The South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3) return to Williams-Brice Stadium to host the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) this Saturday afternoon in what looms as a pivotal midseason showdown.
After a 20-10 loss on the road at No. 10 LSU last week, South Carolina aims to bounce back and salvage their postseason hopes. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is also looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, a 23-6 defeat to No. 21 Texas, to reestablish their momentum.
South Carolina has also announced they have relieved Lonnie Teasley of his duties as offensive line coach following the 3-3 start to the season. Run game coordinator and tight ends coach Shawn Elliot has stepped in to lead the offensive line, while pass game specialist Ben Burress assumed more of the tight end coaching responsibilities.
"(Burress) is a more calm, cool, collected guy, but I feel like he's very analytical," redshirt senior tight end Jordan Dingle said.
In the 2024 season, the Gamecocks defeated the Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma, by a convincing 35-9 margin, thanks in part to a suffocating defense that registered nine sacks by nine different defenders. Looking ahead to this weekend, head coach Shane Beamer commented on Oklahoma's strengths.
"They're active and disruptive up front," Beamer said. "The linebackers are all experienced ... the whole secondary returns ... makes life really, really difficult on opposing offensive lines."
Oklahoma's defense has also proven itself, ranking 10th nationally according to National Football Post, allowing just 84.8 rushing yards per game. South Carolina's run game has yet to fully develop, averaging just 115.3 rushing yards per game, while their defense has been more vulnerable, conceding about 147 yards per game. Penalties are a large discrepancy as well, as South Carolina ranks 116th nationally, averaging 68.7 penalty yards per game, while Oklahoma is ranked 64th, giving up about 52.3 penalties yards per game.
On the offensive side, the matchup presents a different contrast. On the ground, Oklahoma averages 122.3 rushing yards per game, with freshman running back Tory Blaylock contributing about 48.3 yards.
South Carolina's ground game is led by graduate running back Rahsul Faison, who has 231 rushing yards on 54 carries, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Redshirt freshman running back Matt Fuller has added 154 rushing yards on 33 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and he was responsible for the only touchdown against LSU in Baton Rouge.
After returning from an injury to his right hand that required surgery, redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer had an underwhelming performance in the Red River Rivalry. Mateer completed 20 of 38 passes for 202 yards and three interceptions against No. 21 Texas. Throughout the regular season, Mateer has posted 1,417 passing yards (115/179) with six passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers leads South Carolina with 1,010 passing yards on 73/114 completions and a 4:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio so far.
The turnover battle has a chance to be a crucial aspect of the game this Saturday. In their meeting last year, three early turnovers set the tone, and South Carolina capitalized with two defensive touchdowns and a short-field score. If the Gamecocks' defense or special teams can again produce non-offensive scores or forced takeaways, it may shift the balance in a close game.
South Carolina has scored six touchdowns this season through defense and special teams alone. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain has contributed three of the six non-offensive touchdowns on punt returns.
Oklahoma's secondary has generally limited opponents through the air; it allowed about 126.3 passing yards per game and has surrendered only two passing touchdowns on the season. Sellers stated that he is focusing on processing plays more quickly ahead of Saturday's matchup.
"You've just got to make quicker decisions. Think quicker on the fly," Sellers said.
For South Carolina, the rushing game has yet to consistently click, as they'll need contributions from running backs and receivers alike to relieve pressure on their passing game. Beamer admitted this week that while South Carolina will maintain their identity, there may be added wrinkles in their run scheme to better attack defensive fronts.
"All we can control is what's next ... control what you can control, and keep getting better," Beamer said.
What's next?
The South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3 SEC) will take on the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners (5-1, 1-1 SEC) on Oct. 18 at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.