Completed Event: Football at Temple on September 13, 2025 , Win , 42, to, 3
Final
Football
42
at Temple
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Bowen, Sandell, Wein Earn SEC Awards
November 17, 2025 | Football
NORMAN — Oklahoma sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, redshirt sophomore defensive end Taylor Wein was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and redshirt junior kicker Tate Sandell was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after leading the Sooners to a 23-21 road win over No. 4 Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the conference office announced Monday.
Bowen, who is from Corinth, Texas, returned an interception for a touchdown and recorded a season-high five tackles (all solo) on Saturday. The interception was the second of his career (his first was against Alabama last year in Norman) and he returned it 87 yards for a touchdown that gave Oklahoma a 10-0 first-quarter lead. His interception return was OU's longest return play of any kind this season and the eighth-longest interception return in school history.
Wein logged three tackles, a sack (which resulted in a fumble), two QB hurries and a blocked field goal Saturday. He blocked Alabama's field goal attempt at the end of the first half to preserve a 17-14 lead. It was OU's first field goal block since the 2020 season. The Brentwood, Tenn., product later sacked Alabama QB Ty Simpson late in the third quarter, knocking the ball loose and resulting in an OU recovery. The Sooners converted the turnover into a field goal with 13:41 remaining that put them ahead 23-21 for good. The strip sack was his first career forced fumble. He now has 4.5 sacks and a team-leading 12.0 tackles for loss this season. He has recorded all of his career sacks and TFLs this season.
Sandell made all three of his field goal attempts (from 25, 52 and 24 yards) and both of his PAT tries on Saturday. His first field goal gave the Sooners a 3-0 lead on their first possession and his 52-yarder gave OU a 20-14 advantage early in the third quarter. His last field goal put OU ahead 23-21 with 13:41 left in the fourth quarter and marked the game's final points. The Port Neches, Texas, product extended his streak of field goal makes to a school-record 21. It is the second-longest streak in SEC history and longest in a single season. He also extended his single-season school records for made field goals of 50-plus yards (he is 7 for 7; the next most nationally this season is four) and for field goal makes of 40-plus yards (nation-leading 14).
This is Sandell's third SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season and second straight. He also earned the award after OU's wins over Kent State and Tennessee. This is the first career conference weekly award for both Bowen and Wein.
OU players have now claimed 11 SEC weekly awards this season. Redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke was named Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3, freshman running back Tory Blaylock was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and punter Grayson Miller was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 22 and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8.
No. 8/8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) plays host to No. 23/21 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ABC.
Bowen, who is from Corinth, Texas, returned an interception for a touchdown and recorded a season-high five tackles (all solo) on Saturday. The interception was the second of his career (his first was against Alabama last year in Norman) and he returned it 87 yards for a touchdown that gave Oklahoma a 10-0 first-quarter lead. His interception return was OU's longest return play of any kind this season and the eighth-longest interception return in school history.
Wein logged three tackles, a sack (which resulted in a fumble), two QB hurries and a blocked field goal Saturday. He blocked Alabama's field goal attempt at the end of the first half to preserve a 17-14 lead. It was OU's first field goal block since the 2020 season. The Brentwood, Tenn., product later sacked Alabama QB Ty Simpson late in the third quarter, knocking the ball loose and resulting in an OU recovery. The Sooners converted the turnover into a field goal with 13:41 remaining that put them ahead 23-21 for good. The strip sack was his first career forced fumble. He now has 4.5 sacks and a team-leading 12.0 tackles for loss this season. He has recorded all of his career sacks and TFLs this season.
Sandell made all three of his field goal attempts (from 25, 52 and 24 yards) and both of his PAT tries on Saturday. His first field goal gave the Sooners a 3-0 lead on their first possession and his 52-yarder gave OU a 20-14 advantage early in the third quarter. His last field goal put OU ahead 23-21 with 13:41 left in the fourth quarter and marked the game's final points. The Port Neches, Texas, product extended his streak of field goal makes to a school-record 21. It is the second-longest streak in SEC history and longest in a single season. He also extended his single-season school records for made field goals of 50-plus yards (he is 7 for 7; the next most nationally this season is four) and for field goal makes of 40-plus yards (nation-leading 14).
This is Sandell's third SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honor this season and second straight. He also earned the award after OU's wins over Kent State and Tennessee. This is the first career conference weekly award for both Bowen and Wein.
OU players have now claimed 11 SEC weekly awards this season. Redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke was named Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3, freshman running back Tory Blaylock was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 15 and Oct. 20, senior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and punter Grayson Miller was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 22 and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 8.
No. 8/8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2 SEC) plays host to No. 23/21 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Saturday at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ABC.
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/ FootballFB Highlights: OU 23, Alabama 21
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