Former Oklahoma lineman Dusty Dvoracek expects Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel to have a good understanding of what Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be like under the lights on Saturday night.
The two spent time together on that very field back in the day, after all.
Dvoracek was a defensive lineman for the Sooners from 2001-2005, named a two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection and a two-time Big 12 Champion by the end of his collegiate career.
While Dvoracek and Heupel didn’t spend a ton of time together in Norman, the two were in the program together during the 2004 season with Dvoracek a junior lineman and Heupel a graduate assistant.
Heupel will return to Norman this weekend and take the opposing sideline for the first time in his career. The now-Tennessee head coach played two years for the Sooners and was an assistant coach in Norman for 10 years.
But while the reception for Heupel should be positive on Saturday night as Sooner royalty, the widespread expectation heading into this game is that both teams need to sideline the off-the-field storylines and focus on the game. Still, though, not an easy task considering the magnitude of the game in Norman.
Not only is Saturday’s game the return of Josh Heupel to Norman, it’s also Oklahoma’s first official SEC game, and the first SEC home game on top of that. Additionally, it’s also a Top 15 matchup with impactful playoff implications on the line.
Safe to say that a hostile environment is going to be closer to an inevitability than a question.
“I’m so proud of Josh and I’m so happy that he’s been able to find success and resurrect his own program with Tennessee,” Dvoracek said on ESPN. “But Josh knows exactly what it’s going to be like on Saturday night. With [ESPN College] GameDay getting it going Saturday morning, this fan base has been fired up and fueled for the SEC for multiple years, and now, Josh comes back, the first SEC game, primetime, all day to get lubed up, ready to go. It’s going to be an excellent, excellent atmosphere.”
More from RTI: Oklahoma Poised To Get Trio Of Key Players Back Against Tennessee
Despite all the talk of Tennessee-Oklahoma and Heupel’s return to Norman this week, it’s difficult to find former players or coaches who have negative things to say about the Vols’ coach. Fans might have their own opinions and perspectives, of course, but even Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has gone on a handful of tangents about his excitement for Heupel and his family to return this weekend.
“Go back and play the film after they take the knee and win the national championship against Florida State,” Dvoracek said on ESPN. “[Oklahoma] put him on their shoulders! I mean, you don’t even see that anymore. But that was the leadership, that was the role that he played. One of the most important players in the history of Oklahoma football. For a long time, the trajectory was he’s going to be the next head coach that follows up Bob Stoops. And, obviously, it didn’t go that way. He’s let go and really, it’s fueled his fire.”
No. 15 Oklahoma will host No. 6 Tennessee this weekend at 7:30 p.m. ET in Norman, OK. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for live, on-site coverage of the key Top 15 SEC matchup.
Check out Dusty Dvoracek’s full clip for ESPN below:
