It’s become the norm for Oklahoma to face some of the top offenses in college football.
The 18th-ranked Sooners’ defense has had plenty of strong moments in showdowns with Texas and Ole Miss, though Oklahoma lost both of those games.
Saturday brings another tough test when the Sooners take on No. 14 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables narrowed in on Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar when asked about the challenge of defending the Tennessee offense.
“He’s helped their offense just be incredibly efficient and explosive,” Venables said. “He’s thrown the deep ball with great, great accuracy, and he’s allowed them to stay on schedule through all eight games.”
The Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) come into the game second nationally in points per game at 45.6, and third in total offense (510.1 yards per game) and passing offense (266.3).
Aguilar has thrown for 2,344 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions.
The Sooners are sixth nationally in points allowed per game at 12.5, tied for fourth in first downs allowed (103) and second in sacks per game at 3.6.
“Their front’s big, strong, physical, relentless,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “Tackles for loss, sacks, not giving up a bunch of big plays – huge test.”
Both teams are looking for better things from their weaker sides of the ball, though.
In last week’s 56-34 win over Kentucky, the Volunteers gave up 476 yards, including 330 through the air.
“It takes 11 guys doing their job at a high level ultimately,” Heupel said. “Yeah, our personnel is different in some places, and that forces you at times to be different too, in positions that you’re putting some of your guys in.”
Oklahoma’s offense hasn’t been nearly as good in recent weeks as it was early in the season.
The Sooners (6-2, 2-2) are still 99th nationally in rushing at 130.1 yards per game but hope they’ve found something in sophomore Xavier Robinson, who ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries in last week’s 34-26 loss to Ole Miss.
“There’s a lot of stuff to build on,” Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “It all just comes down to a mindset and a certain physicality that you have. … It’s been nice to get it going a little bit but it ain’t good enough. It’s not. We’ve got to keep on getting better at it.”
Oklahoma is also searching for better things from quarterback John Mateer, who excelled early in the season but who has taken a step back since returning from a hand injury that kept him out of the Oct. 4 game vs. Kent State.
“There’s an opportunity,” Mateer said. “That’s all you can dream for as a man and as a football player – just the opportunity to bounce back and to play.”
There’s plenty of familiarity between the staffs.
Heupel quarterbacked the Sooners to the 2000 national title with Venables serving as the team’s co-defensive coordinator.
Volunteers’ offensive coordinator Joey Halzle and analysts Seth Littrell and Landry Jones are also former Sooners.
The game is the second between the teams in SEC play. Tennessee won last year’s game 25-15 in Norman.
Saturday’s meeting is the second between the programs in Knoxville.
Oklahoma won the previous meeting, 31-24, in double overtime in 2015.
