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.”

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Chris Williams begin the show with their opening takes.

Sunday, November 24th 2024, 11:17 pm

By:

News 9,

News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY –

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Chris Williams begin the show with their opening takes.

OU, OSU, TU Breakdown

OU, OSU, TU Opponent Preview

UCO Football Recap

Thunder Report: Thunder Head West To Face Top Conference Teams

OSU, OU, Basketball Recap

Play The Percentages

Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris, a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94.

Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago.

“Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity.

“Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said.

Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator.

“He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.”

“Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.”

Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission.

Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico.

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Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.