Oklahoma's Offensive Line Must Play Its Best Game to Slow Down 'Explosive' Tennessee Pass Rush

Led by edge rusher James Pearce Jr., No. 6 Tennessee will bring one of the nation's best defensive lines to take on the No. 15 Sooners on Saturday.

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) during Tennessee's game against Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s first battle in the SEC will pit the Sooners against their first elite defensive lineman of the year.

No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) is led defensively by edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who is projected to be one of the first defensive lineman off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Last year, Pearce finished with 10 sacks, an improvement from his two-sack year in 2022, while also closing out 2023 with a pick six and a pair of forced fumbles. 

The 6-foot-5, 243-pound defensive lineman was consistent throughout last year’s season as he registered a sack in eight of the 13 games. 

He was most destructive in Tennessee’s bowl game against Iowa, where he was turned loose as the Hawkeyes trailed and had to pass to erase a multiple possession deficit virtually the entire game. Pearce ended the bowl game with four total tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and his interception, an exclamation point on a fantastic season. 

My current EDGE1 James Pearce Jr. Basketball body type with narrow hips, long arms, and lean frame. Explosive off the line and plays with good leverage. Very good bend/hip flexibility and is an elite athlete overall. Highly productive '23 season where he had a 21.8% pass rush win… pic.twitter.com/K9LdQkK8s4

— Adam Carter (@SmartfootbalI) September 15, 2024

“Everybody talks about (Tennessee’s) offense - and justifiably so - but the defense is playing every bit as dominant and hasn't given up a touchdown in 16 quarters,” OU coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. “They rank third in points allowed in the country.

“… James Pearce, he might be the best guy in the country on defense. They're really experienced up front, very disruptive, very athletic. They're long, explosive.”

Pearce has yet to take over a game in 2024, but Oklahoma’s offensive line has been shaky through the first three weeks of the season. 

The No. 15-ranked Sooners (3-0) have battled through injuries and inexperience, which has led to quarterback Jackson Arnold having to evade pressure in the backfield. 

OU allowed nine sacks, which is tied for 113th nationally, against Temple, Houston and Tulane. 

Tennessee’s defensive front is a huge step up in competition from the first three weeks, and the Sooners know they’ll have to be much better to protect Arnold on Saturday. 

“Very physical group. Obviously a lot of talent on their d-line,” Arnold said on Monday. “… Dudes flying around the ball. An impressive group overall and we’re going to have to play really well Saturday.”

Though OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been forced into using multiple combinations of linemen early this year due to mounting injuries, Arnold was pleased with the steps the entire unit took in front of him against Tulane. 

“I think those guys are finally establishing themselves,” Arnold said. “Obviously, we’ve got a bunch of pieces hurt that you’d like to have back, but I feel like dudes have stepped up and really matured the last couple of games. Namely, Josh Bates, Heath Ozaeta, Logan Howland. Those dudes… I feel like they’ve been playing their butts off recently.”

Branson Hickman, an SMU transfer who started OU’s first game at center, was listed as questionable on Oklahoma’s first availability report on Wednesday, as was right tackle Jake Taylor. 

Troy Everett, who can play both center and guard, was listed as probable on the report after he missed summer workouts and fall camp with an injury he sustained last spring. 

Reinforcements are coming soon for the Sooners, but the group of linemen who battled Tulane may be the ones who have to handle Pearce and his Tennessee teammates. 

Volunteer defensive linemen Dominic Bailey, Omarr Norman-Lott and Tyre West all have sacks to their name this year, and Bailey and West have each dislodged a fumble through Tennessee’s first three games. 

Arnold showed his legs could be a weapon, as he rushed  for 97 yards in OU’s 34-19 win over Tulane, and he’ll have to punish the Volunteers on Saturday night. 

But the Sooners’ protection will also have to be the best its been all year to give Arnold enough time to operate if OU is to break Tennessee’s streak of quarters without allowing a defensive score. 

“(They’re a) talented group, for sure,” Ozaeta said on Monday. Think we’re just ready for a good game. Just prepare every week like it’s the same. The biggest game of the year is the game next. 

“SEC opener, obviously, I think we’re excited. It’s gonna be a good one.”