Same announcer could call Josh Heupel beating Aggies as a player and coach

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel used to play a little bit of football, as many around the college football world know. Heupel was the starting quarterback for the national champion Oklahoma Sooners in 2000. Oklahoma went 12-0, defeating Florida State in the Orange Bowl for the school's seventh national title. Earlier in the season, the […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Oct 11, 2023 3:33 PM EDT

Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel used to play a little bit of football, as many around the college football world know.

Heupel was the starting quarterback for the national champion Oklahoma Sooners in 2000. Oklahoma went 12-0, defeating Florida State in the Orange Bowl for the school's seventh national title.

Earlier in the season, the Sooners defeated Texas A&M 35-31. One person who remembers that game well is CBS college football announcer Gary Danielson, who will be on the call with Brad Nessler on Saturday for the Vols' SEC clash with Aggies.

Danielson was the color commentator alongside Brent Musberger for ABC when Oklahoma and Texas A&M battled in 2000. Trailing 24-13 entering the fourth quarter, Heupel and the Sooners rallied to keep their national championship hopes alive.

Heupel started the quarter out by making two blocks on an end around run that caught the attention of Musberger and Danielson (first 20 seconds of the video).

Heupel engineered two fourth quarter scoring drives, finishing with 268 yards passing on 28 of 42 attempts with a touchdown and two interceptions. Oklahoma found the winning points on a 41-yard interception return halfway through the fourth quarter, and the defense held with a goal line stand late to escape College Station with a win.

Heupel ended up finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting for the season behind winner Chris Weinke of Florida State. He finished with a season stat line of 280 of 433 (64.7%) for 3394 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

Now, Danielson will be in the booth on Saturday in Neyland Stadium watching the same former quarterback try to knock off the same school, except this time wearing a headset instead of a helmet.