Oklahoma defense stuns No. 4 Alabama in 23-21 road win in Tuscaloosa

Oklahoma stayed connected Saban Field connected Saturday night, taking pictures and shouting on arsenic “Dixieland Delight” and “Sweet Home Alabama” played implicit the speakers. The Sooners had conscionable stunned No. 4 Alabama 23-21 astatine Bryant-Denny Stadium, a effect that pushes them backmost into the College Football Playoff race.

Defense turns a hostile nighttime into history

The 11th-ranked Sooners produced lone 212 yards of offense, their lowest full successful a triumph since 2001, yet they inactive walked retired with a connection roadworthy victory. They snapped Alabama's 17-game location winning streak and became the archetypal squad to bushed the Tide successful back-to-back seasons since Ole Miss successful 2014 and 2015.

Leaning connected their defense, the Sooners saw Eli Bowen people archetypal with an 87-yard interception return, and they forced 3 turnovers portion playing without apical walk rusher R Mason Thomas. Alabama's past thrust began with 7:14 remaining and the Tide needing lone a tract goal, but OU closed the door.

'Hard to kill' connection defines the response

The triumph came aft a location nonaccomplishment to Ole Miss that had galore analysts crossing Oklahoma retired of their playoff projections. Head manager Brent Venables wanted his squad to consciousness this one. “I'm not a boastful oregon braggadocious benignant of guy, but, man, I'm going to brag connected our guys, and they merit it,” helium said.

Afterward, respective players wore shirts that work “Hard to Kill” connected the beforehand and “Enough is Enough” connected the back, a slogan that became cardinal successful the weeks aft the Ole Miss defeat. Kicker Tate Sandell, who went 3-for-3 connected tract goals and nailed a 52-yarder, explained it successful elemental terms. “It's conscionable having that mindset of staying alive, bluish collar, rotation your sleeves up and conscionable find a way, and being hard to termination successful the process.”

Special teams created the bladed borderline Oklahoma needed, from Sandell's kicks to a forced fumble connected a punt instrumentality and a partially blocked Alabama tract extremity effort earlier halftime. For a squad that finished 6-7 past season, this nighttime showed however acold it has come.