While former five-star quarterbacks Jackson Arnold and Nico Iamaleava will garner a lot of attention this week ahead of the top 15 matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers, it’ll be the defenses that shine on what promises to be an awesome night in Norman, Oklahoma.
Iamaleava and Arnold are incredibly talented, but this is the first start in SEC play for both players. Iamaleava ‘s making the first true road start of his young career. He’s as talented a quarterback as there is in college football, but Josh Heupel hasn’t asked him to be the focal point of the offense yet. There will come a time when he’s lighting teams up, but I don’t expect it to be this week.
Caught in a dog fight because the Sooners’ defense finds a way to slow down Dylan Sampson and the Tennessee rushing attack, Oklahoma is able to get pressure on Iamaleava and make his life uncomfortable.
Oklahoma’s offensive line has a hard time with the Volunteer’s defensive line, led by future top-10 pick James Pearce. However, the return of Branson Hickman and Troy Everett into the lineup helps improve the rushing attack and provides Arnold with just enough time on a few drives to cash in with points.
A touchdown drive in the fourth quarter puts Oklahoma up for good and as we’ve seen each of the last two weeks, the Sooners’ defense comes up with a stop to close out the game.
Sooners 23, Volunteers 20
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