NORMAN, Okla. — The emotion in his voice and on his face spoke volumes for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during his long-awaited return to his old school.

Heupel, who had been disappointed by his firing as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator a decade earlier, repeatedly said the No. 6 Vols’ 25-15 win over the No. 15 Sooners “was never about me” in a game in which Tennessee built a 22-3 lead in the fourth quarter and dominated defensively throughout.

When it was over — and his family members, players, former OU teammates and coaches hugged him before he walked off the field — the normally stoic Heupel was clearly moved as Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava handed him the game ball on the field.

“This game was never about me coming back here, not for this football team,” Heupel said in his post-game press conference. “I say all that, but they also understood that this game was a little different for me personally. It wasn’t about that, but I appreciate their recognition.”

In the dressing room he was even more emotional and had to pause a few times when talking to his players.

“I appreciate you all going the extra mile for me,” Heupel said, struggling to find the right words as the players clapped and cheered. “I love you guys. I really mean it. I’m proud of you guys. I’m proud of how you’ve grown. Our best is yet to come.”

When asked where the match ball would go, Heupel replied: “It will definitely be in the office.”

Tennessee (4-0) entered the game as the nation’s top-scoring offense. While the Vols managed just two field goals after halftime against a strong Oklahoma defense, it’s Tennessee’s defense that makes Heupel the most complete team since arriving in Knoxville in 2021. The Vols’ defense finished with 10 tackles for loss, forced two turnovers on the next play after Iamaleava fumbled in his own territory and held the Sooners to -4 yards in the second and third quarters.

Tennessee’s defense had not allowed a touchdown in 19 consecutive quarters until Oklahoma scored its two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:01 to play. The Sooners benched starting quarterback Jackson Arnold in the second quarter and went with Michael Hawkins Jr. the rest of the way.

Heupel acknowledged that the Vols had approached the game a little differently and more conservatively in the second half after seeing how his defense controlled the line of scrimmage. Additionally, Tennessee played with backup offensive linemen for most of the game, and he wanted to be careful not to put Iamaleava in too many sticky situations. Iamaleava finished with 194 passing yards and a 66-yard touchdown pass to Dont’e Thornton Jr. in the first quarter. Iamaleava was also sacked three times.

“Ultimately, if you’re going to play at a really high level, you’ve got to have a high level defense, and our guys are playing really well,” Heupel said. “They’re excited about the way they’re playing, but they also know there’s more, and it’s fun to see this group continue to grow.”

Tennessee’s defensive line’s depth and talent are the best it’s been in two decades, and that depth hurt Oklahoma’s offense, which managed just 36 rushing yards and made 3 of 15 third downs.

“When we see our offense score, it’s just another opportunity for the defense to get on the field and make plays,” said junior defensive lineman Joshua Josephs, who had a tackle for loss and forced two fumbles. “It’s just energizing. We love it. We love being on the field. We love making plays, and as a D-line, we have so much depth that we can rotate and rotate, and it’s just fun to watch our guys make plays. It’s fun to watch Jaxson Moi make plays. It’s fun to watch Jayson Jenkins make plays. It’s just fun to watch it.”

At one point, OU had six consecutive offensive possessions with three or fewer plays. And in the first half, the Sooners had 10 straight plays without gaining a yard.

“In this league, you have to be able to win in different ways as the season goes on,” Heupel said. “Every game is different, every opponent, matchups, things like that. We have to be the most physical football team on the field every Saturday. That’s one of the cornerstones of being able to win.”

For Oklahoma (3-1), it was a disappointing SEC debut before a sellout crowd of 84,701 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where Heupel excelled as a player and led the Sooners to a national championship in 2000.

“Josh is a great coach,” said coach Brent Venables, who was OU’s co-defensive coordinator in 2000 when Heupel was playing. “He’s been successful everywhere he’s been and I don’t think that’s ever been in question. I’m proud of all the success he’s had. It’s not one of those moments where you’re happy for him because you’re not, but that’s just part of it. … They’re going to win a lot of games.”

It was Tennessee’s first win over an AP top-15 team on foreign soil since beating Georgia in 2006.

Heupel’s father, Ken, still lives in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, and was at the game, along with many other family members. Heupel’s mother, Cindy, died earlier this year.

“She was here watching from heaven,” Heupel said after the game.

Before Heupel concluded his press conference, he thanked all of his former teammates who had reached out to him during the week.

“I haven’t seen many of you. I will on the plane back, but you have changed my life and my family’s life forever, and I am eternally grateful to all of you,” Heupel said, his emotions rising again and his eyes watering. “There are also many former players I have to mention.”

He then added: “Secondly, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of people who have had an impact on my mother while she was here. I just want to thank you for the relationships and what you’ve done for her.”