NORMAN, Oklahoma (Ticker) -- Somewhere, Bud Wilkinson is
smiling and Bear Bryant is sporting a frown.
The first regular season meeting of two of college football more
storied programs produced a classic finish as No. 3 Oklahoma
scored two touchdowns in the final 2 1/2 minutes to rally past
Alabama, 37-27.
"That's not East Popcorn State that was just in here," Oklahoma
coach Bob Stoops said. "It was Alabama. I knew at halftime, when
we were up 20 points, Alabama was not going away."
Kejuan Jones' eight-yard TD run put the Sooners ahead for good
with 2:11 remaining and safety Eric Bassey returned a fumble 46
yards for the clinching score with 24 seconds remaining.
"Our team was down and I just wanted to help as best I could,"
Jones said. "I felt that we could still get back in the game but
we just needed to attack."
However, it was a costly victory for the Sooners as starting
quarterback Jason White suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in
the second quarter and could be lost for the season.
Nate Hybl, who lost his starting job in preseason camp, replaced
White and completed 16-of-30 passes for 251 yards, but
struggled until driving the Sooners 80 yards in just 86 seconds
late in the fourth quarter.
The winning drive included key shovel passes of 23 and 39 yards
to Renaldo Works. The second gave Oklahoma a first-and-goal at
the 9 and set up Jones' TD on the next play.
"He's (Hybl) one of closest friends," Oklahoma tight end Trent
Smith said. "I know the frustration we went through after losing
the starting job. The way he continued to work and stay
positive shows what he's all about."
Alabama, which erased a 23-3 halftime deficit, tried to get into
position for a possible game-tying field goal on the ensuing
possession. But on third-and-5 from the Sooners 43, the ball
slipped out of the hands of quarterback Tyler Watts as he dropped
back to pass.
Bassey scooped up the fumble and went the distance to end
Alabama's upset bid.
"I believe we should have won that game," Alabama coach Dennis
Franchione said. "However, we had a great game plan and really
dominated the second half."
"We had a chance to win and there were probably five or six
plays that could have gone the other way and we would have won,"
Alabama guard Justin Smiley said. "We are going to go back and
correct those things and learn from our mistakes."
Dominant in the first half, Oklahoma sputtered for much of the
second, punting on its first four possessions and managing only
one first down until the winning drive.
The Sooners rushed for minus-23 yards after gaining 378 on the
ground in last week's 37-0 victory over Tulsa. Quentin Griffin
waqs held to three yards on nine carries after rushing for 237
yards against the Golden Hurricane.
"I've got a few more gray hairs after this game," Smith said.
"Everybody was frustrated. No one knew quite what to do."
Alabama's special teams play turned around the game in the
second half. The Crimson Tide closed to 23-10 on Ahmad
Galloway's four-yard TD run with 9:14 left in the third quarter,
then made it 23-17 when Lance Taylor returned a blocked punt
eight yards for a score with 1:53 to go in the third.
With all the momentum on its side, Alabama grabbed a 24-23 lead
when holder Lane Beardon scampered into the end zone on a fake
20-yard field goal with 10:16 left in the contest.
The Crimson Tide made it 27-23 on Michael Ziffle's 45-yard field
goal with 3:37 remaining, but they couldn't close out the win.
"Sometimes, you have to scramble to win," Stoops said. "I
appreciate a player who finds a way to win. In the fourth
quarter, you have to have that attitude that you're still going
to win."
The only two previous meetings between the teams came in bowl
games. In 1963, Bryant's Crimson Tide blanked Wilkinson's
Sooners, 17-0 in the Orange Bowl. Seven years later, with Bryant
still coaching Alabama, the teams played to a 24-24 tie in the
Astro Bluebonnet Bowl.
More than three decades later, the tradition-rich programs are
at opposite ends of the spectrum. Oklahoma is seeking its second
national championship in three years, while Alabama in on NCAA
probation and ineligible for a bowl.
Oklahoma appeared much the better team in the first half as
White threw TD passes of 32 and 51 yards to Mark Clayton to give
the Sooners a 16-3 lead.
Hybl scored on a one-yard TD run on the final play of the first
half to make it 23-3 at intermission.
"I don't believe we could have played worse in the first half,"
said Watts, who completed 16-of-32 passes for 185 yards. "The
right plays were called, but we couldn't execute them. In the
second half we decided not to force things and take advantage of
what they gave us."
Galloway paced Alabama on the ground with 66 yards on 18
carries.
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