Josh Heupel emotional after Tennessee win on his return to Oklahoma

NORMAN, Oklahoma – The emotion in his voice and face said it all about Tennessee coach Josh Heupel late Saturday night in his highly anticipated return to his alma mater.

Heupel, who was shocked by his firing as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator a decade earlier, repeatedly said the No. 6 Vols' 25-15 victory over the No. 15 Sooners “was never about me,” a game in which Tennessee built a 22-3 lead by the fourth quarter and the defense dominated throughout.

When it was over – and family members, players, former OU teammates and coaches hugged him before he left the field – the normally stoic Heupel was visibly moved when Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava handed him the game ball on the field.

“This game was never about me coming back here, not for this football team,” Heupel said in his postgame press conference. “I say all that, but they also understood that this game was a little different for me personally. That wasn't the point, but I appreciate their recognition.”

In the dressing room, he was even more emotional and had to pause several times during his conversation with his players.

“I appreciate that you all have something special for me,” Heupel said, struggling for the right words as the players clapped and cheered. “I love you guys. I really mean it. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of how you've turned out. Our best is yet to come.”

When asked where the match ball would go, Heupel said: “It will definitely go to the office.”

Tennessee (4-0) entered the game with the best offense in the country, and although the Vols managed just two field goals after halftime against a strong Oklahoma defense, it is Tennessee's defense that makes up Heupel's most complete team since arriving in Knoxville in 2021. The Vols defense finished the game with 10 tackles for loss, forced two turnovers on the very next play after Iamaleava lost a fumble in his own territory, and held the Sooners to minus-4 yards in the second and third quarters.

Tennessee's defense had not allowed a touchdown in 19 consecutive quarters until Oklahoma scored both of its touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:01 left. The Sooners benched their starting quarterback Jackson Arnold in the second quarter and played with Michael Hawkins Jr. for the rest of the game.

Heupel acknowledged that the Vols approached the game a little differently and more conservatively in the second half after seeing how his defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Additionally, Tennessee played with backup offensive tackles for most of the game, and he wanted to be careful not to put Iamaleava in too many sticky situations. Iamaleava finished the first quarter with 194 passing yards and a 66-yard touchdown pass to Dont'e Thornton Jr. Iamaleava was also sacked three times.

“At the end of the day, if you really want to play high-level football, you need a high-level defense, and our guys are playing really well,” Heupel said. “They're excited about the way they're playing, but they also know there's more out there, and it's been fun to watch this group continue to grow.”

Tennessee's defensive line is at its deepest and most talented in two decades, and that depth affected Oklahoma's offense, which managed just 36 rushing yards and was only 3 of 15 successful on third down attempts.

“Seeing our offense score is honestly another chance for the defense to come out and play,” said junior defensive lineman Joshua Josephs, who had one tackle for loss and forced two fumbles. “It's just energizing. We love it. We love being on the field. We love playing, and as a D-line, we have so much depth that we can just rotate and rotate and it's just fun to watch our guys play. It's fun to watch Jaxson Moi play. It's fun to watch Jayson Jenkins play. It's just fun to watch.”

At one point, OU managed six straight offenses on three or fewer plays. And in the first half, the Sooners managed ten straight plays without gaining a single yard.

“In this league, you have to be able to win in different ways throughout the season,” Heupel said. “Every game is different, every opponent, the matchups, all that. We have to be the strongest physical football team on the field every Saturday. That's one of the cornerstones of being able to win.”

For Oklahoma (3-1), it was a disappointing SEC debut in front of a sold-out crowd of 84,701 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where Heupel shone as a player and led the Sooners to the national championship as quarterback in 2000.

“Josh is a great coach,” said coach Brent Venables, who was OU's co-defensive coordinator in 2000 when Heupel played. “He's been successful everywhere he's been, and I don't think that's ever been questioned. I'm proud of all of his success. It's not one of those moments where you're happy for him, because you're not, but that's just part of it. … They're going to win a lot of games.”

It was Tennessee's first road win against an AP top-15 team since beating Georgia in 2006.

Heupel's father, Ken, still lives in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, and was at the game along with many other family members. Heupel's mother, Cindy, died earlier this year.

“She was here and watched from heaven,” Heupel said after the game.

Before Heupel ended his press conference, he thanked all of his former teammates who had contacted him during the week.

“I haven't gotten back to many of you. I will do that on the flight home, but you have changed my life and that of my family forever and I am eternally grateful to all of you,” said Heupel, who became emotional again and his eyes became moist. “There are also many former players I should mention.”

He added: “Secondly, I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who had an impact on my mother when she was here and I just want to say thank you for the relationships and for what you meant to her.”