Five Questions: Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
Welcome to Five Questions, a weekly article featuring insights from experts on the Oklahoma Sooners’ upcoming opponents. For week four, Payton Guthrie spoke with Terry Lambert, editor/writer for Rocky Top Talk, about what to expect from the Tennessee Volunteers against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first SEC match up of the season for both teams.
FIVE QUESTIONS: OKLAHOMA VS. Tennessee
Payton Guthrie - What is your expectation for the Tennessee football season and how has the first few weeks of the season impacted that outlook?
Terry Lambert - Most of us were in the 9-3 or 10-2 camp coming into the season. I think you can safely say that the majority would now say 10-2 or even 11-1 at this point. Optimism is at all time highs after seeing what Nico Iamaleava has brought to this offense, along with just how deep and talented Tennessee’s defensive front is.
Say what you want about it being Kent State and Chattanooga, but those games were some of the most dominant performances you’ll see. The Volunteers were up 65-0 at halftime last week after pulling their starters in the opening minutes of the second quarter. To contrast, Tennessee struggled to a 31-13 win last year over Austin Peay with Joe Milton running the show.
Tennessee went to Charlotte and beat a top 25 NC State team by 41 points, pulling their starters in the fourth. You just can’t get any more dominant than the Vols have been to this point. Obviously their first true test comes on Saturday, but they’ve legitimately looked like a national title contender to this point.
Iamaleava is different. Take all the impressive physical attributes away, he truly understands the offense. The ball is coming out quickly and without hesitation. That’s what Tennessee had been missing since Hendon Hooker, but they’ve got it back now. That’s been the key to this offensive explosion through three weeks.
Payton Guthrie - What will Tennessee try to do on offense against the OU defense and get the Sooners on the back foot?
Terry Lambert - Tempo, tempo, tempo. Tennessee will spread you out and thin out the box, then hit you with the run game between the tackles. Dylan Sampson is probably the most talented back Heupel has had here in Knoxville, and he should be in for a pretty hefty workload on Saturday night. Tennessee has a veteran offensive line, returning three senior starters and adding former five-star left tackle Lance Heard out of the portal. They can really move some bodies in the run game.
We’ve seen some glimpses of a downfield passing attack so far from Iamaleava, which was missing last year with Milton. Tennessee has a deep receiver room, led by Bru McCoy and Squirrel White. Deep threats Dont’e Thornton and Chris Brazzell are two names Oklahoma will have to keep tabs on.
A new wrinkle this season has been Tennessee’s use of tight ends in 12 personnel. The Vols have three tight ends they trust, and it’s given Heupel and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle a few new formations to add to their bag of tricks. Watch for the tight ends on Saturday night to really show up in the redzone.
Payton Guthrie - How will Tennessee try to defend against the Oklahoma offense? Do the struggles on offensive line help Tennessee just pin the ears back?
Terry Lambert - This has been the most impressive part of this team so far. Led by future top five overall pick James Pearce coming off of the edge, Tennessee will flat out get after you. They’ll legitimately go 12-deep up front, staying fresh as they rotate all night long. The defensive front absolutely ate NC State alive, particularly in the second half. Struggling up front isn’t exactly a great recipe for success against this group, especially considering the aggressive nature of defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
Tennessee will lean on senior linebacker Keenan Pili in the middle, along with emerging young stars Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander.
If there’s one question about the defense, it’s the secondary. They haven’t been tested yet really, as Grayson McCall didn’t have any time to throw in Charlotte. Tennessee lost all five starters on the backend from a year ago, and the entire depth chart has been rebuilt through the portal and youth. Jermod McCoy, a transfer from Oregon State, has been impressive to start. Walk-on safety Will Brooks came away with a key pick six against NC State.
I’ve got more confidence in this unit now than I did three weeks ago, but they’re still a bit of wildcard.
Payton Guthrie - What players do OU fans need to keep an eye out for during the game?
Terry Lambert - You probably know about Nico Iamaleava and James Pearce, so I’ll go a little deeper.
Running back Dylan Sampson is the guy that makes everything go. He’s already got 357 yards on the ground, and frankly has only really played in five quarters so far this season. Josh Heupel will tell anyone that asks — the run game is the secret sauce to this offense. Sampson is a nightmare in the open field and has the speed to hit a homerun from anywhere.
Receiver Bru McCoy isn’t as flashy as others in the room, but he’s the guy that grinds out six yards and moves the chains. The 6-3, 230 pounder will operate as a lead blocker on quick screens, as well as handling quick comeback routes to keep the ball moving forward. Tennessee really lost a lot offensively without him on the field last season.
The entire defensive line is for real. Tyre West has emerged as a playmaker in the backfield, playing alongside of nose tackle Omari Thomas. Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey, Omarr Norman-Lott, Elijah Simmons…. The list goes on and on. Three years of stacking blue-chippers is paying off for legendary defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who has his room rolling.
Payton Guthrie - Score Prediction?
Terry Lambert Going into the year, I had this as a loss. Now? Paired with Tennessee’s dominance and a couple of shaky performances out of Oklahoma, I think the Volunteers get it done. Tennessee pulls away in the fourth quarter as the defensive depth starts to show.
Tennessee 34, Oklahoma 24
What are your score predictions? Post them in the comments.