In what was supposed to be a shootout, Alabama’s defense proved to be more than words in the first half of the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. Despite winning this year’s Heisman Trophy, quarterback Kyler Murray finds his team trailing 31-10 at halftime inside Hard Rock Stadium.
Behind two sacks from Anfernee Jennings and Christian Miller – one each – Murray has 46 yards rushing on nine carries.
While it entered tonight’s matchup averaging 578 yards offensively, the Sooners have 191 yards on 30 plays with nine first downs and no third down conversion (five tries). The trio of Jennings, Xavier McKinney and Dylan Moses led the Crimson Tide in tackles with three apiece. Saivion Smith and Isaiah Buggs each had two stops.
Murray completed six of 13 passes for 122 yards.
As for the Tide on offense, Tua Tagovailoa put on a show.
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The sophomore quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist completed 10 of 12 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns. After finding wide receiver Henry Ruggs III for a 10-yard scoring strike, he found running back Josh Jacobs on a dump pass and he took it 19 yards for a score.
Jacobs, a native of Tusa, Okla., leads the team in rushing with 45 yards.
DeVonta Smith is Alabama’s high man in receiving, accounting for 71 yards on three catches – including a long grab of 50 yards to start the first quarter. Jacobs has 47 yards receiving on three receptions and Jerry Jeudy totals 44 yards on two grabs. For the Tide, it has 309 yards offensively on 38 plays with 14 first downs and five third down conversions (six tries).
Joseph Bulovas nailed a 38-yard field with 25 seconds left in the first half, to give the Tide a 31-10 lead at halftime.
Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley will make adjustments as his program gets the ball to start the second half; however, Nick Saban is the king of second half football. We shall see what happens.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
