College Football Playoff | First Round | December 19, 2025 Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK | Attendance: 83,550
Alabama walked into Norman having lost to this Oklahoma team twice in the previous 13 months. The Crimson Tide went three-and-out on each of their first three possessions. They trailed by 17 points while Oklahoma’s offense moved the ball at will.
Final score: Alabama 34, Oklahoma 24.
The No. 9 seed Crimson Tide scored 27 straight points, held the Sooners scoreless in the second half, and advanced to face No. 1 Indiana at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2026. The Alabama Crimson Tide vs Oklahoma Sooners player stats will show Oklahoma outgained Alabama by 102 yards and controlled possession by over six minutes. None of it mattered.
“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.”
Table of Contents
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 5:29 | OU 7-0 | John Mateer 8-yd run (Sandell kick) |
| Q1 | 0:45 | OU 10-0 | Tate Sandell 51-yd FG |
| Q2 | 10:51 | OU 17-0 | Isaiah Sategna III 7-yd pass from Mateer (Sandell kick) |
| Q2 | 6:52 | OU 17-7 | Lotzeir Brooks 10-yd pass from Simpson (Talty kick) |
| Q2 | 2:08 | OU 17-10 | Conor Talty 35-yd FG (after blocked punt) |
| Q2 | 1:18 | Tied 17-17 | Zabien Brown 50-yd INT return (Talty kick) |
| Q3 | 11:21 | ALA 24-17 | Lotzeir Brooks 30-yd pass from Simpson (Talty kick) |
| Q3 | 4:30 | ALA 27-17 | Conor Talty 40-yd FG |
| Q4 | 14:45 | ALA 27-24 | Deion Burks 37-yd pass from Mateer (Sandell kick) |
| Q4 | 7:24 | ALA 34-24 | Daniel Hill 6-yd run (Talty kick) |
The Three Plays That Changed Everything
Oklahoma dominated the first 26 minutes. Mateer scored on an 8-yard keeper. Tate Sandell — the Lou Groza Award winner — drilled a 51-yard field goal into the wind, his 24th consecutive made field goal, tying an FBS single-season record with his eighth make from 50-plus yards. Mateer then found Isaiah Sategna III on a 7-yard touchdown pass. The Sooners had outgained Alabama 118 yards to 12 in the first quarter alone.
Then, inside four minutes of the second quarter, three plays completely reversed the game:
1. Blocked Punt (Q2, 2:08) Punter Grayson Miller dropped the snap. Tim Keenan III blocked the delayed kick, putting Alabama at the Oklahoma 30. Conor Talty hit the 35-yard field goal. Oklahoma’s lead was cut to 17-10.
2. Zabien Brown’s Pick-Six (Q2, 1:18) Mateer held the ball too long and Brown stepped in front of the pass at midfield, returning it 50 yards untouched. The Sooners went into halftime tied 17-17 after leading by 17 less than five minutes earlier.
3. Sandell’s Two Missed Field Goals (Q4) With Oklahoma trailing 34-24, Sandell missed from 36 yards with three minutes remaining — ending his 24-kick streak. He missed again from 51 yards with under a minute to play. Oklahoma never got the ball back.
Quarterback Stats
| Stat | Ty Simpson (ALA) | John Mateer (OU) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 18 / 29 | 26 / 42 |
| Passing Yards | 232 | 307 |
| Touchdowns | 2 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 1 |
| Passer Rating | 110.1 | 90.1 |
| QBR | 80.8 | 72.3 |
| Rush Attempts | 6 | 19 |
| Rush Yards (Net) | -22 | 15 |
| Rush TDs | 0 | 1 |
| Avg. Depth of Target | 9.6 yds | 7.7 yds |
| Avg. Time to Throw | 2.63 sec | 2.98 sec |
| Sacks Taken | 4 | 6 |
| Fumbles | 0 | 1 |
Simpson did not put up gaudy numbers. He managed the game, went deep four times and completed all four, and did not give the ball away once. Mateer had more yards and a solid night on the ground, but the second-quarter interception at a moment when Oklahoma could have pushed the lead to 20-plus points proved to be the turning point the Sooners could not recover from.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind at all,” Simpson said. “17 nothing, I mean, it’s nothing to us. Give us the ball, we’ll go down, do what we do.”
Receiving Stats
Alabama
| Player | Pos | Targets | Rec | Yards | TD | Avg | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotzeir Brooks | WR | 7 | 5 | 79 | 2 | 15.8 | 30 | 12 |
| Isaiah Horton | WR | 8 | 5 | 65 | 0 | 13.0 | 37 | 4 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 3 | 40 | 0 | 13.3 | 24 | 16 |
| Josh Cuevas | TE | 6 | 3 | 35 | 0 | 11.7 | 23 | 10 |
| Jay Lindsey | TE | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 2 |
| Ryan Williams | WR | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5.0 | 5 | 6 |
| Dre Washington | HB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Kaleb Edwards | TE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Team Total | 30 | 18 | 232 | 2 | 12.9 | 37 | 50 |
Brooks had not scored a single touchdown in the regular season. He caught two in this game, including the 30-yard go-ahead score 58 seconds into the third quarter, and finished with career highs in receptions and receiving yards.
Oklahoma
| Player | Pos | Targets | Rec | Yards | TD | Avg | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deion Burks | WR | 9 | 7 | 107 | 1 | 15.3 | 37 | 45 |
| Jer’Michael Carter | WR | 3 | 3 | 46 | 0 | 15.3 | 22 | 2 |
| JaVonnie Gibson | WR | 3 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 20.5 | 38 | 17 |
| Tory Blaylock | HB | 8 | 5 | 36 | 0 | 7.2 | 12 | 27 |
| Jaren Kanak | TE | 4 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 5.5 | 8 | 6 |
| Isaiah Sategna III | WR | 6 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8.5 | 10 | 12 |
| Xavier Robinson | HB | 2 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17.0 | 17 | 17 |
| Jacob Jordan | WR | 1 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16.0 | 16 | 4 |
| Keontez Lewis | WR | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 |
| Team Total | 37 | 26 | 307 | 2 | 11.8 | 38 | 131 |
Burks was the best offensive player on the field — 107 yards on 7 catches, with 45 yards after the catch, and the 37-yard score early in the fourth quarter that cut Alabama’s lead to three. His performance was not enough to overcome Oklahoma’s turnover deficit.
Rushing Stats
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | TD | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Hill | ALA | 9 | 43 | 1 | 4.8 | 30 |
| Jam Miller | ALA | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1.6 | 7 |
| Germie Bernard | ALA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Ty Simpson | ALA | 6 | -22 | 0 | -3.7 | 13 |
| Tory Blaylock | OU | 11 | 36 | 0 | 3.3 | 6 |
| John Mateer | OU | 19 | 15 (net) | 1 | 0.8 | 11 |
| Xavier Robinson | OU | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1.3 | 3 |
Defense
Alabama
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deontae Lawson | LB | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | LB | 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keon Sabb | S | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domani Jackson | CB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bray Hubbard | S | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keon Keeley | ED | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yhonzae Pierre | ED | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zabien Brown | CB | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nikhai Hill-Green | LB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Qua Russaw | ED | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DaShawn Jones | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Taylor | S | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaia Faga | DI | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| London Simmons | DI | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Renaud | ED | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dijon Lee Jr. | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelby Collins | DI | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tim Keenan III | DI | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Carter | ED | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Hill | ED | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Morgan | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| James Smith | DI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team Total | 68 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Lawson led Alabama with 10 tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup. Yhonzae Pierre added two sacks and four total pressures. Alabama’s defense allowed 307 passing yards but sacked Mateer five times and forced the interception that changed the game.
Oklahoma
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Heinecke | LB | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eli Bowen | CB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kip Lewis | LB | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | S | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peyton Bowen | S | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sammy Omosigho | LB | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R Mason Thomas | ED | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayden Jackson | DI | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reggie Powers III | S | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Wein | ED | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gracen Halton | DI | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Boganowski | S | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Courtland Guillory | CB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spears-Jennings | S | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Jones Jr. | ED | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacobe Johnson | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Thomas | DL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Jordan | CB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damonic Williams | DI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Stone | DI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Team Total | 50 | 30 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Wein generated five total pressures off the edge. Halton was active inside with four pressures and two run stops. Oklahoma’s defense sacked Simpson four times but could not generate a turnover.
Kicking, Punting, and Returns
Field Goals and Extra Points
| Player | Team | FG Made/Att | FG % | Long | XP | Total Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conor Talty | ALA | 2/2 | 100% | 40 yds | 4/4 | 10 |
| Tate Sandell | OU | 1/3 | 33.3% | 51 yds | 3/3 | 6 |
Punting
| Player | Team | Punts | Yards | Avg | Long | TB | In 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Doud | ALA | 7 | 270 | 38.6 | 48 | 0 | 1 |
| Grayson Miller | OU | 5 | 211 | 42.2 | 54 | 0 | 1 |
Punt Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Adams | ALA | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 10 | 0 |
| Tim Keenan III | ALA | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 |
| Dijon Lee Jr. | ALA | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Isaiah Sategna III | OU | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 17 | 0 |
Kick Returns
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotzeir Brooks | ALA | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 |
Interceptions
| Player | Team | INT | Return Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zabien Brown | ALA | 1 | 50 | 1 |
Fumbles
| Player | Team | Fumbles | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jam Miller | ALA | 1 | 0 |
| John Mateer | OU | 1 | 0 |
Full Team Stats
| Category | Alabama | Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 260 | 362 |
| Passing Yards | 232 | 307 |
| Rushing Yards (Net) | 28 | 55 |
| Completions / Attempts | 18/29 | 26/42 |
| Yards per Pass Attempt | 8.0 | 7.3 |
| Total Rush Attempts | 25 | 33 |
| Yards per Rush | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| 1st Downs | 12 | 18 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 2/12 (17%) | 7/18 (42%) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Red Zone Scoring % | 100% (3/3) | 67% (2/3) |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 4 for 46 yds | 5 for 50 yds |
| Time of Possession | 26:52 | 33:08 |
| Sacks / Yards Lost | 4 / 35 yds | 6 / 29 yds |
| Total Pressures Allowed | 24 | 20 |
| EPA per Pass Play | +0.06 | -0.25 |
| EPA per Rush Play | -0.30 | -0.13 |
| Explosive Passes (15+ yds) | 5 | 9 |
| Explosive Runs (10+ yds) | 2 | 1 |
| Avg Yards per Drive | 18.6 | 24.2 |
What the Stats Cannot Fully Explain
Oklahoma’s numbers were better in almost every category — more yards, more first downs, higher third-down rate, better field position, and six more minutes of possession. The Sooners had nine explosive passing plays to Alabama’s five. They converted 42 percent of their third downs while Alabama converted 17 percent.
Yet Alabama scored 27 unanswered points and held Oklahoma scoreless for the entire second half.
The gap between the stats and the scoreboard comes down to three moments: a blocked punt, a 50-yard interception return, and two missed field goals from a kicker who had not missed in 24 straight attempts. When those three plays went Alabama’s way inside a span of two quarters, every statistical edge Oklahoma had built became irrelevant.
“Tonight, when we needed it the most, we just didn’t have what it takes,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said.
In playoff football, one miscue at the wrong time carries more weight than two quarters of methodical offensive production. Oklahoma found that out on December 19, 2025, in their own stadium.
Statistics sourced from ESPN, PFF, AP, and official CFP game records. Box score data subject to official review.
