Oklahoma DB Dolby carted off after gruesome leg injury, Sooners fall 25-15 to Tennessee

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma defensive back Kendel Dolby was carted off in the second quarter of the 15th-ranked Sooners’ game against No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night after suffering a gruesome injury to his lower right leg.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said it was a dislocated ankle, and Dolby soon will have surgery.

Dolby went down and immediately, his teammates motioned for help. The entire team came onto the field to surround him in the cart before it left the field. The ABC broadcast team said an air cast was placed on the leg.

Dolby entered the night with seven tackles and a sack.

The injury came with Tennessee leading 12-3.

The Sooners went on to fall 25-15.

The game marked Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s return to Oklahoma — the same school he quarterbacked to a national championship in 2000 and the school that fired him as offensive coordinator after the 2014 season.

Heupel downplayed the circumstances, instead focusing on his team’s success.

“This game was never about me coming back here, not for this football team,” he said. “And I say all that — they also understood that this one was a little bit different for me personally too, but that’s not what it was about. But I do appreciate their recognition of that and wanting that for me.”

Coach Venables was the defensive coordinator on the team Heupel led to the national title. He said it was a tough loss.

“I’m disappointed in our team tonight,” Venables said. “It’s not one of those moments where you’re happy for him (Heupel) because you’re not. But that just kind of comes with the territory.”

Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) held No. 15 Oklahoma to 222 yards in the Sooners’ first-ever SEC game.

Jovantae Barnes ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass for Oklahoma (3-1, 0-1). Michael Hawkins, Jr. passed for 132 yards in relief of starter Jackson Arnold for the Sooners, who was benched late in the second quarter after completing 7 of 16 passes for 54 yards and an interception.

Venables said Hawkins and Arnold will compete for the starting job heading into Saturday’s game at Auburn. He said Hawkins, a freshman, handled the situation well.

“Mike is — he’s confident,” Venables said. “He’s loose in the right way. The moment’s not going to overwhelm him, even though he’s a young guy.”

All wasn’t bad for Oklahoma. The Sooners actually recovered fumbles by Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava twice in the second quarter, only to have Arnold fumble the ball back to Tennessee on the next play both times. Oklahoma gained minus-20 yards in the second quarter as Tennessee took a 19-3 lead at the break.

Tennessee led 22-3 when Hawkins led the Sooners down the field and found Barnes for a 2-yard touchdown pass. The extra point failed after a personal foul penalty turned it into a 35-yard kick. That ended Tennessee’s run of 19 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown, dating back to last season.

The Volunteers closed it out and earned a quality road win to start league play.

The Takeaway
The Sooners could not block the Volunteers, so their quarterbacks were under duress all night. Add in-game injuries to receiver Nic Anderson and running back Taylor Tatum, and it all snowballed.

Injury Bug
Venables said Anderson re-injured a quad and he’s not sure what his status will be next week. The Sooners’ top returning receiver missed the first three games with an undisclosed injury.

Second Half Defense
The Sooners held the Volunteers to six points and 141 yards in the second half.

“I think we kind of did everything we could,” linebacker Danny Stutsman said. “I mean, obviously, defense didn’t play perfectly. We made a ton of mistakes, myself included. Really, they shouldn’t score any points and we’ll win every game.”

Up Next
Oklahoma visits Auburn on Saturday.