Oklahoma Showed 'Maturity' to Take Over After Halftime in South Carolina Beatdown

The Sooners quickly dashed any hopes of a South Carolina comeback in the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday.

Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels celebrates a safety in the Sooners' win over South Carolina. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, SC — A lesser team would have wilted on Saturday. 

The No. 14-ranked Sooners dictated play throughout most of the first half at Williams-Brice Stadium, but South Carolina worked itself back into the game. 

A sloppy stint of play — notably a slew of Oklahoma penalties — helped the Gamecocks score their first touchdown of the day. 

“When they scored right before halftime… we had hurt ourselves,” OU linebacker Kendal Daniels said. 

First, freshman receiver Elijah Thomas was flagged for a personal foul at the end of an Oklahoma punt return. That setback pushed the Sooners back to their own 24. 

OU went three-and-out, then punter Grayson Miller only moved the ball 18 yards down the field on one of his few poor moments of the season. 

Oklahoma looked as if it got off the field by pushing South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers out of bounds on fourth-and-2, but a replay overturned the call and moved the chains. 

The Sooners surrendered back-to-back pass interference flags and then the Gamecocks finally scored on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. 

“I had a bad play,” Daniels said. “I blitzed late and didn’t get to the quarterback and it kind of ate at me.”

Brent Venables’ defense rebounded before halftime by preventing the Gamecocks from kicking a field goal before time expired, then the Sooners took back over in the second half. 

South Carolina totaled just 30 yards of offense in the third quarter, punting three times, and Williams-Brice Stadium started to empty after John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna in the south endzone for a 20-yard score to put OU up 24-7.

Oklahoma added a safety in the fourth quarter thanks to a Mateer pooch punt getting downed on the 1-yard line by Thomas to round out the 26-7 win, and the Sooners head home 6-1 on the year and 2-1 in SEC play. 

“Incredibly proud of our team. The courage, toughness that they responded with coming off a tough game a week ago,” Venables said. “… Really thought, again, a week ago where we left a lot to be desired in the third quarter, certainly, when the game was still in doubt. We didn’t play great football and certainly didn’t complement or compensate for either side of the ball. Thought the second and third quarter defense, man, 63 yards on 32 plays, two yards a play. Not allowing them to get into the game.”

Venables said he challenged the team this week to get the pile moving in the right direction at the line of scrimmage. 

Ben Arbuckle’s offense responded by rushing for 171 yards on 40 carries. 

The defense did its part by totaling 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. 

“If you are on the opposite side of the pile, always going in the opposite direction, you will feel that and it takes a toll on you the whole game,” Daniels said. “Last week the pile was moving in the opposite direction and it hurt us, so this week we just wanted to get the pile moving. And it doesn’t take a lot to get the pile moving. Just a little bit of extra effort every play and we’ll be alright.”

Oklahoma held South Carolina to 0-of-6 on third downs in the first half and 0-of-10 through the first three quarters. 

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Of the Gamecocks’ 224 total yards, 85 came in the fourth quarter after the game was decided. 

OU allowed 54 rushing yards, and the Sooners were able to erase the longest rush of the day — a 36-yarder on fourth down — by stopping Sellers on the goal line. 

The loser of the Red River Rivalry always has to play with an extra chip on the shoulder in the following contest, and the Sooners handled the Gamecocks and the week with poise. 

“Feel like this is a team that has been battle-tested this season, even going into today,” Venables said. “I think that was a great advantage for us, our guys didn’t flinch. They believed. As the saying goes, judge a man, a unit, at times when things aren’t going well. 

“Everybody questioned the team a week ago. Our guys had the ability, maturity to block out that noise and focus on doing the things winning requires. The energy, execution, physicality, great focus to them. Thankful to our players and just their determination today.”