Oklahoma took a 10-3 lead over No. 7 Alabama into the halftime break in Norman.
On a bloody Saturday atop college football, the Sooners are looking to add to the carnage. And unless Alabama can figure out its run defense in the second half, OU will be well on its way to an upset.
Xavier Robinson punched in an 18-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds remaining in the half to put OU on top.
X gon’ give us the lead ️#OUDNA | @xavierrobinson0 pic.twitter.com/vxWfdJOIxk
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 24, 2024
Robinson ran for 88 yards on 8 carries in the first half. OU quarterback Jackson Arnold led all rushers with 95 yards on 15 carries. As a team, the Sooners produced 205 yards on the ground in the first.
As Alabama struggled mightily to contain the edge and limit the QB run game, Oklahoma bit off an average of 7.1 yards per carry.
Oklahoma entered the matchup ranked outside the top 100 nationally in rushing efficiency, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on the season. The Sooners had cleared 5 yards per carry in a game only twice prior to Saturday’s opening half — against Temple in the opener (6.1) and against Maine on Nov. 2 (7.3).
Meanwhile, Alabama was limited to 97 yards of total offense. Jalen Milroe had 9 first-half runs and lost 2 yards. He completed only 2 of his 7 pass attempts for 62 yards.
Alabama entered the game as a 14.5-point favorite (via ESPN Bet). With the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Kalen DeBoer and his staff have work to do in the second half.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
