Devin Alexander

Senior running back Devin Alexander scores during the game against Moore on Sept. 8.

 Peyton Martin/OU Daily

Norman (0-2) fell to Moore (3-0) 43-42 on Friday evening at Harve Collins Stadium.

Next, the Tigers will stay at home to face Stillwater (0-2) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Here are the highlights, details and takeaways from the loss:

Takeaways

Tigers outscored in 4th en route to loss

With 10:49 remaining, the Tigers held a 35-21 lead over the Lions. But then, Moore mounted a comeback. 

The Tigers were outscored 22-7 before that point, but allowed three touchdowns for the Lions. Norman first allowed 14 unanswered points to make the score 35-35 before retaking a 42-35 lead with 1:33 left.

The Lions then mounted a touchdown drive, capped off by a deep 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Malikai Miller to wide receiver C.J. Simon. Moore then successfully scored a two-point conversion with running back Cam Hayes to take a 43-42 lead, which would be its margin of victory. 

Norman coach Rocky Martin didn't have an answer postgame, attributing Moore's comeback to its offensive talent. 

"I don't know if anything went sideways ... They just made a couple plays," Martin said. "Anything can happen in football. I do think we have things to look at, but they have an athletic team that made plays."

Martin's players felt the same. 

"They're a good team offensively, and we tried our hardest," sophomore defensive lineman Ethan Young said. "You can't say we didn't try. They have a really good team."

Devin Alexander

Senior running back Devin Alexander scores during the game against Moore on Sept. 8.

Alexander's six scores not enough

Despite the loss, Norman had one of the best players of the game.

Senior running back Devin Alexander scored all of the Tigers' touchdowns against the Lions, six in total. He rushed 19 times, totaling 274 rushing yards. 

Alexander stayed positive in defeat, being happy with the performances of him and his team. 

"After tonight, I'm really excited for what this team is going to accomplish," Alexander said. "The (offensive line) was really good for me, especially when I was cutting back. They were there for me almost every play. I think we had a great game."

Martin was especially pleased, calling Alexander "one of the best backs in the state."

"He's one of the fastest guys in Oklahoma," Martin said of Alexander. "When he makes one guy miss, there's no catching him, and he makes a lot of guys miss. He's our game-breaker."

Phoenix Murphy

Junior quarterback Phoenix Murphy during the game against Moore on Sept.8.

Tigers take confidence in loss

Alexander's positivity was shared by his teammates and his coach. 

Even though Norman fell to 0-2, an upbeat mood spread throughout postgame. When asked, the Tigers attributed it to the improvement since their 21-0 loss to Norman North last Thursday. 

Additionally, Norman thinks it can take many positives out of the defeat.

"The entire game was full of positives," Martin said. "I think we made some really good decisions on the offense. Defensively, we're flying around. We have a short week, so we're gonna learn from this and get our first win."

For Alexander, he sees a bright future for the Tigers.

"I think we're going to make the playoffs. I really do," Alexander said. "We wanted to show everybody that we're a great team, because we got a lot of doubters after the last game. I really do think this team is a great team."

Scoring Plays

Moore 6, Norman 0 (11:41 1st)

The Lions scored on the first play of the game with a 69-yard touchdown run from Miller.

Moore 14, Norman 0 (6:02 1st)

Hayes scored a 1-yard touchdown to extend the Lions' lead. The 2-point conversion was good to make the score 14-0.

Moore 14, Norman 7 (3:28 1st)

Alexander cut into the two-score deficit with a 6-yard rushing touchdown.

Moore 14, Norman 13 (9:21 2nd)

After a 4th-and-1 stop, Alexander scored an 81-yard rushing touchdown for his second score of the game. The extra point was missed. 

Moore 21, Norman 13 (7:21 2nd)

Miller scored his second rushing touchdown of the game from six yards out.

Moore 21, Norman 21 (5:16 2nd)

Alexander scored his third rushing touchdown from 62 yards out to tie the game.

Norman 28, Moore 21 (5:36 3rd)

Alexander got his fourth rushing touchdown of the game with a 34-yard score. This was the Tigers' first lead of the game.

Norman 35, Moore 21 (10:49 4th)

After a fumble recovery by junior linebacker Behr Boyd, Alexander scored his fifth touchdown of the game from 45 yards out. This was the first time the Tigers had a two-score lead.

Norman 35, Moore 28 (7:14 4th)

The Lions cut the deficit to one score with an eight-yard pass from quarterback Miller to Simon. This was the first passing touchdown by either team in the game.

Norman 35, Moore 35 (3:35 4th)

After recovering a fumble, Hayes got his second rushing touchdown of the game from five yards out. 

Norman 42, Moore 35 (1:33 4th)

Alexander put the Tigers back on top with his sixth rushing touchdown of the game from 31 yards out.

Norman 42, Moore 35 (1:33 4th)

Alexander puts the Tigers back on top with his sixth rushing touchdown of the game from 31 yards out.

Moore 43, Norman 42 (Final)

Miller's 37-yard touchdown pass was followed by Hayes rush for a two-point conversion. The Lions then forced an interception off junior quarterback Phoenix Murphy to seal the win.

Further Reading

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