Just in:Former Sooner Josh Heupel leads  Tennessee Volunteers to a…

Josh Heupel was a major force behind Oklahoma’s football comeback 25 years ago. Heupel will be a part of yet another historic occasion on Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma, when his sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers  play the No. 15 Sooners.

Oklahoma will participate in its first conference game following its Southeastern Conference membership. Heupel remarked, “Going back into that stadium will be unique.” “There, I have friends and teammates.” There will be a (different) perspective. I don’t think I ever spent a day inside the stadium on the other side, not even for a scrimmage.” Heupel, a Utah native and product of Snow College, signed a contract with the Sooners shortly after Bob Stoops took over as Oklahoma’s head coach prior to the 1999 campaign. In Heupel’s debut season, the Sooners played in a bowl game for the first time in five seasons. Oklahoma earned the seventh national championship for the program and went undefeated during his second. That season, Heupel also placed second in the Heisman Trophy vote. When Heupel was a player, Brent Venables, who is in his third season as head coach of the Sooners, shared defensive coordinator duties with Oklahoma. Heupel worked under Stoops for a long period as an assistant at Oklahoma as well, but he was let go after the 2014 campaign. Heupel is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Volunteers after holding head coaching positions at Utah State and Missouri before landing his first position at UCF.