Oklahoma
Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Proved Again He’s a ‘True Gamer’ With Alabama Pick Six
NORMAN — Kip Lewis must have something against the state of Alabama.
In September, he sealed Oklahoma’s unlikely comeback victory over Auburn with a Pick Six.
Saturday night, he repeated his heroics — this time to bury the No. 7-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
With Alabama down 17-3 and needing a score to get back into the game, Jalen Milroe didn’t see Lewis.
The OU linebacker didn’t care.
He snatched the ball out of the way and outraced the Crimson Tide 49 yards the other way, stepping over a Milroe half-hearted tackle attempt en route to the end zone.
“(They) came out of a formation that we’ve been studying all week, and Coach (Zac) Alley had everybody prepared, nailing us down with the details,” Lewis said after the win. “And so I read my keys, did what I was supposed to, and I was proud that he threw, because I was like, ‘What if I’m standing right here?’ But you know, just finishing and making sure I get to the end zone after I caught it.”
Lewis and the Sooners never looked back, as the Pick Six put the exclamation point on the 24-3 win.
The redshirt sophomore burst onto the scene last year for Oklahoma by playing a crucial part in the goal line stand against Texas.
Then in his first year as an established starter, Lewis has delivered in both of OU’s SEC wins.
And while he turns it on every Saturday, Lewis said the interceptions never come his way in practice.
“I drop (passes) in practice a lot,” Lewis said with a smile. “I drop ’em a lot, and I just say, ‘Hey guys, look, in a game, it’s a catch, don’t worry.’ That’s what I tell them all the time.”
Alley confirmed Lewis’ struggles to hold onto the ball during practice, but praised the growth the young linebacker has shown to play a key role at the heart of Oklahoma’s defense.
“I don’t know; he dropped them in pregame too,” Alley said with a smirk. “I think when the lights come on, he’s a different dude. He’s a true gamer. There’s not a lot of those guys. He’s a good practice player, no doubt about it, but man, when the lights are on and the stage is bright and matter, he’s at his best when it matters the most.”
The interception from Lewis wasn’t the only contribution from the Sooners’ front seven.
They held Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe to just seven rushing yards, and OU’s defensive line and linebackers dictated play at the point of attack.
Lewis finished with no tackles, but he and fellow linebacker Danny Stutsman disrupted everything the Crimson Tide tried to do.
“I’m so proud of them. And the other guys like Kip,” Stutsman said. “Comes up big with a huge play. Just proud of him.”
Partly thanks to Lewis’ contributions, the Sooners are now bowl eligible.
Oklahoma will be able to utilize those extra practices to continue to develop and be better prepared headed into 2025.
But for now, Lewis was just happy he could help deliver OU coach a signature win and send the seniors out in style.
“It’s really good. Just building momentum into going into next year, I think it’s gonna really say what this team is,” Lewis said. “Just some hard, gritty fighting team that’s never gonna quit, never gonna give up. A lot of people counted us out this season and thought we should just write it off. And so we had other plans.”
Oklahoma State and Houston have an odd tradition dating back to their matchup in 1986. Neither team has won two games in a row.
Since that game in Stillwater in 1986 the Cougars and the Cowboys have alternated victories. Houston won that game in Stillwater, 28-12. The Cowboys followed that with a win in Houston in 1987.
Then the Cougars won in 2006 in Houston, followed by an Oklahoma State win in Stillwater in 2008. The two teams met again in 2009 in Stillwater and Houston won.
That was followed in 2023 by Oklahoma State’s first visit to Houston in Big 12 action with the Cowboys claiming the victory. And, of course, there was Oklahoma State’s loss to Houston last year in Stillwater.
If things hold the form, Oklahoma State will beat Houston this October. But the Cowboys are going to have to overcome something that Houston does better than them.
What Houston Does Better Than Oklahoma State
Given that both teams have talented offenses and have the potential to dominate in the passing game, it’s safe to say that’s a draw. Same for the running game with Caleb Hawkins at Oklahoma State and the incoming Makhi Hughes at Houston.
So, it could come down to who can defend the pass the best. In that area, Houston would have a clear advantage.
In terms of yards allowed in the air last year Houston was No. 10 in the Big 12 and Oklahoma State was No. 13. There wasn’t much separating the pair. But Houston had 12 interceptions to Oklahoma State’s six, and much of that production is coming back in the form of three returning starters. Plus, the Cougars managed to replace some of the lost production with an impressive transfer.
Will James was an All-Big 12 cornerback last year who returns with three interceptions and five pass breakups in what was a breakthrough season for the junior. Both safeties are back after last season as well. Kentrell Webb is more of a ball-hawkish type safety who can also tackle (71 tackles, one interception) while Jordan Allen had 48 tackles and broke up two passes.
New corner Jalen Mayo replaces much of the lost production on the back end. The Stephen F. Austin transfer helped the Lumberjacks win the Southland Conference and an FCS playoff game as he picked off four passes. He’ll combine with James to build a formidable group of cornerbacks that can also count on another transfer, Javion White, in a 4-2-5 formation.
Game planning will be a bit easier for Oklahoma State since it plays the same 4-2-5 scheme. But, on paper, Houston’s secondary looks much better than Oklahoma State’s, which only has one returning starter in LaDanian Fields, who is a sophomore. Fields has two interceptions as a redshirt freshman. But transfers will make up for what else was lost last season.
Given the continuity on Houston’s side, it’s easy to see why their secondary is the thing they do better than Oklahoma State. Of course, the Cowboys have enough runway to nullify that advantage before they meet in October.
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Kentucky fans have been waiting all night to hear the name Otega Oweh called in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the wait is finally over. Oweh just went with the 41st pick to the Miami Heat, but his draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This means Oweh will be joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace, who just two seasons ago won the NBA Championship.
The Thunder still have one of the best young cores in the NBA, and now they have added to it by bringing in the Kentucky star Oweh. This season for the Wildcats, Oweh led the team in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game to go with 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals.
When watching Oweh play, some might wonder how he didn’t go higher in the draft, but the goal for him early into his pro career will be to see if he can continue to develop his jump shot. Last year at Kentucky, Oweh shot 33.3% from deep, but fans felt a lot more confident when Oweh would shoot the three-point shot.
Oweh is a great defender who is going to thrive playing for the Thunder, who are a team that works harder than any other team on the defensive end of the floor. Oweh can be a player for the Thunder who can come off the bench and play really hard on the defensive end of the floor, taking away steals and getting to the rim.
When it comes to getting to the rim, there was no player in college basketball better than Oweh last season. He will be able to do this in the league, and if there is nothing there, he can kick the ball out to an open shooter. Being able to drive and kick in the NBA is very important, and I believe Oweh will do this at a high level.
The goal now for Oweh will be to play really well in the NBA Summer League to prove to the Thunder that he has to be on the team next season. While Oweh’s shooting issue doesn’t make him a prototypical NBA guard, BBN knows this kid can play. He will prove in the NBA Summer League that no team can stop him from getting to the rim. It will be great to see him paired with SGA and Wallace. The fit between the Thunder and Oweh makes a ton of sense, and he could make this roster.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City fire crews responded to a commercial fire in SW Oklahoma City on Wednesday afternoon.
The Oklahoma City Fire Department said crews responded to a fire at a vacant restaurant near SW 29th and South Miller Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.
Crews extinguished the flames, which were shooting up through the roof, according to OKCFD.
No injuries were reported, and OKCFD is working to determine the cause of the fire.
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