NORMAN — Simply whenever you thought issues couldn’t worsen, Oklahoma discovered a means.
The Sooners (4-3, 1-3 SEC) had been embarrassed for the second straight week, this time by the hands of South Carolina (4-3, 2-3).
Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks turned three first quarter turnovers into 21 fast factors, burying OU earlier than the sport really bought underway at Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
It completed as a 35-9 victory for the guests, who loved the first-ever assembly between the 2 packages.
Bowl eligibility is now a really actual query for Brent Venables.
Beating the Maine Black Bears will get Oklahoma to 5 wins in 2024, however each remaining SEC contest comes towards a crew at present within the AP Prime 25.
Each week brings extra questions than solutions, a regarding pattern for the Sooners who look misplaced and out of their depth of their first yr within the Southeastern Convention.
Michael Hawkins Jr. entered this week with stress on his shoulders.
By way of 10 quarters of soccer, he had solely accounted for one turnover (a fumble), however he hadn’t taken the dangers required to maneuver the offense down the sector, a lot much less throw an interception.
The primary three drives of the sport went about as poorly as anybody may have imagined.
He threw a decide on the primary play of the sport, after which adopted it up with a fumble that was returned for a landing and a decide six.
Simply as was the case towards Tennessee, a change needed to be made.
However Jackson Arnold’s return, simply as Hawkins’ arrival, didn’t assure any higher outcomes.
Oklahoma’s offensive line was fully overmatched by the Gamecocks’ defensive entrance.
Invoice Bedenbaugh was pressured to tinker as soon as once more along with his offensive line, first by changing Heath Ozaeta at left guard with Jacob Sexton and returning Michael Tarquin to the lineup, after which ultimately turning to Spencer Brown in favor of proper sort out Jake Taylor — all within the first half.
The Gamecocks completed the primary half with 5 sacks, which tied OU’s worst efficiency of the season (Texas completed final week’s drubbing with 5 sacks).
Oklahoma’s lone brilliant spot within the first half was true freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan, who had three catches for 42 yards on the Sooners’ first half scoring drive.
Arnold did join with Brenen Thompson for a 54-yard landing within the third quarter, however that was the final brilliant spot for the offense.
Operating again Jovantae Barnes dedicated OU’s fourth turnover of the sport when he fumbled on Oklahoma’s personal 21-yard line within the fourth quarter, and the offensive line completed the sport having surrendered 9 sacks.
Arnold completed 18-of-36, passing for 225 yards and a landing. Hawkins ended simply 3-of-5 for 18 yards and two interceptions.
Regardless of how effectively they performed, the Sooner protection was going to be on the shedding aspect on Saturday.
Contemplating the circumstances, the protection did all it may with out truly forcing a turnover.
South Carolina’s first landing got here after Hawkins gifted the Gamecocks a brief subject.
The protection didn’t see the sector once more till OU was down 21-0.
When the Sooners’ pretend punt failed on Oklahoma’s personal 21-yard line, South Carolina gained simply 4 yards and was pressured to kick a subject objective.
With the sport effectively out of attain within the second half, the Gamecocks needed to punt on the primary 4 drives earlier than Barnes’ fumble arrange the guests for an additional subject objective.
Oklahoma dragged down quarterback LaNorris Sellers for six of its personal sacks and held the Gamecocks to 254 whole yards of offense, although there isn’t any silver lining in a crew efficiency as unhealthy as Saturday’s.
Oklahoma’s offensive workers has already been beneath hearth for the traditionally unhealthy first half of the season.
However issues spiraled so shortly within the first quarter that your entire operation not less than deserves a evaluation, even when transient.
The protection was high quality contemplating the unimaginable gap it was put in after the primary three offensive collection, however even that aspect of the ball wasn’t with out its warts.
R Mason Thomas jumped offside on fourth-and-5 in a spot the place the Gamecocks had been clearly simply making an attempt to attract a flag, one thing an undisciplined soccer crew does. 4 performs later, South Carolina prolonged the result in 32-3.
A dysfunctional defensive substitution value OU a timeout within the third quarter, and whereas insignificant to Saturday’s outcome, it matches into the sample of sport administration points beneath Venables.
Simply final week, the Sooners had been nonetheless getting play calls from the sideline as Texas snapped the soccer, Robert Spears-Jennings needed to run onto the sector late as a consequence of a missed substitution that led to a Longhorn landing and Venables’ gradual determination to kick a subject objective on the primary drive of the sport led to Tyler Keltner speeding his routine and shanking the try.
On the finish of September, Oklahoma wanted an Auburn meltdown to notch its lone SEC win.
The OU sideline has by no means felt calm within the Venables Period, even when the Sooners have rolled.
Venables doubtless will get a fourth yr to get his program on monitor, however anytime the document books are getting dusted off at halftime to analysis the worst dwelling losses in program historical past, one week after fielding an uncompetitive crew towards Texas, all questions surrounding the way forward for Oklahoma soccer are truthful.