Alabama fought back from a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma 34-24 on Friday night, with coach Kalen DeBoer crediting his team’s composure under pressure.
The Crimson Tide trailed early at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium but never lost focus. DeBoer said he felt no panic despite the large deficit on the road.
“We just couldn’t be more proud of these guys, the resiliency. It showed up tonight in a big way, on the road, down 17.”
DeBoer’s message to his team was simple. You can’t make up a huge deficit all at once.
“You can’t score a 17-point touchdown. You’ve got to go score one score, even if it’s three points.”
The coach said he felt encouraged even before Alabama’s pick-six interception late in the second quarter shifted momentum. Getting within seven points before halftime was the key.
“If we can go in 17–10 and get the ball to start the second half, we’ve clawed our way back in. I actually felt really good about the spot we were in.”
Alabama stuck to its game plan throughout the comeback. DeBoer trusted his quarterback to provide energy and his defense to keep pressuring Oklahoma. When facing fourth-and-six later in the game, he chose to kick a field goal instead of going for it.
“To go up 10 and make it a two-score game, that was actually a pretty easy decision.”
The performance showed growth from previous Alabama teams that struggled on the road. This group stayed together when things went wrong early.
“There’s never been any finger pointing. We always talk about the game is going to come back to us. Just keep fighting.”
Alabama didn’t win with spectacular plays. The team absorbed pressure, trusted its systems, and executed when opportunities came.
“We just stayed the course. Everyone did a little bit better, and then plays get made.”
For DeBoer, that’s exactly the kind of mental toughness he’s been building with this team.
