Three Takeaways From Oklahoma's Massive Upset Over No. 7 Alabama

The Sooners stunned the Crimson Tide behind a third quarter explosion on Senior Night.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson / William Purnell-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Even in a down year, Oklahoma is still Oklahoma. 

The Sooners welcomed No. 7 Alabama to Owen Field for the seventh-ever meeting between the two college football mega powers, and Brent Venables’ team dominated. 

Behind a masterful defensive display, OU won 24-3 on Saturday night, and yet it somehow should have been worse. 

The Sooners shook off a pair of early offensive miscues — a fumble and a dropped touchdown followed by a missed field goal — to bury the Crimson Tide, potentially ending Alabama’s College Football Playoff hunt in the process. 

Defensive back Eli Bowen and linebacker Kip Lewis both picked off Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third quarter to help Oklahoma flip the game, and true freshman running back Xavier Robinson powered Oklahoma’s offense to secure the massive upset.

The Sooners can now start making bowl plans, extending the 25-year streak, but more importantly Venables has a marquee victory to hang his hat on despite a rocky first trip through the SEC.

Followed the Script

The path to victory on Saturday was always going to be about controlling the line of scrimmage, having success on the ground and shortening the game. 

Oklahoma’s defense held up its end of the bargain — especially in the first three quarters. 

OU limited Alabama’s offense to 97 yards in the first half, and won the rushing battle through the first two quarters 205-35.

With a 10-3 lead in hand, the turnovers took over. 

Bowen set the offense up in the red zone, and Lewis’ pick six meant the offense didn’t have to do much in the third quarter for OU to build a 24-3 lead. 

The deficit forced Alabama to drop back and pass, which is where Oklahoma’s defensive ends have been most productive this year. 

R Mason Thomas and Ethan Downs looked like the Tulane and late-Auburn versions of themselves, crashing into the backfield to hunt down Milroe. 

Alabama only added on 69 more yards in the third quarter, and the defense was able to take Oklahoma home over the final 15 minutes to close out the victory.

Milroe finished 11-of-26 passing for 164 yards and no scores to go with the three interceptions after super senior Woodi Washington picked him off in the fourth quarter, and he was only able to add seven more yards on the ground. 

The Robinson Revelation 

Xavier Robinson’s impressive fourth quarter against Maine was only the beginning. 

The true freshman briefly appeared to push Oklahoma to bowl eligibility with a strong fourth quarter drive against Missouri, and with Jovantae Barnes out, he got another chance to make his mark on the season against Alabama. 

And the Carl Albert High School product delivered. 

He sparked Gaylord Family Oklahoma-Memorial Stadium to life with a 40-yard rush on the second drive of the game, which was only the beginning. 

Robinson showed he could make plays happen both on the ground and as a receiving option out of the backfield, and he again sent the OU fans into a frenzy with his 18-yard rush in the final minute of the first half to put the Sooners up 10-3. 

The stadium DJ fittingly blared DMX’s “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” over the speakers in the following timeout.

He added his second touchdown of the night in the third quarter, and while the forth quarter numbers didn’t blow anyone away either, Robinson and Jackson Arnold avoided a back-breaking turnover and kept the clock moving to get the team across the finish line. 

Robinson finished with 107 yards on 18 carries, and Arnold led the way with 131 yards on the ground.

In total, OU won the rushing battle 257-70.

Bucked the Trend

Up 10-3 as the teams headed into halftime, Oklahoma had all the juice. 

The fans roared in applause of the effort, and the Sooners sprinted to the locker room with momentum while Alabama shuffled into the tunnel in the southwest corner of Owen Field. 

Everyone knew that was only going to be half the battle, especially Venables. 

His team had been outscored 32-3 in third quarters of SEC play so far this year, and OU is just a month removed from seeing a promising first half against Ole Miss wilt away in Oxford. 

But on Senior Night, Oklahoma bucked the trend. 

Bowen kept OU fans dreaming by picking off Milroe on the third play of the second half and running it back to the Alabama 14-yard line. 

Five plays later, Robinson scored. 

Then Lewis called game. 

He delivered his second Pick Six against a school from Alabama this year, this one a 49-yarder to put the Sooners up 24-3.

Oklahoma won the third quarter 14-0, which kept the momentum firmly with the Sooners and turned the dreams of an upset into a memorable night in Norman.