMAS JUST LAST WEEK. HE WAS INCREDIBLE. YOU KNOW TURNOVERS A STRIP SACK I MEAN THIS GUY PUT THEM IN THE GAME. IT WAS ALL WITHIN THE FOURTH QUARTER THERE WHEN THEY NEEDED IT MOST. AND JUST PLAY AFTER PLAY. HE WAS THE GUY THAT WAS ON THE HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS FUN TO WATCH HIM AND HOPEFULLY HE CAN DO THE SAME THING TODAY AND A LOT OF THE OTHER PLAYERS ON THE DEFENSE, BECAUSE THEY’RE GOING TO NEED THESE GUYS TO SHOW UP BIG TIME AGAINST TENNESSEE. THAT IS THEIR KEY TO WINNING, AND A HEAD COACH, BRANT VENABLES, LOOKING AT A VOLUNTEER FOOTBALL TEAM THAT WILL BE TOP. I DON’T KNOW WHAT HOW IT RANKS IN REGARDS TO WHO’S WHO’S RUNNING THE FASTEST OFFENSE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, BUT THEY GOT TO BE RIGHT THERE. IF THEY’RE NOT NUMBER ONE AT ANY POINT IN TIME, THE QUARTERBACK CAN PULL IT OUT OF HIS BELLY AND THROW IT TO, YOU KNOW, THE SPACE. WHEREVER THE SPACE IS. YOU KNOW, IF THAT’S OVER THE HEADS OF THE LINEBACKERS OR IF THAT’S ON THE PERIMETER GAME AND HE’S GOT AN AMAZINGLY QUICK RELEASE AND AND TREMENDOUS VELOCITY AND ACCURACY THAT ALLOW THAT RPO GAME TO REALLY GET INTO A GREAT RHYTHM, SLOWING DOWN THAT TENNESSEE OFFENSE WILL BE DIFFICULT. BUT GOING INTO AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE TENNESSEE WILL FACE TONIGHT, THEY ARE ROLLING AT THE PALACE AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THEY’VE WON TEN STRAIGHT AT HOME AND THE INTERESTING NUMBER FOR ME, HANNAH, IS TENNESSEE HAS NOT WON A ROAD GAME AGAINST A TOP 15 OPPONENT SINCE 2006. WELL, THAT’S A GOOD STAT FOR SOONER FANS. I LIKE THAT ONE. IT’S A REALLY GOOD START FOR TENNESSEE’S BEEN CLOSE. THEY’VE BEEN ONE OF THOSE UP AND COMING. CAN WE GET BACK TO THE PEYTON MANNING DAYS KIND OF A FOOTBALL PROGRAM FOR A LONG TIME. AND THEY HAVEN’T WON A FOOTBALL GAME LIKE THIS SINCE 2006. AND SO YOU LOOK AT ALL THE NUMBERS TENNESSEE’S GREAT. BUT THEY’RE GOING INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TONIGHT. AND THEY HAVEN’T WON A FOOTBALL, SAID ADVANTAGE OKLAHOMA. AS FAR AS THE CROWD, THE LOCATION. AND SO TENNESSEE WILL HAVE TO BE UP AGAINST TONIGHT. SPEAKING OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, IT STARTED BRIGHT AND EARLY THIS MORNING. IT STARTED LATE LAST NIGHT WHEN WE WERE DOWN THERE IN NORMAN LAST NIGHT. WE ARE LIVE TODAY. AUDREY GOODSON IS IN NORMAN, WHERE AUDREY I HAVE TO IMAGINE THERE IS A BUZZ FOR THE GAME TONIGHT AND PEOPLE ARE FIRED UP FOR SOONER FOOTBALL. OH, DON’T YOU WORRY, NORMAN IS ROCKING RIGHT NOW. I’VE GOT THE BEST FANS IN THE WORLD AROUND ME RIGHT NOW. AND THESE AREN’T EVEN THE FANS THAT WERE IN COLLEGE GAME DAY. TELL ME THEY’VE BEEN OUT HERE SINCE AROUND MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT. SO CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT. THEY’VE GOT THEIR HARD HATS ON, THEIR SIGNS, THEIR SCHOOL SPIRIT. SEVERAL OF THE FANS THAT WERE ON THE FRONT ROW AT GAME DAY THIS MORNING TOLD ME THEY’D EVEN BEEN OUT HERE SINCE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, 4 P.M. BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT, ALL DAY YESTERDAY, 4 P.M. HAD TO STAY HERE. GET HERE. GAME DAY? YES. HAD TO BE THERE FIRST. GAME DAY. SEC. WE HAD TO BE THERE 49. NO SLEEP. IT’S A LITTLE ROUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT STAY STRONG. BOOMER. SOONER SLEEP WHEN WE’RE DEAD. THE GAME KICKS OFF RIGHT HERE ON KOCO AT 630. BOOMER SOONER. BACK TO YOU GUYS. THAT’S AMAZING. I LOVE IT. THAT’S JUST I MEAN, THAT IS SO GREAT. WE’LL SLEEP WHEN WE’RE DEAD. EXACTLY. TO BE IN COLLEGE FOR THE SOONERS TO BE 20 OR 21 AGAIN, YOU JUST GO. YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON’T NEED TO SLEEP. I’M GOING TO CAMP OUT ON THE UNDER EYE BAGS OR ANYTHING. THEY LOOK GREAT. Y’ALL LOOK GREAT OUT THERE. OH, WE’LL GO BACK OUT LIVE TO NORMAN IN JUST A LITTLE BIT AS WE GET CLOSER TO OKLAHOMA. AND TENNESSEE, SHE SAID RIGHT HERE ON CHANNEL FIVE IN PRIME TIME. KICK OFF AT 630. BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY BIG FOOTBALL GAME IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA TODAY, BECAUSE OKLAHOMA STATE PLAYS UTAH. AND ONE OF THE THINGS OKLAHOMA STATE HAS TO FIGURE OUT IS HOW TO GET ALI GORDON GOING. WE’LL HEAR FROM THE HEAD COACH MIKE GUNDY. ROLL IT. I COULD SHOW YOU 5 OR 6 PLAYS REAL QUICK WHERE WE HAD REALLY SUCCESSFUL PLAYS BECAUSE ALL HE WENT THIS WAY AND EIGHT GUYS CHASED HIM THAT WAY. I JUST WANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP THE UTES. IT MIGHT BE THE GAME OF THE YEAR IN THE BIG 12. UTAH AND OKLAHOMA STATE WILL GET INTO IT

Oklahoma Ford Gameday: Sooners face big test against Tennessee in first SEC game

It’s finally SEC football time in Oklahoma as the Sooners square off against the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday evening in Norman.

Updated: 11:08 AM CDT Sep 21, 2024

It’s finally SEC football time in Oklahoma as the Sooners square off against the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday evening in Norman. Before the game kicked off, KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating, Hannah Hoover and more broke down the SEC matchup. Also, we’ll look at the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ big matchup against Big 12 newcomer Utah. Be sure to stick with KOCO 5 as OU and Tennessee kick off at 6:30 p.m. on our airwaves. Open the video player above for part 1 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show. Open the video player below for part 2 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show. Open the video player below for part 3 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show. Open the video player below for part 4 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show. Open the video player below for part 5 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show. Open the video player below for part 6 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

It’s finally SEC football time in Oklahoma as the Sooners square off against the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday evening in Norman.

Before the game kicked off, KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating, Hannah Hoover and more broke down the SEC matchup. Also, we’ll look at the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ big matchup against Big 12 newcomer Utah.

Be sure to stick with KOCO 5 as OU and Tennessee kick off at 6:30 p.m. on our airwaves.

Open the video player above for part 1 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

Open the video player below for part 2 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

Open the video player below for part 3 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

Open the video player below for part 4 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

Open the video player below for part 5 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.

Open the video player below for part 6 of the Oklahoma Ford Gameday pregame show.