Crimson Tide Falls Short: Oklahoma Edges Alabama 23–21

 

Crimson Tide Falls Short: Oklahoma Edges Alabama 23–21

Tuscaloosa — November 17, 2025

In a heartbreaker at Bryant-Denny Stadium, No. 4 Alabama (8–2, 6–1 SEC) saw its eight-game home winning streak snapped, falling 23–21 to No. 11 Oklahoma (8–2, 4–2 SEC). (Alabama Athletics)

Scoring Summary & Key Plays

• First Quarter: Oklahoma struck early. Tate Sandell drilled a 25-yard field goal, and later, safety Peyton Bowen returned an 87-yard interception for a touchdown to make it 10–0. (University of Oklahoma)

• Second Quarter: Alabama answered with a 1-yard TD run by Daniel Hill (after a 12-play, 72-yard drive), then Josh Cuevas hauled in a 25-yard pass from Ty Simpson to bring Bama within three. Oklahoma tacked on its own touchdown in between. (University of Oklahoma)

• Third Quarter: Oklahoma extended its lead with a 52-yard Sandell field goal. Alabama responded again when Hill punched in another 1-yard run, knotting it at 20–20. (University of Oklahoma)

• Fourth Quarter: The difference came late. Oklahoma relied on Sandell once more, this time from 24 yards out, to secure the 23–21 advantage. (University of Oklahoma)

Statistical Breakdown

• Alabama outgained Oklahoma in total yards, 406 to 212. (Alabama Athletics)

• Passing: Ty Simpson completed 28 of 42 attempts for 326 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. (Alabama Athletics)

• Rushing: Daniel Hill carried the ball 15 times for 60 yards and scored two touchdowns. (Alabama Athletics)

• Receiving: Josh Cuevas set a career high with 6 receptions for 80 yards, including the second-quarter touchdown. (Alabama Athletics)

• Turnovers: Alabama turned the ball over three times, which proved costly. (Alabama Athletics)

• Defense: On Alabama’s side, Bray Hubbard, Domani Jackson, and Deontae Lawson each recorded five tackles. (Alabama Athletics)

What Went Wrong for Alabama

While Alabama dominated in yardage and possession, their mistakes and Oklahoma's opportunistic plays made the difference. (SI)

• Turnovers: The Crimson Tide’s three giveaways loomed large. A forced fumble on third down late in the game gave Oklahoma prime field position. (SI)

• Special Teams: Oklahoma’s defense and special teams made big plays — including the pick-six and a partially blocked field goal — swinging momentum. (CBS Sports)

• Critical Stop: In the fourth quarter, Oklahoma’s defense came up big with a fourth-down stop that iced the game. (CBS Sports)

Significance & Implications

• This was Alabama’s first SEC loss of the season. (Alabama Athletics)

• The loss underscores a troubling trend: turnovers continue to haunt Bama, even when its offense is firing. (SI)

• For Oklahoma, the win is huge for its College Football Playoff aspirations — relying on defense and big special teams plays, not just offensive fireworks. (CBS Sports)

Looking Ahead

Alabama now faces a critical stretch in its schedule where attention to detail (especially ball security) could define its postseason hopes. If they can clean up the turnovers, this team might still recover. But if these kinds of mistakes persist, tough losses like this one could be costly.

Alabamas hopes will come down to the iron bowl in 2 weeks

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