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.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Resiliency. It’s been kind of a theme all season long, but it showed up tonight on the road. Down 17, coming back the way we did just one score at a time — just really stayed the course.”
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.
DeBoer claimed his first playoff victory for the Crimson Tide since arriving 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).
“It was a really good game that had some really great moments for the Sooners," Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. "And obviously, some really ill-timed moments as well, coaching, playing, the things that they’ve helped us be successful all year long. Tonight, when we needed it the most, we just didn’t have what it takes.”
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 or more yards with his eighth. 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 yards to 12 in the opening period, and the domination continued into the second quarter. Mateer's 6-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Sategna 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, finishing a run of 27 straight points for Alabama.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind at all,” Simpson said. “I mean, the guys that we have, the players, the coaches. Like, 17 nothing, I mean, it’s nothing to us. Give us the ball, we’ll go down, do what we do.”
Burks caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mateer two plays into the fourth quarter to cut Alabama's lead to 27-24.
With Alabama up 34-24, Sandell missed from 36 yards with just under three minutes remaining to end his streak. He missed again from 51 yards out with a little over a minute to play.
Not special
Sandell’s missed field goals weren’t the only special teams struggles the Sooners had.
All-SEC punter Grayson Miller dropped a snap in the second quarter, and his delayed punt was blocked by Tim Keenan III, setting up the Crimson Tide deep in Oklahoma territory. Talty made a field goal to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 17-10.
Many Men
Oklahoma got a temporary boost from 50 Cent.
The rapper performed his 2003 hit “Many Men (Wish Death)” between the third and fourth quarters. The Sooners have used it as a hype song in recent weeks. Two plays later, Mateer connected with Burks for a touchdown.
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.