OU football’s Bowen brothers made bookending critical plays as the Sooners held off No. 4 Alabama for a 23–21 victory Saturday.
Sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen set the tone early in the first quarter with a momentum-shifting interception.
On Alabama’s second possession, sophomore safety Reggie Powers III delivered a hit that knocked the ball loose from Alabama sophomore running back Daniel Hill. Redshirt junior linebacker Kobie McKinzie was unable to secure it, and Alabama freshman wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks recovered for a first down, keeping the Crimson Tide’s drive alive.
However, on the very next play, redshirt junior linebacker Kip Lewis pressured Alabama redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson into a hurried throw that landed in Eli Bowen’s hands. The sophomore returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, giving OU a 10–0 lead.
87-YARD PICK SIX‼️@EliBowen12 | 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/vzVDocagWz
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 15, 2025
“That was critical — huge play,” OU head coach Brent Venables said of the touchdown return. “They got the protection wrong. They threw the ball quickly. Kip was unblocked. Our guys were ready for it — zone concept and had zone eyes and saw the ball coming. It was huge.”
The interception was the second of Eli Bowen’s career, both coming against Alabama, with the first recorded during last year’s 24–3 win in Norman.
His brother, junior safety Peyton Bowen, delivered the game-clinching play with less than a minute remaining. After a 15-yard completion on third down, Alabama faced fourth-and-six with just under a minute to go. Simpson dropped back and launched a pass toward the sideline, but Peyton Bowen swatted it away, breaking up the throw.
Massive play on fourth down to beat Alabama from Oklahoma’s Peyton Bowen. He’s one of the top safeties in the country. Bowen came into today No. 2 on the Sooners in forced incompletions pic.twitter.com/kNrNdqqzLl
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) November 15, 2025
The incompletion gave OU possession with 50 seconds left, allowing the Sooners to run out the clock and preserve the 23–21 victory.
“I’m just so happy that we’re both able to play on this stage. I thank God that we can do this,” Eli Bowen said, reflecting on the moment and the unique opportunity to share the field with his older brother Peyton. “I’m his biggest fan. … I was just so happy for him and so glad he got to shine in that moment.”
Even with his brother on the field, Peyton Bowen emphasized that the team’s strength comes from the locker-room bond.
“I think we have such a brotherhood and such a good connection throughout the locker room, offense and defense. It just makes you want to play for that person so much more. … We want to play harder for the guy next to us,” Peyton Bowen said.
Both players have developed into key contributors in OU’s secondary, but their paths to this point differ. Peyton joined the program in 2023 and has appeared in 35 games, quickly becoming a regular presence on the defense. Eli followed in 2024 and, despite a foot injury sustained in spring 2025 that sidelined him until the Kent State game, has played in 17 contests and gradually established himself as an important contributor to the OU defense.
The victory strengthened OU’s position for the College Football Playoff and underscored the role of the defense in the team’s success this season. OU forced three turnovers and limited Alabama to just 57 yards over its final four drives to secure the road win.
“That’s why you stay here,” Peyton Bowen said. “You just have faith and belief in the program and what (Venables) is doing year after year.”
