Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide: By the Numbers
Oklahoma is going to have its hands full on Saturday night.
The Sooners will welcome Alabama to Norman for just the second time ever, and it’s only the seventh all-time meeting between the two college football powers.
The No. 7-ranked Crimson Tide (8-2, 4-2 SEC) are looking to continue their march toward the College Football Playoff while OU (5-5, 1-5) is just trying to honor its seniors in the home finale by getting bowl eligible.
Kalen DeBoer has kept Alabama’s offense firing as one of the nation’s best, presenting a tough test for the Sooners.
The Crimson Tide offense can hurt defenses in a hurry.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe has forged a lethal connection with freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams, and he can also do damage with his legs.
Slowing down Alabama play-after-play is hard enough, but make one mistake and DeBoer’s offense can make defenses pay.
The Crimson Tide have scored 53 touchdowns on offense this year, and 23 of those have from from 20-plus yards out.
It’s not just been ‘Bama beating defenses over the top, either. Of the 23 chunk plays that have scored, 12 have been passes and 11 runs.
OU’s rushing defense has held up Ewell this year, as the Sooners rank 18th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, but the Sooners have struggled with letting receivers hurt them deep in SEC-play this year, which will be a concern come Saturday.
Nick Saban may be gone, but Alabama’s defense is still turning opponents over at a high rate.
The Crimson Tide have forced 24 turnovers this year, recovering 10 fumbles and picking off quarterbacks 14 times.
That’s an area of concern for Oklahoma, who has been allergic to ball security.
In OU’s last outing alone against Missouri, the Sooners put the ball on the ground six times, losing four of those fumbles.
Quarterback Jackson Arnold was responsible for two of the lost fumbles by himself, the last of which was returned for a touchdown and untimely did OU in.
If the Sooners are to have any shot of pulling the unlikely upset on Saturday, they’ll have to take care of the football — something that hasn’t happened since the win over Auburn in September.
While the Alabama defense has been opportunistic, it hasn’t quite been the dominant unit of the Saban Era.
Opponents have rushed for 132.2 yards per game against the Tide, which ranks 53rd in the country.
While OU’s offense has struggled this year, there have been glimpses of a rushing attack that can keep the Sooners in SEC games, especially against Ole Miss and Missouri.
Jovantae Barnes’ availability is up in the air, but true freshman Xavier Robinson looked like a difference maker at running back late against Missouri.
Oklahoma’s path to victory includes winning the turnover battle and having success on the ground to shorten the game, something Vanderbilt was especially good at in its upset victory over ‘Bama earlier this year.
The Crimson Tide are 18th in the country in third down defense, allowing conversions 31.5 percent of the time, so staying ahead of the chains by having success on the ground will be crucial for Oklahoma’s offense to stay on track.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – The YMCA of South Alabama held a Healthy Kids Day at Spanish Fort Town Center Park.
Saturday’s event featured games and demonstrations, along with interactive activities featuring police and fire vehicles.
“I think just seeing so many organizations come together that serve kids, and just seeing kids have fun,” said Gwen Summer, CEO of the YMCA of South Alabama.
Marissa Rennaker, director of development for the YMCA of South Alabama, said the event exposed children to new activities.
“I think it’s been seeing all the kids laugh and try different things that they probably haven’t tried before,” Rennaker said. “There was a big group doing pickleball and yoga. We had ballet earlier, so just getting them out and exposed to things, I think it’s been great.”
The event was designed to kick off a healthy, active summer.
The YMCA of South Alabama is located at 27080 Pollard Road in Daphne.
Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.
Former Alabama star Will Anderson Jr. has reportedly signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Houston Texans, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Anderson instantly solidified himself as one of the top defensive players in football throughout his rookie campaign in 2023. The star defensive end was named as the Rookie of the Year in 2023, as Anderson’s extension will officially keep him in Houston long-term, as well as make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Anderson recorded an impressive 12 sacks on the Texans’ defensive line in 2025, as the former Alabama star has made history following his head turning extension with Houston.
Anderson was nothing short of a superstar throughout his time at Alabama. Houston drafted the talented lineman with the third overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, as Anderson was widely regarded as one of the top overall selections from his class.
The former Crimson Tide superstar has officially inked a massive extension with the Texans, as Anderson will undoubtedly continue playing a critical role on Houston’s defensive line over the coming seasons.
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Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn said that No. 4 Texas would be “hungry” against the No. 11Crimson Tide coming off its first series loss of the season to Texas A&M.
The Longhorns certainly were, as they pounced all over Vaughn’s team, striking out 17 Alabama batters en route to a 10-2 win.
“The story of the game was they just kind of kicked our tail in every phase tonight,” Vaughn said.
Alabama starter Tyler Fay had been elite over his past four starts, dating back to his complete-game no-hitter against Florida, allowing just six earned runs over the 26.0 innings pitched in those games. That changed instantly on Friday evening, as leadoff batter Aiden Robbins opened the game with a double and catcher Carson Tinney took him deep for a two-run blast moments later.
Texas added a third run in the first off an Ethan Mendoza RBI double, setting the tone for a dominant day. Alabama did not record a hit until the fourth inning as Longhorn ace Dylan Volantis tore through batters, striking out 12 over six innings.
Fay ended up going 5.1 innings, just the second time he did not make it through the sixth. The other, against Auburn, was only due to Vaughn wanting to keep his pitch count down in the wake of the no-hitter. He allowed season-highs of seven earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.
The Longhorns added a run each in the third and the fifth, before Alabama put the slightest amount of pressure on Texas in the top of the sixth. Bryce Fowler and Justin Lebron scored on the basepaths off an error and a wild pitch, respectively, to cut the Texas lead to three runs.
“You’ve got to find ways to score,” Vaughn said. “Those two guys just created two runs for us, and did a great job creating those runs and we crawl back in at 5-2, and it’s like, ‘Let’s go back to work…’ So thought we had that chance in those middle innings.”
The Longhorns effectively put the game to bed in the next frame, responding with three runs as Fay was relieved by Connor Lehman. Texas would add two more runs on the day, with the only silver lining coming in the fact that Alabama avoided a run-rule.
The Crimson Tide has now lost four straight SEC games after winning three consecutive series. Zane Adams takes the mound with the series on the line on Saturday, in a game that has been moved up to 12 p.m. CT due to anticipated rain in Austin.
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