Josh Heupel struck a nerve last week, returning to the place where he won a national championship as a player and was fired as an assistant coach: OklahomaAll week he avoided dropping bulletin board material or sentimental catchphrases.

He even managed to make a joke about it, but mostly kept his usual stoic attitude. But after Tennessee After a 25-15 victory thanks to a strong defense, Heupel could finally admit what was easy to explain: winning this match meant something extra to him.

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“Well, this game coming back for our football team wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about that. It was about this 2024 journey and our football team. But they realized it was important for me to come back and I wanted to win,” Heupel told ESPN reporter Holly Rowe after the win.

It was also a meaningful return for Heupel, who was competing in his first race in Norman since his mother passed away earlier this year. With his father and other family members in attendance, Heupel said he felt like his mother could have seen the race, too.

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“At the end of the day, I know mom is watching, up there,” Heupel said. “But this is the next step for this soccer team in this journey. It’s hard to win away, on the night, against a good team. We found a way to do that. Good teams keep getting better, we’ve got to keep finding ways to get better.”

And Heupel had a good feeling about it, given the step Tennessee took on Saturday.

Especially a defense that forced multiple turnovers and a quarterback change.

“Great win away, in a great environment against a really good football team,” Heupel said. “The defense played great. I can’t say enough about how they did. Dominated the line of scrimmage, made it uncomfortable for the quarterback, played tight in coverage, got off the field on third downs. Special teams was solid. Offensively, played a little differently as the game unfolded, adjusted to their starter in the second half, pulled it back a little bit. Total football game and obviously our defense played phenomenal.”

Tennessee’s defense had to deal with defending a different quarterback in the second half

With Oklahoma on the bench Jackson Arnold and turn to a true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Just before halftime, Tennessee and head coach Heupel had to adjust. And Heupel did not rule out that Arnold would come back in the second half.

While Hawkins ran a series late in the half and most of the second half, Arnold logged a snap late. Either way, Heupel tied it to set his team up for both.

“Be prepared for either one,” Heupel said at halftime. “Both have the ability to run, so we’ve got to do a good job of playing hard, physical football in the second half.”

By halftime, Arnold had completed 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and an interception.