NORMAN — All season, Oklahoma had been desperate for a complete performance. While the defense had largely done its part, the offense had struggled to historic lows.
All of a sudden, it came together on Saturday night. The Sooners left Owen Field with an emphatic 24-3 win over No. 7 Alabama, delivering a statement victory in their final home game.
It was the type of performance that OU coach Brent Venables had been hoping for all season.
“Oklahoma was absolutely relentless in all three phases," Venables said after the game. "And they knocked Alabama out. They had an answer for them every step of the way, every corner that they turned. And without a doubt, Oklahoma was the most physical football team tonight. That was the vision, and that's what we wanted the tape to say.
"We're not sitting here beating our chest. But I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize a physically-dominant performance.”
That physically-dominant performance included the offense.
The Sooners' game plan was clear, as they looked to limit Alabama's offensive possessions and control the flow of the game. That required OU's running game to find a rhythm, which was a tall task for an offense that was missing running back Jovantae Barnes and three starting offensive lineman.
Instead, Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson answered the call. Arnold carried the ball 25 times for 131 yards, both career highs, as he carved up Alabama's defense for 5.2 yards per carry. Robinson came off the bench and proved to be a worthy running mate, totaling 107 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns.
Robinson's biggest play came late in the first half, when he shook off a tackler and outran the Alabama defense to the pylon for an 18-yard touchdown that gave the Sooners a seven-point halftime lead.
By halftime, the Sooners had 215 rushing yards — the most yards surrendered by Alabama in an entire game this season. The Sooners finished with 257 rushing yards on over five yards per carry as they completely leaned on the running game, totaling 50 rushing attempts to just 11 passes from Arnold.
Even more notably, the offensive line gave up just one sack and four tackles for loss.
"Obviously all week, we had a bunch of stuff in the game plan but running was a big emphasis for us," Arnold said. "There was some stat about Bama, like if you had over 200 rushing yards or if you won the rushing battle against them, you’re gonna win the game. So we focused on our running game and we didn’t take as many shots today because the run game was working great.
"I’m super proud of X (Robinson). I think he stepped up and had a great game tonight, and our O-line stepped up and played their butts off tonight.”
OU's rushing defense was just as effective.
The Sooners keyed in on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who came into the game averaging over 55 rushing yards per game on 4.6 yards per carry. Milroe finished with just seven yards on 15 carries, as OU finished with nine tackles for loss and constantly sent pressure in the backfield.
That bogged down Alabama's entire offense. The Crimson Tide entered halftime with just 97 total yards and finished with 70 rushing yards on 30 attempts (2.3 yards per carry). Milroe completed just 11 of 26 passes for 164 yards. Only two of Alabama's 10 drives went farther than 20 yards, and three of their possessions ended in interceptions from Eli Bowen, Kip Lewis and Woodi Washington, respectively.
Limiting Milroe helped keep Alabama out of the end zone for the first time in a game since 2011.
"That was everything," OU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said. "I think that you go watch the game vs. LSU, and (Milroe) ran for four touchdowns, 184 yards and really took over the game. Our goal was to not let him do that. Everything we did was basically based around preventing him from making big plays and trying to keep him in the pocket, force him to make throws in tight windows. They did a good job of it.”
In a rarity this season, both the offense and defense worked together. The Sooners possessed the ball for over 34 minutes of game time and ran 62 plays to 57 for Alabama. They outgained the Crimson Tide 324-235 in total yards. The Sooners also notably won the turnover battle 3-1, and Robinson's second touchdown came just five plays after Bowen's interception to open the second half.
The Sooners had only shown glimpses of that this season, and it's why they posted a 5-5 record. But facing a tough Alabama team, and entering the game as a two-touchdown underdog, the Sooners simply imposed their will on the Crimson Tide.
And they did it on Senior Night to secure their sixth victory and bowl eligibility.
"You've just do what winning requires," Venables said. "It’s not going to take anything like a Superman heroic-type effort. It’s play with incredible effort, gotta be the most physical team and take care of the ball. Winning never negotiates.
"There have been some games when it has gotten away from us late. But this is a team that has continued to show up, week in and week out. They’ve punched first, punched back. But this is the first time in one of these games where we’ve punched last."
