Saturday's matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and South Carolina Gamecocks looks like an interesting matchup for a loaded Week 9 slate in college football.
Both teams enter 4-3 on the season, but are coming off two very different starts to the season. Head coach Shane Beamer's Gamecocks started 0-3 in SEC play with losses to Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky. But in South Carolina's last two games, the Gamecocks have upset Florida and Tennessee.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, started 2-2 with losses to Michigan and Georgia before delivering a shocking upset over Texas in the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners then lost to Kentucky before winning against Mississippi State 23-15.
South Carolina is listed as a 3.5 point underdog, and this game will likely be decided by which team wins the turnover battle.
Where South Carolina and Oklahoma stand in the turnover margin
This might give a slight edge to South Carolina in this one. Oklahoma has been abysmal at taking care of the football this year. The Sooners have lost a whopping 15 turnovers this season, which ranks tied for 134th in the country.
It starts with Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who has thrown seven interceptions. He had two fumbles during Oklahoma's 41-13 blowout loss against Georgia, and his tight end, Rocky Beers had another.
Against Kentucky two weeks ago, Mateer threw a whopping four picks.
That is good news for the Gamecock defense, which has been creating turnovers in recent weeks. South Carolina has recovered six turnovers all season. The Gamecocks forced two interceptions and a fumble recovery against Florida. Against Tennessee, EDGE rusher Dylan Stewart forced a strip-sack fumble of George MacIntyre that gave his offense the ball back.
While Mateer did not throw an interception during Oklahoma's 23-15 win over Mississippi State last week, the Sooners did have a fumble.
Guys are taking advantage of opportunity when the ball’s their way," South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White said of his defense via Gamecock Central. If it’s on the ground, they’re scooping and scoring, not kicking it out of bounds, or if the ball’s in their hands, they’re catching it, looking it in, and tucking it, and getting the turnovers, getting punch outs, and stuff like that.”
If South Carolina can create turnovers like it has been the last week, that will be a huge advantage for the Gamecocks.
Saturday's game will kick off at 4:15 p.m. and air live on SEC Network.
ALSO READ: Where South Carolina's Dylan Stewart sits in Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest big board
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