Bama’s ‘uncharacteristic’ gaffes doom CFP hopes
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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
NORMAN, Okla. — Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer lamented his team’s “uncharacteristic” mistakes in the aftermath of a 24-3 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night that dealt a significant blow to the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw three interceptions, and the Crimson Tide (8-3, 4-3 SEC) never shook off a slow start against an Oklahoma defense that held them to a season-low 70 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, the Sooners (6-5, 2-5) — relying on the legs of quarterback Jackson Arnold and freshman running back Xavier Robinson — gashed Alabama for 257 rushing yards on their way to sealing bowl eligibility for a 26th consecutive season.
The Crimson Tide have three losses for the first time since 2010.
Alabama began Week 13 in line to reach the SEC title game on Dec. 7 with wins over Oklahoma then Auburn during the final two weeks of the regular season. Instead, the Crimson Tide’s road stumble helped No. 10 Georgia clinch a spot in the conference championship and left Alabama’s path into the CFP on shaky ground. Even if the Tide beat the Tigers in the Iron Bowl next weekend, Alabama will need plenty of help in order to land a spot in the 12-team playoff field.
Following the program’s lowest-scoring performance since 2004, DeBoer focused on the Tide’s early errors in a game he said “got away” from them after halftime.
“We got to be better in all ways,” DeBoer said. “Some simple things, uncharacteristic things, happened early in the game where we didn’t get the momentum on our side. And really, it comes down to the end of the first half [with] them scoring a touchdown and the turnovers really kind of changing the momentum of the game there.”
It was a particularly rough night for Milroe. The junior went 11-for-26 for 164 yards passing and managed just 7 yards rushing on 15 attempts. Alabama trailed 10-3 early in the third quarter when Oklahoma cornerback Eli Bowen intercepted Milroe, setting up Robinson’s second touchdown run of the game four plays later. The Sooners’ lead grew to 24-3 on the ensuing possession after linebacker Kip Lewis jumped Milroe’s throw to tight end Robbie Ouzts and returned it 49 yards for a score.
Oklahoma’s 21-point advantage marked Alabama’s largest deficit against an unranked opponent since 2003. The Tide picked up only five first downs and 80 yards total after Milroe’s back-to-back picks. He became the first Alabama quarterback to throw three interceptions in a game since 2015 on Woodi Washington‘s game-sealing pick with 6:53 remaining in the contest.
While Milroe struggled, DeBoer saw wider problems in an offense that never recovered from a sloppy first half, which included punts on three of the Tide’s first four possessions.
“I think stepping back, it just felt like early in the game there were different things — drops, balls we lost in the lights — different, uncharacteristic things. Weird things that happened,” DeBoer said. “I thought [Milroe] was actually putting the ball where he needed to. We just needed to help him out a little bit.”
Sooners coach Brent Venables said Oklahoma was the more “physical football team,” and his offense proved it with 205 first-half rushing yards that marked the most Alabama has allowed in a half since 2007. The Tide continued to struggle against the Sooners’ rushing attack after halftime without linebacker Deontae Lawson. Alabama’s second-leading tackler was ruled out for the remainder of the game after exiting with a lower body injury in the second quarter.
DeBoer did not provide an update on Lawson’s status following the game.
“Anytime you lose a great player like Deontae, it’s going to affect you,” DeBoer said. “His leadership. He’s the guy who makes a lot of the calls on the field. Just seems like he’s always in control.”
The stunning defeat leaves the Tide’s postseason hopes in a precarious position entering the final week of the regular season. With those playoff aspirations no longer in Alabama’s control ahead of an Iron Bowl visit from the Tigers, its quarterback was focused on moving forward.
“It’s all about finish,” Milroe said late Saturday night. “We’ve got to finish. There’s so much left for the football season. We’ve got to get everyone together to have a like-mindedness and just keep on competing. Every opportunity that we have, we’ve just got to seize it.”
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffered a ruptured tendon in his left knee and is out for the remainder of the season, the team said.
The 25-year-old Casas ruptured his patellar tendon running to first on a slow roller up the line and fell awkwardly in Boston’s victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. After laying on his back in pain — not moving the knee — he was carted off on a stretcher before being taken to a Boston hospital.
The team announced Sunday that he had surgery for a left patellar tendon repair at Massachusetts General Hospital. The surgery was performed by Dr. Eric Berkson.
“I talked to him last night,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in a news conference on Saturday discussing the injury outside Boston’s clubhouse. “We exchanged text messages [Saturday]. We all care deeply about just his overall wellbeing.”
Manager Alex Cora said Casas worked hard during the offseason to play every day after missing a large amount of last year with torn cartilage in his rib cage.
“He did an outstanding job in the offseason to put himself in that situation. It didn’t start the way he wanted it to,” Cora said of Casas’ struggles. “He was going to play and play a lot. Now we’ve got to focus on the rehab after the surgery and hopefully get him back stronger than ever and ready to go next year.”
Casas batted just .182 with three homers and 11 RBIs, but Breslow said his loss will be felt, especially with the team’s lack of depth at the position.
“He certainly struggled through the first month of the season but that didn’t change what we believe his production was capable of being,” Breslow said. “It’s a big loss. In addition to what we think we were going to get on the offensive side, he was kind of like a stabilizing presence on the defensive side of the field — also a big personality and a big part of the clubhouse.”
During spring training, Casas talked about how his focus at the plate this season was being more relaxed.
“You really want it until you don’t,” he said, explaining his thoughts while standing at his locker. “Then you can’t want it that much.”
Now, he’ll have to focus on his recovery plan for next season.
Casas, a left-handed batter, was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with infielder/outfielder Abraham Toro selected from Triple-A Worcester.
Cora said Toro — a switch-hitter — will split time at first along with Romy Gonzalez. who bats right-handed.
Breslow said the team might be exploring a long-term replacement.
“This is unfortunately an opportunity to explore what’s available,” he said. “We’ll look both internally and outside as well.”
Cora said there are no plans to move Rafael Devers, who was replaced at third by offseason free-agent acquisition Alex Bregman and moved to DH.
“We asked him to do something in spring training that in the beginning he didn’t agree with it and now he’s very comfortable doing what he’s doing,” Cora said. “Like I told you guys in spring training, he’s my DH.”
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
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