NORMAN, Okla. — The postgame chatter stressed how this one felt different.
Despite yet another lopsided loss — an all-too common sight for the Tennessee program — the monumental progress gained was much more visible than in recent memory.
And while the Volunteers’ 34-10 loss to No. 4 Oklahoma may have uncovered a geyser of positivity in regards to UT’s ongoing rebuilding job, one thing remained clear Saturday night inside Norman’s Memorial Stadium.
There’s still quite a ways to go.
“It’s a long football season,” Vols head coach Butch Jones said. “We knew there was going to be good days and bad days with the young football team. We just have to keep grinding.”
On the shoulders of a balanced offensive attack, the Sooners sprinted out to a 13-0 first-quarter advantage and cruised through the second half in front of a sellout crowd, keeping UT within arm’s length of any sort of possible comeback.
But when considering the youth in Jones’s personnel group — the Vols had five true freshmen in the starting lineup with the additions of right tackle Coleman Thomas and tight end Daniel Helm — and the fact UT had a chance to move within 10 points late in the game, some Vol players believed Saturday had the potential to be something special.
“We were a couple plays away,” said senior quarterback Justin Worley, who threw for 201 yards and a touchdown to go along with a pair of interceptions. “It shows how far we’ve come as a football team.
“A lot of young guys playing, being on the road against the No. 4 team — you couldn’t ask for any more opportunities than we got, and that’s where we’ve got to learn and correct this upcoming week. I think the hurt was definitely there with how close we were.”
Despite being sacked five times and hit viciously on countless other instances, Worley remained poised throughout the 24-point drubbing. Even with a fledgling offensive line, which donned an all-freshmen trio on the right side and was often cracking at the seams, the senior quarterback still connected with six different receivers in the loss.
Worley’s second-quarter touchdown strike to sophomore Josh Smith trimmed the OU lead to 13-7, while the quarterback’s late-game maneuvering handed UT an opportunity to potentially make things interesting on the road.
But Worley threw two interceptions in the end zone — one on a failed jump ball with UT down 13 and the other on a tipped pass that was returned 100 yards for a touchdown — which kept the Vols’ upset bid a floating dream.
“(Worley’s) a tough guy,” said heralded freshman running back Jalen Hurd, who turned heads late with 121 total yards — the majority of which arrived in the second half. “He just kept standing in there, kept going right back at them. He was encouraging us on the sideline and he’s a great leader.”
After mustering a dismal minus-11 net rushing yards in the opening 30 minutes thanks to sacks, Hurd headlined UT’s second-half ground assault, which tried its best to put a dent in OU’s 20-7 intermission lead.
The 6-foot-3, 227-pound running back ripped off gains of 43 and 29, but an Aaron Medley field goal was all the Vols could pony up in the second half as the Sooners attack — spearheaded by quarterback Trevor Knight — kept their foot firmly pressed to UT’s throat.
On the evening, Knight racked up 308 yards and a touchdown through the air, while also tacking on a third-quarter ground score that upped OU’s lead to 27-7.
“There’s a reason they’re the fourth-ranked team in the country,” Jones said. “Junior and senior dominated football team up front. They do a great job schematically. They’re well coached… it was a great growing-up session for our youngsters.”
Even though OU running back Keith Ford (15 carries, 56 yards and a first-quarter rushing touchdown) was on the receiving end of Knight’s only touchdown pass, the redshirt sophomore quarterback’s most prolific connection on Saturday night resided with junior Sterling Shepard.
Coming off an emphatic outing against in-state foe Tulsa, Shepard delivered a riveting encore performance, torching the UT secondary for 109 yards on only five catches.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound speedster ripped off a pair of 30-yard gains on the way to his fifth 100-yard receiving game of his career — good for sixth all time in Sooners’ history.
“Definitely a complete receiver all around,” cornerback Cameron Sutton said. “He’s a great teammate and makes everyone around him play well as well. I’m looking forward to seeing him doing big things for the rest of college and even later on in his career.”
