Alabama saved its season — and flipped the script on a recent nemesis — with a resilient 34-24 comeback victory over Oklahoma on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Quarterback Ty Simpson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 9 seed Crimson Tide erased a 17-point deficit to beat No. 8 Oklahoma, winning their third meeting in just over a year after dropping the previous two. The victory marked head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first College Football Playoff win since arriving in Tuscaloosa from Washington two seasons ago.
Alabama (11-3) advanced to face No. 1 seed Indiana and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a Rose Bowl quarterfinal on Jan. 1.
The Sooners appeared firmly in control early. Oklahoma outgained Alabama 118-12 in the opening quarter and struck first when Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell drilled a 51-yard field goal into a stiff wind late in the first quarter. The kick was Sandell’s eighth made field goal of 50 yards or more this season, tying an FBS single-season record, and extended his streak to 24 consecutive makes.
Oklahoma (10-3) continued to dominate into the second quarter. John Mateer capped a sharp drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna, pushing the Sooners’ lead to 17-0. Alabama, which went three-and-out on its first three possessions, looked rattled.
That changed midway through the second quarter. Simpson jump-started the Crimson Tide offense by finding freshman Lotzeir Brooks for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 17-7. Brooks, who had not scored a touchdown during the regular season, emerged as a surprise star, finishing with season highs of five catches for 79 yards and two scores.
Moments later, the game swung dramatically. Mateer threw a costly interception that Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown returned 50 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 17 and completely shifting momentum.
Alabama took control coming out of halftime. Simpson connected with Brooks again, this time on a 30-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, giving the Crimson Tide their first lead. A 40-yard field goal by Conor Talty extended the advantage to 27-17, completing a run of 27 unanswered points for Alabama.
Special teams issues compounded Oklahoma’s problems. Earlier in the second quarter, All-SEC punter Grayson Miller dropped a snap, and his delayed punt was blocked by Tim Keenan III, setting up Alabama deep in Sooners territory and leading to a Talty field goal that cut the deficit to 17-10.
Oklahoma tried to respond with energy — and a dose of theatrics. Rapper 50 Cent performed his 2003 hit “Many Men (Wish Death)” between the third and fourth quarters, a hype song the Sooners have embraced in recent weeks. Two plays later, Mateer found Deion Burks for a 37-yard touchdown, trimming Alabama’s lead to 27-24.
But that was as close as Oklahoma would get. Alabama pushed the lead to 34-24, and Sandell’s normally reliable leg faltered at the worst time. He missed a 36-yard field goal with just under three minutes remaining to snap his streak, then missed again from 51 yards with a little over a minute left, effectively sealing the outcome.
Mateer finished with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns, and Burks led the Sooners with seven catches for 107 yards and a score. Still, the second-quarter interception loomed large.
The Crimson Tide stayed poised and mistake-free after a disastrous start, scoring 27 straight points and showcasing resilience that will be vital heading into the quarterfinals.
Mateer largely played clean football, but one critical mistake changed the game. Combined with rare special teams miscues, it proved too much to overcome against a battle-tested Alabama team.
