The Oklahoma Sooners stunned the No.7 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 24-3 to win in their final home game, securing a 26th consecutive bowl bid for the program and playing spoiler to the Tide’s SEC title and College Football Playoff aspirations.
Oklahoma dominated both lines of scrimmage. The Sooners ran for 257 yards against the Tide, while its defense had Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in their sights as they picked him off three times and limiting him to just seven yards on the ground.
The Sooners ran the ball 50 times for 257 yards while attempting just 12 passes — one of which was a doublepass off a trick play that should have resulted in a touchdown. Quarterback Jackson Arnold and freshman running back Xavier Robinson both rushed for more than 100 yards, with Arnold tallying 131 yards and Robinson running for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns. That included an 18yard touchdown late in the first half to give OU a 10-3 lead at the break, and a 1-yard score to extend that lead to 17-3 early in the third quarter.
Oklahoma’s defense neutralized dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe. OU took Milroe out of the run game, limiting him to seven yards on 15 attempts. Milroe entered the game as the Tide’s leading rusher, with 608 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground, but the Sooners’ defense sold out against the run and didn’t give the 6-foot-2, 225-pound junior an inch to work with. Linebacker Kip Lewis intercepted Milroe near midfield and raced 49 yards the other way for the pick-six and a 24-3 lead. Milroe finished the game 11-of-26 passing for 164 yards and three interceptions.
OU quarterback Jackson Arnold ran for 131 yards on 25 carries and completed nine of 11 passes for the Sooners (6-5, 2-5 SEC), who won their final home game of the season. It was Oklahoma’s first Southeastern Conference home win after leaving the Big 12 this past summer.
TEAM STATS
ALA OKL Total Yards 234 325 Pass Yards 164 68 Rushing Yards 70 257 Penalty Yards 30 20 1st Downs 13 18 3rd Downs 77 4th Downs 01 TOP 25:49 34:11