Sooners win by fingertips in upset of Alabama
With three seconds left in the 2nd quarter Oklahoma defender Taylor Wein leaped over the Alabama blockers and got his fingertips on the Tide’s attempted 35-yard field goal, deflecting it away.
It would become the first “play of the game” in the Sooners’ 23-21 upset of No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
In the suspenseful waning minutes, it was not so sure that would be the story of the game.
Alabama was on a drive to take the lead in the final two minutes. With the Tide’s hopes of securing a spot in the SEC championship game on the line, Alabama converted on a fourth down and one, keeping their drive alive at their 42 yard line. A Kip Lewis sack of ‘Bama QB Ty Simpson put the Tide back to a 3rd and 21 from their 33 yard line.
Simpson completed a 15-yard pass to Isaiah Horton to the Alabama 48. That set up a fourth and six with only a minute left. Simpson’s pass was knocked away by Peyton Bowen’s fingertips and the Sooners won, 23-21.
A key play at 7:52 in the fourth quarter was a third down at the Alabama 38 yard line, when Mateer was flagged for intentional grounding. The penalty took Oklahoma out of field goal range at the 50-yard line and killed a drive that had the potential of putting the game away.
Earlier, near the end of the 3rd quarter, the Sooners grabbed the opportunity to take the lead, recovering a Ty Simpson fumble forced by the pass rush of Taylor Wein. A pass interference call against Alabama put the Sooners at the ‘Bama 10 yard line.
Oklahoma then ran the ball three times to reach the six. Tate Sandell then kicked a 24-yard field goal to take the lead 23-21.
In the opening drive of the second half, a key third down 22-yard toss by Mateer to Isaiah Sategna kept the drive alive, setting up a 52-yard field goal by Tate “Short Pants” Sandell which gave the Sooners a 20-14 lead over Alabama early in the 3rd quarter.
But Alabama responded on the next drive, juiced by a 26-yard pass from Ty Simpson to Isaiah Horton to the Oklahoma one yard line. A direct-snap one yard run by Daniel Hill for a touchdown and the extra point gave Alabama their first lead of the game, at 21-20. with 7:27 left in the 3rd quarter.
Dave: Sooners need an early jump on Tide
Big road win against the Tennessee Volunteers two weeks ago. Then again, they are all big from here on out if the Sooners want to make the College Football Playoff. Every game is a play off game now.
Oklahoma struggled in the first half with only 99 total yards offense to Tennessee’s 255. But inexplicably, the Sooners led at the half 13-10 thanks to a 71-yard scoop and score by R. Mason Thomas and two field goals by Tate “booty shorts” Sandell, one from 51 yards out, one from 55 yards.
Sandell added a 40 yard and yet another 55-yard field goal by the end of the contest. To me he was the MVP of the game and can wear whatever he wants if those are the results.
The offense finally understood the assignment, running the ball and controlling the clock while the defense found its footing in the second half. Again, big road win in the SEC.
However, biggest comes this Saturday (2:30 pm Central on ABC) when OU rolls into Tuscaloosa and looks to tap the Sooner Magic keg like it’s 2024 and take down the Alabama Crimson Tide.