{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Oklahoma 31, Tennessee 24
When: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 12, 2015
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
Temperature: 72°
Head Official: Mike Defee
Attendance: 102455

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Neyland Stadium was going to be rocking regardless when Oklahoma came to town.

Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker helped turn the volume up even more with his comments early in the week about the SEC, wondering why everyone talks up the conference so much.

On Saturday night, Striker and the rest of the No. 19 Sooners helped quickly turn Neyland Stadium quiet with a stunning 31-24 double-overtime victory over the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers.

Oklahoma trailed 17-0 early and 17-3 for much of the game before a late comeback helped force overtime.

In the second overtime, Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez sealed the game for good with an interception, sending the Sooners into a frenzied celebration in front of the stunned crowd of 102,455.

After the game, Tennessee coach Butch Jones approached Striker, who said Jones told him, "You're a hell of a player but have some ... class."

"The comment that I made was not against Tennessee," Striker said. "Did I feel like we backed it up? I mean, football is football is what I was saying. At the end of the day, football is football. SEC, Big 12, you've got to win the damn game.

"But do people hype up the SEC and say they have the best athletes and you hear it over and over and over again? Yes, that's true. I'm not gonna say, 'No, I don't feel that way.' I still feel the same way."

Sooners coach Bob Stoops soaked in the atmosphere afterward, running around hugging assistants, players and anyone else in sight.

"It's one of the more special wins," Stoops said. "Maybe my favorite of all of them. A little Sooner Magic came back out."

Those are big words for a coach who has won a national championship and just two years ago coached his team to a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.

Striker was just falling in line with what his coach had said in previous years, questioning the national perception of the SEC.

While Sanchez's interception sealed the win and the defense's performance kept the Sooners in it after Oklahoma fell behind 17-0, quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Sterling Shepard repeatedly made huge plays in the final minutes of regulation and in overtime to give the Sooners the win.

With just 40 seconds left in regulation, after a holding penalty had pushed the Sooners back, Mayfield hit Shepard on third-and-goal in the corner of the end zone to tie the game.

In the fourth quarter, Mayfield was 9 of 11 for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

"We stopped being a disciplined defense," Tennessee linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said.

Mayfield finished 19 of 39 with three touchdowns.

Mayfield did it himself in the first overtime, calling his own number on an option for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 24 and keep the Sooners alive.

He hit Shepard again, this time from 18 yards out to put Oklahoma ahead for the first time in the game.

The Volunteers took a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter on quarterback Joshua Dobbs' 4-yard run.

Oklahoma's offense finally started moving the ball midway through the quarter, thanks to some strong running by Perine and a 29-yard completion from Mayfield to Durron Neal. But the drive stalled and Oklahoma had to settle for a 35-yard field goal.

The Sooners had another chance late in the half, moving into Tennessee territory quickly before the drive fizzled with the Vols' stop on fourth down.

NOTES: The game was Oklahoma's first visit to Neyland Stadium. ... After Tennessee's second touchdown of the game put the Vols up 17-0 in the second quarter, the noise level in the stadium measured 114 decibels, announced as a stadium record. ... Tennessee DB coach Willie Martinez, a former Sooners assistant, returned after a one-game suspension for recruiting violations. ... Volunteers starting DT Danny O'Brien was suspended for the game. Owen Williams started. ... Oklahoma freshman RB Rodney Anderson had to be carted off the field late in the first half after suffering an injury to his left ankle on kickoff coverage. ... CB Jordan Thomas started for the Sooners after sitting out the first quarter of the season opener against Akron for disciplinary reasons. ... Sooners WR Michiah Quick returned after missing the opener because of a suspension. ... Tennessee LB Curt Maggitt suffered an apparent hip injury in the first half and did not return. ... Tennessee hosts Western Carolina next Saturday and Oklahoma plays at home against Tulsa.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Oklahoma   Tennessee
Samaje Perine Player Jalen Hurd
23 Attempts 24
78 Yards 109
3.4 Avg Yards 4.5
0 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Receiving
Oklahoma   Tennessee
Sterling Shepard Player Josh Smith
7 Receptions 4
74 Yards 56
10.6 Avg Yards 14.0
2 Touchdowns 0
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Oklahoma 348 161 187 4 1 1 3.0 2
Tennessee 259 134 125 3 1 2 2.0 1