KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — John Mateer threw for 159 yards and ran for 80 yards and a clinching touchdown with less than two minutes to play to lead No. 18 Oklahoma to a 33-27 win over No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday night.
The Sooners (7-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) capitalized on three turnovers by the Volunteers (6-3, 3-3) to score 13 points.
“Our guys matched (Tennessee's) physicality, and then some,” said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. “The pile constantly went in our direction. All those piles that fall forward add up to a lot.”
R Thomas Mason returned a fumble 71 yards for a score and Tate Sandell hit two field goals after interceptions. Sandell had four field goals in the game — two from 55 yards and one from 51.
Joey Aguilar threw for 393 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Braylon Staley, who caught five passes in all for 75 yards for the Volunteers.
Though Tennessee dominated the first-half offensive stats (255-99), the Vols' mistakes allowed Oklahoma to lead, 16-10.
“We didn't handle (Oklahoma's defense) well enough,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “We gave them 16 points in the first half.”
Oklahoma's defensive pressure was obvious. Aguilar was sacked four times and harassed several other times. The Sooners allowed just 63 rushing yards.
“(The Sooners) try to disguised coverages, and they did well on that,” said Aguilar. “They like to go after the quarterback.”
“Some of the pressures (Oklahoma) had were a little different (from past games),” Heupel said. “We got beat a couple times.”
Mike Matthews caught a 15-yard TD pass from Aguilar with 1:56 to play to cut the difference to 26-24. After the Sooners recovered the onside kick, Xavier Robinson ran 43 yards and intentionally went down at the 1-yard line. Mateer's 1-yard run iced the victory.
Oklahoma: Pulling off a victory in a hostile environment like Neyland Stadium — at night, with the bright lights shining — will go a long way toward helping the Sooners through their final three games of the season. After a week to decompress, Oklahoma will have another monumental challenge when it travels to Tuscaloosa to play No. 4 Alabama. It is very much alive for a College Football Playoff spot, but there is no margin for error.
Tennessee: Injuries in the defensive backfield caught up with the Volunteers. The disappointing loss, in front of a frenzied crowd, ended the Vols’ hopes to repeat as a CFP qualifier. The Vols will have an extra week to recover before trying to finish the season on a positive note.
Mason's 71-yard return of Joey Aguilar's fumble for a touchdown was the longest fumble return in Oklahoma history. ... The Sooners didn't get their first third-down conversion until less that three minutes remained in the first half, though the score was tied at 10.
Oklahoma: After an open date, the Sooners play at Alabama on Nov. 15.
Tennessee: After an open date, the Vols play at home against New Mexico State on Nov. 15.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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