The South Carolina Gamecocks continued their losing streak after falling to the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners 26-7 on Saturday afternoon in Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina showed sparks of improvement in utilizing their wide receivers, but they could not capitalize on their run game.
“I know the talent we have on our offense … we’re not playing up to our potential,” head coach Shane Beamer said.
In the Gamecocks’ opening drive, redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers completed three passes out of three attempts, with completions going to junior wide receiver Nyck Harbor for 21 total yards and freshman wide receiver Jayden Sellers for five yards. LaNorris Sellers also took a shotgun snap and passed to graduate running back Rahsul Faison for 36 yards.
The second quarter is where the offense started to build momentum. Sellers handed off three times to redshirt freshman running back Matt Fuller while in the red zone, but Oklahoma’s defensive line closed gaps quickly. Sellers then made the connection with Harbor on the fourth down for a two-yard touchdown to put the Gamecocks on the scoreboard, and redshirt senior placekicker William Joyce secured the extra point.
“I had to do something to keep us offensively on the field,” Sellers said. “Make good plays, make good decisions … spitting the ball out when it’s there.”
After its early momentum, South Carolina's offense couldn't maintain rhythm. Protection broke down as Oklahoma's defensive line applied aggressive pressure, leading to six sacks that stalled drives and forced seven punts on fourth downs out of their 12 drives. The Gamecocks went 3-15 on third downs, failed to convert in short-yardage situations, and missed blocking assignments in the red zone that killed any chance of a comeback.
Without effective blocking from the offensive line, the run game never fully developed, with only one Gamecock rusher finishing with more than 20 yards, and the offense produced no plays over 20 yards after halftime. Play-calling was also imbalanced, as South Carolina's offense shifted toward quick passes and screens to counter Oklahoma's rush, but dropped passes and miscommunication on routes kept their drives short.
The Gamecocks’ third quarter drives ended as quickly as they started, each resulting in a three-and-out all four times and allowing Oklahoma extra chances to widen the gap with another touchdown. The Gamecocks's rushing attack stalled in the fourth quarter when Oklahoma redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Markus Strong tackled Fuller in the Gamecocks’ end zone for a safety to extend the lead.
Sellers was substituted for freshman quarterback Cutter Woods with two minutes left in the game. Woods went 4-6 in completions to attempts before ending the game with an interception from Oklahoma junior defensive back Jacobe Johnson.
“We know what kind of team we have … what kind of talent we have … just really getting back on track, trying to get everyone on the same page,” senior defensive back DQ Smith said.
With the absence of freshman wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr., Jayden Sellers stepped into his first SEC game and caught a total of 57 yards, leading the receivers in today’s game.
“I thought he did a great job,” Beamer said. “He’s been practicing the right way, he brings some juice to the offense … and when you practice the right way, you get opportunities.”
At the end of the game, South Carolina utilized nine receivers for 170 yards and six rushers for 54 yards, totaling 224 yards on the game. LaNorris Sellers went 17-25 in completions to attempts for 124 total yards, and three of the six utilized rushers contributed negative yardage.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma used eight receivers for 148 yards and four rushers for 171 yards, totaling 319 yards in the game. Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer went 18-26 in completions to attempts for 150 yards, and one of the four rushers had negative yardage.
“We just haven’t been consistent. We get stuff going, we're dropping the ball (and) we really just gotta finish,” Sellers said.
What’s next?
South Carolina (3-4, 1-4 SEC) will face the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide for their Homecoming game at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and it will be streamed on ABC.