OU redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein showed off his athleticism to block a field-goal attempt that contributed to a 23-21 win.
Wein leapfrogged the Alabama offensive line to get a hand on redshirt sophomore kicker Conor Talty's field-goal attempt from 36 yards out in the second quarter. The play came as the Sooners were up 17-14 with two seconds remaining in the first half and eliminated the Crimson Tide from shifting the momentum in its favor.
Wein Time ✋ @TaylorWein https://t.co/y4Dk0uYFFK pic.twitter.com/2wO1gKoYRN
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 15, 2025
"I just had to clear the guy, and I got a fingertip on it," Wein said. "That's all it took, and we needed that. It was huge going into the half."
Wein later added to his performance with a forced fumble that gave way to a redshirt senior linebacker Kendal Daniels recovery as 50 seconds remained in the third quarter. Wein and Daniels prevented Alabama from expanding a 21-20 lead, and in the Sooners' next drive, redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell made a 24-yard field for the final score of the game.
Wein finished with three tackles, one sack and one forced fumble against the Crimson Tide after two tackles against Tennessee in the Sooners' previous game. He now has 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble on the season.
His performance against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium gave him confidence that he carried into Alabama.
"(We’re) just used to that road dog mentality,” Wein said on Monday.
Wein's excellence came as senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was out with an injury sustained in the Tennessee win. Thomas has 23 tackles and a team-leading 6.5 sacks on the season, and his absence prompted Wein and the rest of the defense to step up.
"(When) you got a guy like R Mason Thomas not playing, that's huge because it sucks," Wein said. "R Mason, you have seen what he has done; he's proven what he can do. He's a game changer, but at the end of the day, it's next man up."
