OU (7-2, 3-2 SEC) defeated Tennessee (6-3, 3-3) 33-27 at Neyland Stadium.

Here are three ways the Sooners beat the Volunteers:

Dominant defense

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OU’s defense ranked No. 5 in the country going into the game and maintained its dominance against Tennessee.

The Sooners kept Tennessee to scoring only 27 and 63 rushing yards despite averaging 46 points per game. They also forced three turnovers after only four on the season before the game, and they finished with four sacks and 77 tackles.

Senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas ignited the stellar play with a scoop and score in the first quarter after redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke forced a fumble. The play marked OU’s first touchdown of the game and tied the game after Tennessee had an early lead.

“I thought we had really good pressure on that play,” head coach Brent Venables said. “We were doing some things to stunt the run game. We played with a light box for a good part of the night. We were willing to give up some things underneath. … I really felt like their explosive plays where they were running free in the backend, we were able to limit that and still not allow them to run the ball. Our guys up front, they played fantastic.”

However, the offense was stagnant in the first half outside of redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell and had to lean on the defense in the second quarter too. Junior defensive back Peyton Bowen recorded an interception with the game tied at 10-10 and ran 37 yards, leading to a 51-yard Sandell field goal in the next drive to give the Sooners their first lead of the game.

“It was a surreal moment, especially on a stage like that (in a) night game, night mode,” Bowen said. “(Tennessee senior quarterback Joey Aguilar) was looking to the field and throwing it to the boundary most of the full first half, so I just stayed on my hash and made the play.”

With the Volunteers looking to put themselves back into the lead, the Sooners had another interception in the following drive with senior defensive back Robert Spears-Jennings coming down with another Aguilar pass. The play came before a 40-yard Sandell field goal and allowed the Sooners to go into the half up 16-10.

Bowen feels that the two second-quarter interceptions showcased the Sooners’ resiliency after few turnovers early in the season.

“It’s a game changer. … We’ve been fighting for them, and I’m glad we got them today,” Bowen said.

Sandell records historic night

Sandell put together a performance that broke several OU and college football records.

His two second-quarter field goals were half of his four on the night, tying a school record for single-game field goals. He also tied a Football Bowl Subdivision record with three makes over 50 yards with completions of 51, 55 and 55. He has made four 55-yard field goals this season and is the only kicker in school history with four career makes of at least 55 yards.

“Tate Sandell, he’s probably the MVP,” Venables said. “He was an absolute animal.”

Sandell’s 55-yard makes also tied the record for the longest field goal in Neyland Stadium history, which seated 101,915 fans against the Sooners.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Sandell said. “It’s come to fruition; I prayed for this.”

Xavier Robinson, John Mateer shine in run game

The Sooners did not score a single offensive touchdown in the first half but turned a corner in the second through sophomore running back Xavier Robinson and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer. Robinson finished with a career-high 115 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Mateer rushed for 80 and a touchdown.

Robinson’s touchdown put the Sooners back in front after Tennessee scored early in the third quarter; he powered through the Volunteer defense for a 4-yard rush into the end zone. Later, Mateer’s score came in the last minute of the fourth quarter; he completed a 1-yard rush into the end zone to solidify the Sooners’ win.

Mateer credits the run success to the offensive line.

“The ability to run the ball, … the O-line, they are putting in the work and making it happen,” Mateer said.

Mateer’s performance marked his highest rushing total of the season, but he said that the game plan was the same as before and that the success came as a result of his will to win.

“I knew that it was going to take some of that to win,” Mateer said. “Some games are different; it opens up, make some guys miss. I don’t feel like I approached it any differently; it just happened.”

Next, OU will face Alabama on Nov. 15 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.