Oklahoma waited 38 months between its introduced departure from the Large 12 Convention and its debut within the SEC. The fruits of greater than three years of keen anticipation resulted in a sluggish 25-15 loss at house, one which was uglier than the ultimate rating suggests.
The Sooners kicked off their SEC membership below very best circumstances: a prime 10-ranked opponent coming into Gaylord Household Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the return of a prodigal son because the visiting head coach, and a prime-time tv kickoff.
Nevertheless, Oklahoma managed solely 222 whole yards—simply 36 on the bottom—and went the sport’s first 51:45 and not using a landing. In the meantime, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, who quarterbacked Oklahoma to its final nationwide championship, watched as his Vols constructed a 19-3 halftime lead.
Underneath Heupel, Tennessee has been identified for its explosive offense, they usually confirmed flashes of that in Norman, notably with Nico Iamaleava’s 66-yard landing cross to Dont’e Thornton Jr., which ignited a run of 19 unanswered factors.
However it was Tennessee’s swarming, bodily protection that stole the highlight. This was maybe an acceptable welcome to the SEC, given the convention’s status for defensive toughness.
With the setting and Heupel on the sideline, Tennessee evoked reminiscences of Oklahoma’s 2000 Bowl Championship Collection title workforce. That it was the Sooners’ incapability to maneuver the ball in opposition to a workforce coached by a former OU assistant, fired from his offensive coordinator publish in 2014, solely compounds the frustration of an underwhelming SEC debut.
Tennessee’s emphatic win wasn’t disappointing for everybody within the state of Oklahoma, although. Heupel’s mom, Cindy, who drove from Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Norman for Sooners video games throughout the Vols coach’s enjoying days, died in Could.
“She was wanting ahead to this sport. She’s acquired quite a lot of associates throughout the state who knew she was wanting ahead to it,” Heupel mentioned in his postgame press convention. “It was distinctive for this to be a highway sport for me however a house sport for lots of my household.”
Carolina Blues
If Hubert Davis’ North Carolina Tar Heels basketball workforce confronted fellow 2024 NCAA Match qualifier James Madison, it’s possible the UNC hoopers would maintain JMU to fewer factors than the 70 Mack Brown’s gridiron Tar Heels allowed on Saturday.
“Embarrassing day. Surprising day,” Brown mentioned in his postgame press convention. “You shouldn’t be at North Carolina and lose to a Group of 5 workforce, interval.”
It wasn’t simply that the Tar Heels misplaced, particularly to a program contemporary off a High 25 season. North Carolina allowed 611 yards, successfully launching a Heisman Trophy marketing campaign for JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett III.
Barnett handed for 388 yards and 5 touchdowns whereas speeding for one more 99 yards and two extra scores. Not since Dalton Knecht dropped 37 factors on the Dean Dome final basketball season had a customer made such an offensive impression on Chapel Hill.
North Carolina’s anemic defensive displaying, mixed with NC State’s dismal outing at Clemson, made North Carolina faculty soccer the epicenter of disappointment in Week 4.
Whereas the Wolfpack’s rout at Demise Valley wasn’t stunning—NC State got here into the sport as a 17-point underdog—the 59-35 ultimate rating was one landing and an additional level greater than that unfold.
Saturday marked a low level in what has been an all-around disappointing begin to NC State’s season. The Pack opened the 12 months ranked within the High 25, wanting poised to interrupt into the higher echelon of the ACC after a number of stable seasons below Dave Doeren.
As an alternative, NC State has backslid. A 41-point loss to Tennessee in Week 2 paled compared to Saturday’s debacle. Had Dabo Swinney not known as off the canines with Clemson forward 52-7 within the third quarter, the ultimate rating might have been even worse.
Issues deteriorated to the purpose the place ESPN coloration commentator Greg McElroy lamented that the Pack’s “horrible” tackling was “unrecognizable” in comparison with previous Doeren-coached groups.
