The Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers have a long history in college football. As good as the two programs have been through the years, they’ve only played each other four times.
The Sooners rank fifth all-time in winning percentage and sixth in most wins in college football history. The Volunteers are 12th in all-time win percentage and 10th in total wins.
The Sooners hold a 3-1 all-time series lead, picking up wins in a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015 to break the tie.
In 2014, the Sooners won by a score of 34-10, holding the Volunteers to 313 yards, and OU’s defense forced three turnovers. The Sooners recorded five sacks, led by a pair from Quentin Hayes. Julian Wilson provided a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. On offense, Trevor Knight threw for 301 yards and had two total touchdowns. Keith Ford had a pair of touchdowns to help spark the Sooners.
The 2015 affair was a much closer game. But it was the moment Baker Mayfield introduced himself to the college football world.
In week two of the season, Mayfield and the Sooners trailed Tennessee 17-3 entering the fourth quarter. The Sooners quarterback threw touchdown passes to Samaje Perine and Sterling Shepard over the final eight minutes. Shepard’s touchdown catch is one of the iconic moments of the Stoops era, as the wide receiver caught the ball at the 10-yard line and looked like he was going to get stopped short of the end zone. However, Shepard leaped over a Tennessee defender and battled his way beyond the goalline for the score.
Mayfield then ran for a touchdown in the first overtime before hitting Shepard again for the game-winning score in the second overtime to pull out the remarkable comeback win.
Do the Sooners have another standout defensive performance ahead of them? Can they find a little more magic on Saturday night as they host the Volunteers?
Here’s a look at some fantastic images from the 2014 and 2015 home and home series.