Tennessee defeated Oklahoma 25-15 in a highly anticipated Week 4 SEC matchup, propelling the Vols to a 4-0 record and the No. 5 spot in the latest AP poll.
In the first quarter, a controversial moment had color commentator Kirk Herbstreit fired up. Oklahoma defensive lineman Da’Jon Terry, a former Tennessee player himself, took a slow and unnatural fall to the ground after a big play for the Vols.
It looked like a classic case of faking an injury, and Herbstreit was not shy about it.
“This is college football,” Herbstreit said. “It drives me crazy. You look over after a big play and all of a sudden, he looks over and goes down. It’s not necessarily against the rules but it’s unethical as hell. You see it all over against these tempo offenses, guys just go down with an ‘injury’... Pathetic.”
Oklahoma will need to bounce back on offense in Week 5
Sophomore starter Jackson Arnold only threw for 54 yards with a 43.8% (7/16) completion rate. Venables benched him for freshman backup QB Michael Hawkins Jr., who completed 11 of his 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.
During the broadcast, Herbstreit said that Oklahoma should go with Hawkins Jr. as the starter going forward. Only time will tell if the Sooners agree.