Ty Simpson thanks critics for motivation in win at Oklahoma

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It turns out Ty Simpson likes the taste of “rat poison.” The starting quarterback broke out of a month-long slump Friday night, answering critics while leading No. 9 Alabama to a 34-24 comeback victory at No. 8 Oklahoma.

“I guess we can thank you guys for that,” Simpson said when addressing the media after the game. “Y’all kind of wrote us off. I appreciate that.”

Simpson completed 18 of 29 passes for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns while avoiding any turnovers. His big night came after seeing his passer rating drop in each of the previous four games. That included a dismal showing in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia where his performance drew criticism as well as concern over his health status.

Simpson didn’t get off to a sharp start Friday night, leading Alabama to three-and-outs on its first three possessions.

The Tide nearly extended that run to four straight failing drives before receiver Lotzier Brooks pulled in a 29-yard reception on third-and-5 from the Alabama 25-yard line in the second quarter. That conversion served as the spark Simpson and the Tide needed, as the quarterback delivered a 23-yard strike to tight end Josh Cuevas before eventually finding Brooks again for a 10-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2 for Alabama’s first score of the game.

After falling behind 17-0 early in the second quarter, Simpson led a resurgent Alabama team to 27 unanswered points to pull off the victory.

“Keep going,” Simpson said when asked about his message to the offense ahead of its first scoring drive. “It’s kind of been our message all season. Situational football, right? There’s probably a number of times where we’ve been in that situation before. We just kind of did what we do.”

Alabama mustered up just 12 yards of total offense over its first three drives. During that span, Simpson completed just 2 of 5 passes while taking a sack. Despite the dreary outcome, the redshirt junior never let his confidence drop.

“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind at all,” Simpson said. “The guys that we have, the players, the coaches, 17-0 is nothing to us. Give us the ball, we’ll go down and do what we do.”

Last season, Alabama struggled to bounce back after facing early deficits on the road. One of those came during a trip to Norman, Oklahoma, when the Sooners choked out the Tide’s offense in a 24-3 blowout. Friday night, Alabama dug deep, capitalizing on a few big plays to claw itself out of a hole.

“A lot of times it’s guys just making plays and continuing to stay the course,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We just talked about that so much this offseason — a couple things, just what we’re going to do and how you chip away. You can’t go score a 17-point touchdown. You’ve got to score one score, even if it’s 3 points. That’s what our guys did.”

Brooks came up big for Simpson on multiple occasions, leading the Tide with five receptions for 79 yards while pulling in his first two touchdowns of the season. Germie Bernard hauled in three catches for 40 yards, including a highlight grab in the fourth quarter, when he jumped up and reached over a defender for a 24-yard gain. Isaiah Horton also had a big night with five catches for 65 yards.

On defense, cornerback Zabien Brown tied the game with a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown right before the half.

“Those guys have been doing that all year,” Simpson said. “I expect them to make plays like that. Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. We have about, what, 85 scholarship players who are big-time players, so that happens.”

Simpson was responsible for several of those big plays, silencing doubters in the process. Now he and the Tide will look to build off of that momentum when they face an Indiana defense that ranks second nationally, holding opponents to 10.8 points per game.

Be careful not to write Simpson and Alabama off for that one. Actually, the Tide probably wouldn’t if you do.

“Ty just said it right there,” linebacker Deontae Lawson said. “He just said it. Tried to write us off. That’s when we’re at our best.”