Tennessee football's tactical evolution headlined Josh Heupel's return to Oklahoma

Tennessee football isn't known for playing conservatively in the Josh Heupel era. Once the Vols get the lead, they usually put on more steam until their opponent is ready to tap out. Last week, Tennessee scored 65 in a half because of this, but the Vols' play-calling was conservative on Saturday night against Oklahoma. 

The Vols jumped out to a 19-3 lead at halftime, so Heupel had to make a decision, given that Tennessee was playing lockdown defense. He was determined to protect the football after two fumbles and lean on the defense to get the win. 

Oklahoma couldn't get anything going on offense until halfway through the fourth quarter. Until then, Tennessee controlled every phase of the game. They slowed down offensively, played more aggressive defensively, and played field position with special teams. 

"Field position changes the way the game's played for everybody and what type of position you're trying to put everybody on your football team," Heupel said after the Vols' 25-15 win. "So it changes how the game is played, and tonight the game kind of formed its own identity mid-second quarter, certainly as a third-quarter got started."

A couple of years ago, Heupel might have continued to play the aggressive style of offense he's known for, but we've seen him change the way he coaches some of last year and this year, slowing down and playing more strategically on third downs, in the red zone, and when the Vols need to move the ball. 

"Each game unfolds differently, but in the first half, you could feel the way that we were playing on the defensive side of the football, controlling the line of scrimmage, making it really tough on the quarterback, playing tight coverage on the back end, getting off the field on third downs," Heupel said after the Vols' 25-15 win.

The offensive line also struggled throughout the game. It was their first real test of the season, and they played with their second—and third-string offensive tackles for most of the game. Tennessee's defense was shutting down Oklahoma, but the offense couldn't quite find its rhythm on the ground or through the air. 

"As the game went into the second half, it changed the way that we played and what type of situations we were going to put Nico in with our personnel changes up front," Heupel continued. "All those things play into it, and at the end of the day, if you want to play really high-level football, you got to have a high-level defense. And our guys are playing really well."

Tennessee found a new way to win with the defense leading the charge for the first time in Heupel's tenure, and that's what makes Tennessee a National Championship contender. After their road win, the Vols head into a BYE week and will have two weeks to get healthy for Arkansas.