NORMAN, Okla. — Ty Simpson passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 9 seed Alabama rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat No. 8 Oklahoma 34-24 on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Alabama freshman Lotzeir Brooks, who did not score a touchdown in the regular season, scored two and had season highs of five catches and 79 yards.
It was the third meeting between the schools in 13 months. Oklahoma defeated Alabama 24-3 last November at home, then beat the Crimson Tide 23-21 last month on the road.
It was the first playoff for the Crimson Tide since coach Kalen DeBoer arrived from Washington two years ago. Alabama (11-3) advanced to play No. 1 seed Indiana and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Oklahoma’s John Mateer passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw a costly interception that Alabama’s Zabien Brown returned 50 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Deion Burks had seven catches for 107 yards and a score for the Sooners (10-3).
Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell, the Lou Groza Award winner for the nation’s best kicker, tied an FBS single-season record for most made field goals of 50 yards or more. He drilled a 51-yarder into a stiff wind to give the Sooners a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter, his 24th consecutive made field goal. The Sooners outgained the Crimson Tide 118-12 in the opening period.
Mateer’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna early in the second quarter pushed Oklahoma’s lead to 17-0.
Alabama, which went three-and-out on its first three possessions, finally got its offense going midway through the second quarter when Simpson hit Brooks for a 10-yard score to trim Oklahoma’s lead to 17-7. Later in the quarter, Brown’s interception return tied the score at 17.
Brooks caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Simpson early in the third quarter to give Alabama its first lead. The Crimson Tide took a 27-17 advantage on a 40-yard field goal by Conor Talty.
Burks caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mateer two plays into the fourth quarter to cut Alabama’s lead to 27-24. Oklahoma had chances to stay in the game, but Sandell missed from 36 yards with just under three minutes remaining to end his streak. He missed again from 51 yards with 1:18 to play.
The takeaway
- Alabama: The Crimson Tide played mistake-free ball and stayed focused after struggling early. They scored the next 27 points after falling behind 17-0.
- Oklahoma: Mateer has been mistake prone this season. He played a relatively clean game, but the second-quarter interception was a backbreaker and turned the momentum.