South Carolina was able to stop their two-game skid against Oklahoma in their first matchup against the Sooners. This South Carolina team will go down as the first-ever team to beat Oklahoma, and that is something head coach Shane Beamer is very proud of.
The Gamecocks had the game won within the first five minutes of the first quarter as they jumped to a 21-0 lead thanks to the defense getting three takeaways, returning two of them for touchdowns. After that, South Carolina managed the game well, and while the offense could have played a little better, the defense was able to get it done for the win.
So looking at the game as a whole, here are three things we learned from the Gamecocks big win over Oklahoma on Saturday.
1. The defense has a plethora of playmakers
Everyone knows that Kyle Kennard has been the star of the South Carolina defense this season, however, in the game against Oklahoma a few more stars emerged. Two players who made their names known against Oklahoma were Demetrius Knight Jr. and Nick Emmanwori.
Knights made his name known early against Oklahoma with two fumbles, including the one that was returned for the touchdown to make the game 14-0, one sack, seven solo tackles, and two tackles for a loss. Emmanwori had an even bigger game with the first two interceptions in the game, a pick-six, seven total tackles, and one tackle for a loss.
Bam Martin-Scott also made an impact against Oklahoma, tying Emmanwori and Knight with seven solo tackles, and added 1,2 tackles for a loss, one sack, and one forced fumble for the defense. Right now, the Gamecocks' defense is the lifeline of this team and gives the team as a whole and now with more playmakers, it adds that much more firepower.
2. Not turning the ball over can make a big difference
The game against Oklahoma was the first since the Gamecocks played against Akron, and they did not have a turnover. The Gamecocks had a number of turnovers against Ole Miss when they lost to the Rebels and against Alabama, especially in crucial moments of the game.
Against Oklahoma, there wasn't a lot of stress on the offense when the team took a 21-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the first quarter. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers took care of the ball and didn't have any interceptions, giving the offense the ability to move the ball. Even though they only moved the ball down the field once for a touchdown, it was a good start going forward.
3. The offense still needs a lot of work
South Carolina was aided by three turnovers to start the game that put them up 21-0 within the first five minutes. The offense was given a short field on their first touchdown drive that was aided by the run game, especially by Sellers and running back Rocket Sanders.
However, for the rest of the game, the offense scored just one more touchdown, and the Gamecocks had a successful two-point conversion. Other than that, South Carolina ended up punting or kicking field goals on all their other offensive drives.
On 14 offensive drives, the offense scored two touchdowns and two field goals. Against teams like Texas A&M and Missouri, or even Vanderbilt, that won't be enough to win. The defense can do a lot, but the offense still has to give some support of its own. With the hopeful return of Jared Brown against Texas A&M, the Gamecocks will hope to get the passing game going as they did against Alabama, and the run game should open up as well.