Danny Stutsman believes the Oklahoma crowd needs to step it up ahead of the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers coming to Norman in Week 4.
The star linebacker was asked on Monday about the home crowd, and Stutsman admitted it could be better.
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Stutsman said when asked if the crowd needed to step it up. “It’s only going to help us, you know, with kind of a younger quarterback (Nico Iamaleava) I think that’s what you kind of need.”
#Sooners LB Danny Stutsman says the crowd needs more juice Saturday vs. Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/RmaR0cHCan
— Colton Sulley (@colton_sulley) September 17, 2024
In Week 3, the crowd in Norman, specifically the student section and upper deck, looked rather thin in a tight game. During a 5-point game in the 4th quarter, pictures were shown online of a crowd that had considerable empty patches.
Stutsman said the crowd in the 4th quarter wasn’t “up to standard” against Tulane.
#OU student section, 24-19 with 12:14 left 4th qtr. ♂️♂️♂️ pic.twitter.com/ydH32x80FM
— Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) September 14, 2024
While some pointed out that the student section is emptier in non-conference games, one observer noted that the upper deck seats were also sparsely populated.
Don’t let the upper deck off the hook… pic.twitter.com/m8fa4xkMn6
— Devin Newsom (@DevinNewsom) September 14, 2024
To be fair, it was a non-conference game against an opponent that was a heavy underdog. However, the game ended up being much closer than anticipated before the Sooners pulled away with a 34-19 win.
Welcoming in the Vols in Week 4 will be a great way for the Sooners to open play in their new conference. The Vols have steamrolled their opponents so far, but SEC play is an entirely different animal.
The Vols and Sooners will kick off from Norman on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
