Alabama

What happened the last time Oklahoma Sooners played the Alabama Crimson Tide?

Published

1 year ago

November 18, 2024

What happened the last time Oklahoma Sooners played the Alabama Crimson Tide?

There isn’t a much better helmet matchup in college football than the Oklahoma Sooners and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Two of the top five programs in the history of college football are now in the same conference, and they’ll meet for just the seventh time ever on Saturday.

Two teams used to winning, and winning a lot are on opposite trajectories right now. OU started 4-1, but they are now just 5-5 with two games left. Bama lost to Vanderbilt and Tennessee on the road earlier this season, but they’ve righted the ship with some key wins over the last few weeks against Missouri and LSU.

The all-time series between the two teams sits at 3-2-1 in favor of the Sooners. They first met in the Orange Bowl at the conclusion of the 1962 season. Alabama shut out Oklahoma that day, en route to a 17-0 victory. At the end of the 1970 season, they faced off in the Bluebonnet Bowl, with the game ending in a 24-24 tie.

There have been three matchups in the 21st century, beginning with a home game for the Sooners in 2002. Oklahoma won 37-27, highlighted by a couple of remarkable runs by Renaldo Works and a fumble return for a touchdown to seal the deal by Eric Bassey.

The next year, the teams met in Tuscaloosa, with OU winning, this time by a score of 20-13. Of course, the 2003 Sooners would end up in the BCS National Championship Game that year.

Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jason White (who was lost to a season-ending injury in the previous year’s game) hit Brandon Jones for a 47-yard touchdown in the third quarter on the game’s most series of plays. That throw immediately followed a gutsy successful fake punt call by Bob Stoops deep in his own territory.

But perhaps the matchup Sooner fans remember the most fondly happened in the Sugar Bowl after the 2013 season. The two-time defending national champion Crimson Tide were heavy favorites that night in New Orleans, but Oklahoma pulled off a huge 45-31 upset win.

Quarterback Trevor Knight had the finest game of his career, throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns against the vaunted Tide defense. OU’s defense harassed Bama QB A.J. McCarron all night, with Eric Striker and Geneo Grissom teaming up for a scoop and score touchdown to end a potential game-tying drive. It was one of the best wins of the late-Stoops era in Norman, as the Sooners took down the No. 3 team in the country on a truly magical and unforgettable night.

However, Alabama currently has bragging rights in this series, as the two programs met in the 2018 College Football Playoff Orange Bowl semifinal six years ago. Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and runner-up Tua Tagovailoa were primed for an offensive shootout in Miami, as Lincoln Riley and Nick Saban met for the first time.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma, this game was essentially over thirteen and a half minutes in, as Alabama rolled to a 21-0 lead, stifling Murray in the process. It was 28-0 Bama before the Sooners finally scored in the second quarter, and the Crimson Tide kept OU at arms length for the rest of the night. Alabama won 45-34, showing off a complete, star-studded team.

Murray and the Oklahoma offense got the Sooners as close as 11 points on multiple occasions, but OU didn’t have a good enough defense to handle Tagovailoa and an excellent Tide offense. Riley was outcoached by Saban, who knew that Oklahoma couldn’t stop his team.

It wasn’t Murray’s finest hour in his final collegiate game before being selected No. 1 overall in the next April’s NFL Draft. Riley would coach the Sooners for three more seasons before bolting to USC. Tagovailoa, Saban and the Crimson Tide were defeated by Clemson in the national championship game, as Brent Venables’ defense put on a clinic against one of the best offenses in college football.

As the Sooners and the Crimson Tide prepare to meet again, Oklahoma is looking to get their fourth win in the series and improve to 4-1 this century. A performance like Knight’s at the quarterback position, coupled with a vintage 2018 Clemson performance from Alley and the defense would go a long way towards getting Oklahoma to bowl eligibility.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

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Alabama

Alabama elections 2026: Who is running for U.S. Senate and House?

Published

8 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

Alabama elections 2026: Who is running for U.S. Senate and House?

Alabama residents will make their choice for U.S. Congress during the May 19 primary, and officials are urging people to vote despite an ever-evolving situation surrounding the state’s congressional maps.

Currently, there are legal disputes surrounding the Congressional districts map in use in Alabama. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in late April on a redistricting case in Louisiana, Alabama asked for the preliminary injunction which barred them from redrawing their maps until 2030 to be lifted, which the courts have granted as of May 11.

Though there’s been some confusion in the face of ongoing legal motions regarding the maps, what is certain is that primary elections will go on as planned despite Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey calling for a special election in August for the affected congressional districts — Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7.

The Northern District Court of Alabama, which originally issued the injunction, still has to reconsider the case. The court asked state officials in a May 12 order to explain the plan for the 2026 elections and to explain how they plan to “ensure that all Alabamians may timely and efficaciously exercise their constitutional right to vote.”

There are two more elections after the primaries this month. On June 16, the state will hold primary runoff elections, and on Nov. 3, the state will host the general election. Additional candidates could come up after the primaries conclude, so once the names are finalized, the ballots may appear differently in November.

The special election in races affected by new congressional maps is currently planned for Aug. 11, though officials — including Ivey — have encouraged all voters to cast their ballots in the regular May 19 primary.

Who’s running for U.S. Senate?

The seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is up for election. Tuberville, who has thrown his hat in the governor’s race, will not be returning to the position, so all candidates listed would be new to the Senate. The other seat is held by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and won’t be open until her term expires in 2028.

Republican candidates

Seth Burton
Dale Shelton Deas Jr.
Jared Hudson
Steve Marshall
Barry Moore
Rodney Walker

Some names on this list are already serving in federal and Alabama state government positions, with Marshall currently serving as the state’s Attorney General, and Moore currently representing Alabama’s 1st District in the House of Representatives and previously representing the 2nd District. Of the candidates, President Donald Trump has endorsed only one, which is Moore.

Hudson is the only candidate who has attempted to run for another position, albeit unsuccessfully — he ran for sheriff of Jefferson County in 2022, but lost to incumbent Sheriff Mark Pettway.

Democratic candidates

Dakarai Larriett
Kyle Sweetser
Everett Wess
Mark S. Wheeler II

Who’s running for House of Representatives?

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell is running unopposed in District 7. Voters in every district have candidates from both sides of the aisle to consider.

Considering the special election that is now on the horizon, candidate names may appear differently on ballots in August if different maps are approved. For the May 19 primaries, the following is how candidate names will appear.

District 1 Republican Candidates

Jerry Carl
James (Jimmy) Dees
Rhett Marques
Joshua McKee
John Mills
James Richardson
Austin Sidwell

District 1 Democratic Candidates

Senate candidate Moore currently holds the District 1 position, so no candidates are incumbents. A few of the candidates in this race have previous political experience. Carl is a former member of the U.S. House and used to represent District 1, with his tenure in office lasting from 2021-25. Marques is a current Alabama State House representative.

District 2 Republican Candidates

District 2 Democratic Candidates

U.S. Rep. Figures currently holds the District 2 position.

District 3 Republican Candidates

District 3 Democratic Candidates

U.S. Rep. Rogers currently holds the District 3 position.

District 4 Republican Candidates

Robert B. Aderholt
Tommy Barnes

District 4 Democratic Candidates

Amanda N. Pusczek
Shane Weaver

U.S. Rep. Aderholt currently holds the District 4 position. His one Republican opponent, Barnes, has a history in public service, serving as a Colbert County Commissioner.

District 5 Republican Candidates

District 5 Democratic Candidates

Jeremy Devito
Candice Dollar Duvieilh
Andrew Sneed

U.S. Rep. Strong currently holds the District 5 position.

District 6 Republican candidates

District 6 Democratic candidates

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer currently holds the District 6 position.

How do I check my voter registration status?

To vote in the primary election, voters need to have been registered to vote in Alabama for 15 days before the election is scheduled to happen.

To check your registration status, visit vote.gov.

Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at sclifton@montgome.gannett.com or follow her on X @sarahgclifton and TikTok @sarahgclifton. To support her work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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Alabama

‘Maverick Act’ aims to preserve three F-14 Tomcats with restoration in Alabama

Published

20 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

‘Maverick Act’ aims to preserve three F-14 Tomcats with restoration in Alabama

PENSACOLA, Fla. — A bipartisan bill is making its way through Washington that would preserve and possibly restore a famous piece of naval aviation history.

The F-14 Tomcat was in service with the Navy for more than 30 years and was famously used in the original “Top Gun” movie.

But when the aircraft retired in 2005, the U.S. government destroyed a majority of the airplanes that were here in the U.S. This made the prospects of the jet returning to the skies next to impossible.

The “Maverick Act” hopes to bring a jet that inspired a generation back to life.

“The Maverick Act got a lot of support,” “It passed the Senate unanimously. It now heads to Congress for a final vote.”

Pensacola Navy veteran Dan McCort can still feel the raw power the F-14 Tomcat brought to naval aviation.

“It was a blast to fly. I gotta tell you I got it,” McCort said. “I love the airplane. I love the missions because it came with a huge mission set.”

The only country in the world flying the jet was Iran. The jets were given to Iran in 1979. But when the government was overthrown, the jets fell into the hands of an anti-American government.

Because of that, when the jet retired in 2006, the U.S. ordered most of the aircraft and its parts be destroyed.

During Operation Epic Fury, American and Israeli pilots destroyed Iran’s entire Air Force, including all the remaining flyable F-14s.

“We had to take them out, but boy that was hard for me to watch,” McCort said.

A bill dubbed the “Maverick Act” was introduced through a bipartisan effort. The legislation would preserve and restore three F-14s sitting in our nation’s boneyard.

“That airplane inspired an entire nation, partly because of the movie, partly because of the times it was hard Cold War, and it represented frankly American air power,” said McCort.

“A fantastic piece of equipment that served our country well,” Congressman Jimmy Patronis said. “But I can’t help but poke fun at it simply because of what Tom Cruise has done with the most recent ‘Top Gun’ movies.”

The bill calls for the Navy to donate the Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where they will be restored. If there’s enough spare parts, the bill calls for one of them to be restored to flight status to be flown at airshows across the country.

All of this would be funded by private donors, and not American taxpayers.

“If there’s no taxpayer dollars being used to restore these things then put it on the table,” said Patronis.

McCort says restoring the airplane will cost millions of dollars.

“A foundation that could generate some donations to defer the costs of making this thing fly because it will not be inexpensive,” said McCort. “I believe we’ll pay dividends down the road, both for the museum as well as a recruiting opportunity… as well as a recruiting opportunity for the country in general, and for the Navy frankly.”

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Alabama

Alabama moves to implement 2023 congressional map as legal battle continues in courts

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Alabama moves to implement 2023 congressional map as legal battle continues in courts

Voters hold signs saying “Hands Off Our Votes” and “Our Vote Our Voice Our Power” outside the Alabama Statehouse on May 4, 2026 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday called a special election in congressional districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 following an order from the Supreme Court allowing the state to use the state’s 2023 map. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

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