Venables made another strong and unmistakable statement after a significant loss to South Carolina.

Nightmare start dooms Sooners in loss ‘nothing close to the standard’ of Oklahoma football

OU and Brent Venables suffered their second consecutive blowout on Saturday against South Carolina. NORMAN, Okla. — LaNorris Sellers threw for 175 yards, and South Carolina’s defense set the tone early with two touchdowns in the first quarter, leading to a commanding 35-9 victory over Oklahoma.

The Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3 SEC) overwhelmed Oklahoma with nine sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and held the Sooners to just 291 total yards. It was a particularly meaningful win for South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, a former Oklahoma assistant, who celebrated the team’s recovery after a close 27-25 loss to No. 7 Alabama the previous week.

“Just so happy for our players,” Beamer said. “To come off the heartbreak of last week and respond like we did today was really freaking awesome to watch. I think there was very much a mentality with our players after last week of enough’s enough, and we know what kind of team we can be. We’ve been banging on the door. It’s time to kick the door down. And we certainly kicked the door down today.”

The Gamecocks capitalized on Oklahoma’s mistakes, scoring 22 points off four turnovers without committing any themselves.

“We said going into the game that one of our keys to victory was — every week, it’s to win the turnover battle, but this week we actually used the word dominate the turnover battle, and they absolutely did,” Beamer said. “What a start.”

Jackson Arnold passed for 225 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma after stepping in for Michael Hawkins Jr. in the first quarter. Jacob Jordan added six receptions for 86 yards for the Sooners (4-3, 1-3). This loss marks only the second time since 1999 that Oklahoma has dropped consecutive home games.

“What we put out there today as a football team is nothing remotely close to the standard here at the University of Oklahoma, certainly not what we planned for today,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “My job as a head coach is to evaluate everything and figure it out and find a way to put us in a better position to be successful.”

Oklahoma fell behind early after a series of rapid turnovers that led to Hawkins being benched. He threw an interception on Oklahoma’s first offensive play, leading to a Gamecocks touchdown. On their next possession, Hawkins fumbled while being sacked by Demetrius Knight Jr., allowing Tonka Hemingway to return it 64 yards for another score.

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA – OCTOBER 19: Head coach Shane Beamer of the South Carolina Gamecocks shakes hands with athletic director Joe Castiglione and head coach Brent Venables of the Oklahoma Sooners before their game at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

On Oklahoma’s third possession, Hawkins was hit as he released the ball, resulting in an interception by Nick Emmanwori, who returned it 65 yards for another touchdown, making it 21-0 just over five minutes into the game. Hawkins committed three turnovers in his nine snaps before being replaced.

South Carolina dominated the first half, leading 32-3 while holding Oklahoma to just 109 yards of offense. The Gamecocks’ defense sealed the win in the second half, providing a big confidence boost.

“We can go toe-to-toe with anybody in this country,” Beamer said. “I mean, if you’re one of the better teams in the SEC, you’re one of the better teams in the entire nation. And our record may not say it. We know every week is a grind in this league, but we’ve shown we can go toe-to-toe with the best.”

The Takeaway
South Carolina: The Gamecocks showed their strong performance against Alabama was no accident. Coming into the game ranked 12th nationally in forced turnovers, they added four more against Oklahoma.

Oklahoma: The Sooners’ offensive line continued to struggle, leaving their quarterbacks vulnerable. Though receivers found openings, there was no time to get the ball to them as South Carolina recorded nine sacks from nine different players. Defensively, Oklahoma performed well, limiting the Gamecocks to just 254 yards.

Bag of tricks
Shane Beamer, known for his creativity with trick plays, pulled a few out on Saturday. The Gamecocks lined up in an unusual formation for a 2-point conversion, with Maurice Brown running it in to extend their lead to 32-3 in the second quarter. However, later in the half, the Gamecocks’ attempt at a fake field goal failed as the clock expired before halftime.

Beamer’s success
Beamer previously served as Oklahoma’s assistant head coach under Lincoln Riley from 2018 to 2020. He coached tight ends, H-backs, and contributed to special teams, helping the Sooners achieve a 33-6 record during his tenure.

Welcome back
Former Oklahoma backup quarterback Davis Beville, now South Carolina’s third-string QB, made a brief appearance in the fourth quarter, taking the final kneel-down to run out the clock.

Burned redshirt
By playing in his fifth game of the season, Jackson Arnold lost his redshirt status. The sophomore hadn’t seen action since September 21, but Venables acknowledged during the week that the redshirt possibility had been under discussion.

Up Next
South Carolina: Hosts No. 14 Texas A&M on November 2.
Oklahoma: Travels to face No. 18 Ole Miss on Saturday.