HOUSTON – A stellar performance by the No. 6/7 Tennessee Volunteers football team in a 25-15 win at No. 15/13 Oklahoma has resulted in Volunteers head football coach Josh Heupel being named the Bear Bryant Awards Fan Favorite Coach of the Week presented by Accenture. The Vols’ fourth-year head coach has Tennessee off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2022, a season where Heupel led the Volunteers to an 11-2 mark and earned Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year honors.
Tennessee has moved up one spot in both the AP and AFCA polls this week and is ranked No.5/6 entering this weekend. The win marked the Vols’ 10th over a ranked opponent under Heupel.
The Volunteers’ defense has held their last five opponents under 250 yards of total offense, limiting the Sooners to just 222 total yards. OU was held to 36 yards rushing – the fewest yards allowed by Tennessee against a conference opponent since the 2020 season. Additionally, three Volunteers were recognized by the SEC as weekly award winners – redshirt freshman placekicker Max Gilbert was named Special Teams Player of the Week; junior edge rusher Joshua Josephs was named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week; and redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
After the two teams traded field goals, a 66-yard strike from Iamaleava to Dont’e Thornton, Jr. gave the Vols the lead for good, as Tennessee rolled to a 22-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. Iamaleava completed 13 of 21 passes for 194 yards and a score, Dylan Sampson and DeSean Bishop combined for 157 yards on the ground, while Bru McCoy hauled in four passes for 92 yards.
Defensively, Arion Carter had a six-tackle performance with one pass breakup, while Josephs turned in a three-tackle performance with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Gilbert was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, with a long kick of 41 yards.
Washington State’s Jake Dickert was the first winner of the 2024 season. Continuing through the remainder of the regular season, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards will recognize a coach weekly for leading their team to an exceptional victory.
The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, presents the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor Coach Bryant’s legacy and to raise awareness and critical funds for their mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
Fans can follow the action at facebook.com/bryantawards, x.com/bryantawards or Instagram.com/bryantawards or the hashtag #BryantAwards. To attend the exclusive, VIP experience visit bryantawards.org.
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