Oklahoma outlasts Tennessee in double overtime, 31-24

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The first game in Neyland Stadium between storied programs Tennessee and Oklahoma was worth the wait.

The No. 19 Sooners prevailed, 31-24, over No. 23 Tennessee in two overtimes before a sell-out checkerboard crowd of 102,455.

Oklahoma, down 17-0 in the second quarter, scored twice in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

In the first overtime, Jalen Hurd’s touchdown gave UT the lead but Oklahoma matched it 24-24 on Baker Mayfield’s 1-yard keeper on fourth down.

Oklahoma took its first lead when Mayfield hit Sterling Shepard from 18 yards in the second overtime.

Down 31-24, Tennessee had no answer. On third-and-13, Joshua Dobbs was intercepted by Alex Sanchez and the Sooner sideline interrupted into celebration.

The Vols gouged out a 17-0 lead in the second quarter and tried to hold on.

They couldn’t.

Oklahoma drove for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Mayfield passed 2 yards to Samaje Perine for the first.

Down 17-10, the Sooners drove 60 yards and tied it with the extra point after Mayfield hit Shepard with a 3-yard pass with 40 seconds to play.

Dobbs didn’t put up big numbers but he accounted for two touchdowns.

After an Aaron Medley field goal got the Vols on the board, Dobbs passed 9 yards to Josh Malone for the first touchdown. He ran 4 yards for the second to make it 17-0 in the second quarter.

Oklahoma got a 35-yard field goal from Austin Seibert.

That’s where things stayed into the fourth quarter.

Both Oklahoma’s scoring drives were sustained by crucial Tennessee penalties.

A Todd Kelly Jr. interception gave Tennessee the game’s first break. Kelly picked off a deflected Mayfield pass on Oklahoma’s sixth play from scrimmage, giving the Vols the ball at their own 49.

A Jalen Hurd run of 12 yards reached first-and-goal at the 5. On third-and-goal at the 1, Alvin Kamara was stopped inches from the goal line.

Tennessee played it safe, electing to take a 19-yard Medley field goal and a 3-0 lead.

After an exchange of punts, the Vols drove 51 yards in eight plays. Dobbs hit Malone to convert a third down, then found him again from nine yards out for the score. With 1:56 left in the first period, Tennessee led 10-0.

The Vols continued to enjoy favorable field position, driving 55 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.

A pass from Dobbs to Josh Smith netted 19 yards, with 15 more tacked on for a face-mask penalty. Hurd ran 15 yards to the 6 and Dobbs scored, rolling to his left on a 4-yard keeper for a 17-0 lead.

The Sooners drove inside the Tennessee 20 but Corey Vereen got a good rush on third-and-3 to force an incomplete pass.

Oklahoma settled for Seibert’s 35-yard field goal to get on the scoreboard.

The Sooners were right back in UT territory, but Emmanuel Moseley broke up a fourth-and-4 pass with 1:26 left in the half.

The third quarter passed with no scoring. Medley missed a 48-yard field-goal try, the Vols’ only threat.

Oklahoma was backed up in its own territory and couldn’t get out. Tennessee failed to take advantage of favorable field position.

When Kelly’s second interception of the game gave UT the ball at the Oklahoma 29, Hurd lost 12 yards on a fumble that he recovered. The Vols had no choice but to punt.

(c)2015 Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tenn.)

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