Bob and Drake Stoops Shared a 'Once in a Lifetime' Moment in Oklahoma's Alamo Bowl Win
SAN ANTONIO — The 2021 Alamo Bowl turned into a family affair early in the second quarter.
Already up 9-3, OU quarterback Caleb Williams stayed cool in the face of the Oregon pressure, flipping a fade to his left into the end zone off his back foot.
Awaiting the pass was a reliable target, Drake Stoops, who fought off a Duck defensive back to haul in the contested touchdown catch.
Stoops’ fourth career touchdown reception may have been his most special, as his father, Bob Stoops, was eager to greet him with a massive hug once he returned to the sideline.
“Drake made a great touchdown catch with a great route, and Caleb put a good ball, great ball on him,” Bob Stoops said in the postgame press conference. “The two of them connected.”
The touchdown catch was a small portion of Oklahoma’s 47-32 victory over the Ducks, but it was a special moment for the Stoops family in the midst of Bob’s final game in charge of the Sooners.
“It was great,” Drake Stoops said after the game. “Obviously I like catching touchdown passes, so that was nice. No, yeah, it was awesome.
Bob Stoops did say he was given a heads up the play could be coming, so he knew exactly where to focus his eyes before the snap.
“Things you hear on the headset,” said Bob Stoops. “We saw the defense they were in and they were going to come after Caleb, and Coach (Cale) Gundy said on the headphones, he said, ‘Drake gotta run a great route and win.’ As soon as they snapped the ball, Caleb looked that way, threw a great ball, Drake ran a great route and it was a touchdown.
“So I was tipped off to check Drake out on the snap, see if he runs a great route.”
Williams joked the play almost didn’t happen though, potentially robbing the Stoops’ of their unique moment.
“We almost took that play out, by the way,” Williams said in the postgame press conference with a smile. “Almost. Kept it in, worked it a few more times and got a touchdown off it. So not too bad.”
In the end, the play stayed, creating an Alamo Bowl moment that will stand the test of time.
The 6-yard touchdown grab was Drake’s only catch against the Ducks, but he made the most of his one target and helped his father avenge one of the more controversial losses of the Stoops era.
“It's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Drake Stoops, “and getting to play one game under my dad, just one game out of my whole career is definitely something I'll remember forever. And I'm sure he'll cherish it as well.”
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