Game Primer: OU at South Carolina

Saturday, October 18

Columbia, S.C.

11:45 a.m.

University of Oklahoma

South Carolina

NORMAN, OK - October 04, 2025 - Oklahoma RUF/NEK during the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Asia Purnell/University of Oklahoma

Photo by: Asia Purnell/University of Oklahoma

October 17, 2025 | Football

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#14 Oklahoma

South Carolina

Saturday, Oct. 18 / 11:45 a.m. CT / Columbia, S.C.

SECN / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

OPENING KICK

• No. 14/13 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1) plays its first-ever game in the Palmetto State when it travels to face South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. CT at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The game will be televised by SEC Network with Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang announcing.

• South Carolina is one of four SEC programs OU has not beaten (0-1). The others are Ole Miss (0-2), Georgia (0-1) and Mississippi State (0-0).

• Since the start of the 1999 season, the Sooners are 24-2 in games immediately following their annual contest against Texas. The lone defeats came in 2014 (31-30 vs. Kansas State in Norman) and 2024 (35-9 vs. South Carolina in Norman). In the 24 wins, OU outscored its foes by 589 points (average of 24.5 points).

• Fifth-year South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer served as Oklahoma's assistant head coach for offense (tight ends and H-backs) during the 2018-20 seasons. During that period, the Sooners posted a 33-6 overall record, won three Big 12 championships and participated in two College Football Playoffs (2018 and '19). OU ranked second nationally in scoring offense (44.6 ppg) and total offense (537.3 ypg) during the stretch, and ranked sixth in passing offense (311.5 ypg) and 15th in rushing offense (225.7 ypg).

• The 2025 season marks the 131st in OU football history. The Sooners lead the nation with their 50 all-time conference titles, 27 11-plus-win seasons (tied), 33 AP top-five finishes and five No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks (tied). They rank second with their seven Heisman Trophy winners (tied), third with seven AP national championships, their 101 weeks as the AP's No. 1 team and 432 total weeks in the AP Top 5, fourth with their 419 NFL Draft picks and fifth with their 58 bowl appearances.

• Saturday's contest will mark the 1,358th in OU history. The Sooners rank fifth nationally with their .724 all-time winning percentage (955-349-53 record), trailing Ohio State (.737), Alabama (.734), Michigan (.732) and Notre Dame (.732). Since the end of World War II (1946 season to present), OU leads all programs with 711 wins (28 more than Alabama, the program with the next most) and owns a .763 winning percentage.

• OU has already played three games against teams ranked in the AP or coaches polls, and is slated to play five more contests against teams ranked this week: vs. No. 5/5 Ole Miss, at No. 6/6 Alabama, vs. No. 10/10 LSU, at No. 11/11 Tennessee and vs. No. 16/16 Missouri. This week's opponent, South Carolina, was ranked as high as No. 10 in both polls.

NORMAN, OK - October 04, 2025 - Oklahoma Wide Receiver Isaiah Sategna (#5) during the game between the Kent State Golden Flashes and the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Photo By Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma

KEY STORYLINES

• While last year's meeting was the first ever between Oklahoma and South Carolina, OU head coach Brent Venables faced the Gamecocks nine times while serving as Clemson's defensive coordinator, and the Tigers posted a 7-2 record (won the final seven matchups). In those seven wins, Clemson held South Carolina to an average of 14.9 points per game. Over those last five meetings, Venables' defense held the Gamecocks to an average of 11.0 points (gave up 10 or fewer points four times).

• While the Sooners have never played at South Carolina, Venables helped Clemson post a 4-1 record in Columbia between 2013 and 2021. Venables' Tigers lost 31-17 in 2013 before racking up wins in 2015 (37-32), 2017 (34-10), 2019 (38-3) and 2021 (30-0). The 2021 matchup came in Shane Beamer's first year as South Carolina's head coach.

• Through the midway point of the regular season, Oklahoma's defense has been one of the best in the country. OU leads the nation in total defense (193.0 ypg) and ranks second in passing defense (126.3 ypg) and 10th in rushing defense (84.8 ypg). The Sooners also pace the country in opponent yards per play (3.8) and tackles for loss per game (10.3), and rank second in scoring defense (9.8 ppg), touchdowns allowed (five), rushing TDs allowed (two), passing TDs allowed (two), opponent first downs per game (11.2) and opponent plays of at least 10 yards (42).

• Forty-six percent of OU's opponents' offensive plays this season (155 of 338) have gone for zero or negative yards. An additional 21 plays have resulted in a one-yard gain, meaning 52% of opponent plays have yielded one or fewer yards.

• Oklahoma has allowed just five touchdowns in six games, and just four by the defense.

• The Sooners have given up just three points and 14 first downs in the first quarter this season.

• OU is one of just six teams nationally that has produced points on all of its red-zone trips this season (the Sooners are 20 for 20, with 15 touchdowns and five field goals).

• After totaling six catches for 60 yards over OU's first two games, redshirt junior wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III has amassed 24 receptions for 360 yards and three TDs over the last four contests (97 yards at Temple, career-high 127 and a TD vs. Auburn, 75 and a career-high two TDs vs. Kent State, 61 vs. Texas). Sategna doubles as the Sooners' punt returner, averaging 11.8 yards on his 16 returns.

• Redshirt junior punter Grayson Miller ranks third nationally with his 48.8-yard average and received second-team mid-season All-America recognition this week from Sports Illustrated. The transfer from NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma has booted nine of his 19 punts over 50 yards (long of 66), with eight downed inside the 20 and only two touchbacks. Miller began the season as OU's backup and did not play in the season opener.

LAST YEAR VS. SOUTH CAROLINA

• Oklahoma fell behind 21-0 with 9:40 left in the first quarter thanks to turnovers on each of its first three possessions in an eventual 35-9 home loss to South Carolina on Oct. 19, 2024. It was the first-ever meeting between the programs.

• OU outgained the Gamecocks 291 yards to 254 on the day (held them to 69 second-half yards) but threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles and were outscored 24-0 off turnovers (USC had no turnovers).

• Sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold saw his first action since being replaced in the Sept. 21 Tennessee game and completed 18 of 36 pass attempts for 225 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. Arnold replaced freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who threw an interception on the first play of the game (led to a USC touchdown), lost a fumble that was returned for a TD on OU's second possession and threw a pick-six on the Sooners' third drive.

• OU registered a season-high 11 tackles for loss (season-high-tying six sacks) but surrendered 13 TFLs and nine sacks. The nine sacks were the most allowed by the Sooners since they started tracking them in 1982.

• Freshman walk-on receiver Jacob Jordan played in just his second career game (first since the season opener against Temple) and registered game highs of six receptions and 86 receiving yards. He had no catches entering the day.

• Arnold's TD pass was a 54-yarder to junior receiver Brenen Thompson in the third quarter and represented the Sooners' longest touchdown play of the season at the time.

• Junior running back Jovantae Barnes carried 17 times for a game-high 70 yards (4.1 average).

• Senior linebacker Danny Stutsman logged game and season highs of 16 tackles (1.5 TFLs and a QB hurry). The 16 tackles were the third most of his career.

• Junior defensive lineman Gracen Halton tied career highs with three tackles and 1.5 sacks.

• The defeat marked just the second time since 1999 for OU to lose back-to-back home games.

OU ROAD SHOW

• Oklahoma has won 35 of its last 47 true road games (.744) going back to 2014, with eight of the 12 losses one-score outcomes.

• OU's 2019 defeat at Kansas State snapped the Sooners' 22-game true road winning streak (it hadn't lost since Oct. 4, 2014, at TCU), which was the second longest such streak nationally since at least the end of World War II. During the 22-game streak, OU outscored foes 1,076-626 (49-28 average) and outgained them by 3,621 yards (583-419 average).

• The Sooners have outgained their opponent in 33 of their last 47 true road games.

• OU has scored at least 30 points in a nation-leading 42 of its last 52 true road games (school-record 35-game streak was stopped in 2021 at Baylor).

PHILADELPHIA, PA - September 13, 2025 - Oklahoma Linebacker Kobie McKinzie (#11) and Oklahoma Linebacker Kip Lewis (#10) during the game between the Temple Owls and the Oklahoma Sooners at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. Photo By Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

YEAR TWO IN THE SEC

• Oklahoma and Texas officially joined the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024, after 28 years in the Big 12 Conference. OU won half (14) of the Big 12's football titles in its 28 years in the league and posted a 187-61 (.754) record against conference competition (includes an 11-1 record in Big 12 championship games).

• Oklahoma's 14 Big 12 titles were 10 more than the program with the next most (Texas won four). From 2010 through 2023, OU won eight Big 12 titles and was followed by Baylor (three), Kansas State (two) and Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas (one each).

• This week's AP poll features a nation-leading 10 SEC teams (including nine of the top 17): No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Alabama, No. 9 Georgia, No. 10 LSU, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 14 Oklahoma, No. 16 Missouri, No. 17 Vanderbilt and No. 21 Texas. The Big Ten ranks second with five AP top-25 teams while the Big 12 has four and the ACC three.

SECOND-STRING STANDOUTS

• Three of OU's top four tacklers and four of its top six, as well as its tackles-for-loss leader, are non-starters. Sophomore defensive lineman David Stone (23) ranks second on the team in tackles, redshirt junior linebacker Owen Heinecke and junior linebacker Sammy Omosigho (22 each) are tied for third and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein is tied for sixth. Wein leads the team and ranks third in the SEC with his 8.5 TFLs while Stone ranks fourth on the squad (5.0) and Heinecke fifth (3.5). The only starts among the group have been by Wein (vs. Michigan and Auburn) and Stone (vs. Kent State).

• Stone received mid-season All-America honors this week from CBS (first team) and the Associated Press (second team).

• Wein has registered at least one TFL in all but the Michigan contest and has five over the last two games for a loss of 34 yards.

MORE ON THE OFFENSE

• Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer, who transferred from Washington State in January, has completed 115 of 179 pass attempts (64%) for 1,417 yards (283.4 average) and six touchdowns through his five games. He is also OU's second-leading rusher with 195 yards and has a team-high five TDs on the ground.

• Mateer ranks in the top 11 nationally in total offense (fifth; 351.3 ypg), passing yards per game (10th; 283.4) and completions per game (11th; 23.0).

• True freshman running back Tory Blaylock leads the team with 290 rushing yards on the season and registered a 100-yard performance (two touchdowns) at Temple in the third game. It was Blaylock's first career 100-yard rushing outing, as he became the first OU running back to register two touchdowns this season. The last two OU freshman (true or redshirt) running backs to register a 100-yard rushing effort in at least one of their first three games were DeMarco Murray in 2007 (100 in third game) and Adrian Peterson in 2004 (100 in first contest).

• Redshirt junior receiver Isaiah Sategna III and redshirt senior Deion Burks lead OU with 30 receptions each. Sategna III, a first-year Sooner who transferred from Arkansas, paces the squad with 420 receiving yards (359), and over the past four contests has racked up 24 catches for 360 yards and three TDs (97 yards at Temple, a career-high 127 yards and a TD vs. Auburn and 75 yards, a career-high two TDs vs. Kent State and 61 yards vs. Texas).

• Burks, who spent three years at Purdue and is in his second at Oklahoma, caught seven passes and one TD in each of the first two games this season and has 339 receiving yards. His 88 yards vs. Illinois State and 101 vs. Michigan represent his two highest totals at OU.

• Senior tight end Jaren Kanak played linebacker his first three years (started nine games in 2023 and one last season) before converting to tight end in the spring. The former high school receiver and quarterback has caught 23 passes for 348 yards (team-high 15.1 yards per reception) over OU's first six games. The 348 yards rank third nationally among tight ends and represent 76% of the receiving yards amassed by OU's tight ends all of last season (455).

• Redshirt senior receiver Keontez Lewis has 19 receptions for 226 yards on the season and caught two TD passes in the opener against Illinois State. His nine catches vs. the Redbirds were a career high (he finished with 119 receiving yards).

• The Sooners threw for at least 270 yards twice in 2024 (284 vs. Maine and 275 vs. Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl), but have done it four times in six games this season (392 vs. Illinois State, 270 vs. Michigan, 287 at Temple and 271 vs. Auburn).

• In the win over No. 15 Michigan, Michael Fasusi became the first OU freshman to start at left tackle in his first career game. He played 66 snaps and allowed just one QB pressure. He missed the opener vs. Illinois State and the game at Temple before returning in a reserve role against Auburn and starting the last two outings vs. Kent State and Texas.

• Redshirt senior offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu is the only OU offensive lineman to start all six games this season. He has started all six contests at right guard (also started all 13 games there last year).

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

• In a variety of defensive categories, Oklahoma is off to its best five-game start in several decades. OU has held its first six opponents to 1,267 total yards, 59 points, five total touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, 758 passing yards, 509 rushing yards and 67 first downs. It has been since 1987 the Sooners have allowed their first six opponents to fewer yards (1,129), fewer touchdowns (two), fewer passing yards (706) and 67 or fewer first downs (also 67). It has been since 1989 they have permitted two or fewer passing touchdowns (also two), since 2009 they have allowed as few as 59 points (58) and since 2005 they have allowed fewer rushing yards (475).

• Oklahoma has registered at least 11 tackles for loss in each of the last four games (a combined 49). The last season OU racked up double-digit TFLs in four straight contests was 2003.

• Of Oklahoma's opponents' 65 possessions this season, 28 of them (43%) have resulted in a 3-and-out with no points.

• The strength of the Sooners' defense very well could be its line, with three players returning who started a combined 33 games last season (senior Damonic Williams 12, senior R Mason Thomas 11 and freshman Jayden Jackson 10) and another who started three and saw extensive field time (senior Gracen Halton). That quartet totaled 118 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 16 QB hurries last season. That doesn't count sophomore David Stone, a former five-star high school recruit who ranks second on the team with 23 tackles this season, or redshirt sophomore Taylor Wein, who paces the squad with 8.5 tackles for loss. Phil Steele ranked OU's defensive line as the best in the country this summer, and ESPN/SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic said in May the Sooners have the league's best defensive line, "... and it ain't even close."

• Stone has blossomed this season, ranking second on the squad in tackles (23) and third in tackles for loss (5.0) despite just one start (vs. Kent State). The former consensus five-star recruit (he was ranked as the nation's top defensive tackle by ESPN and Rivals) turned in back-to-back career highs in tackles with five vs. Auburn and six vs. Kent State, and added four Saturday vs. Texas. As a freshman last year, Stone played in all 13 games but logged just six tackles (2.0 for loss).

• Four junior linebackers rank in the top six on the team in tackles. Kip Lewis leads the team with 29 stops, Owen Heinecke and Sammy Omosigho are tied for third with 22 each despite not starting a game this season and Kobie McKinzie is tied for sixth with 19. The quartet has combined for 12.0 tackles for loss (4.0 by McKinzie, 3.5 by Heinecke, 2.5 by Omosigho and 2.0 by Lewis).

• Against Illinois State, Courtland Guillory became only the second OU true freshman to start at cornerback in a season opener (the other was P.J. Mbanasor in 2015). Guillory has 10 tackles, two pass breakups and a QB hurry through six games (started first five).

A LOOK AT SPECIAL TEAMS

• Oklahoma ranks first in the SEC and fourth nationally with its 48.7 yards per punt. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Ulrich (first-team All-Conference USA last season at Kennesaw State) averaged 47.5 yards on two punts against Illinois State before giving way to redshirt junior Grayson Miller the last five games. Miller ranks third nationally with his 48.8 yards per punt and nine of his 19 boots have gone longer than 50 yards. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 54.4 yards on five punts against Auburn, good for the third-best average in school history (minimum five punts).

• Redshirt junior Tate Sandell has handled placekicking and kickoff duties the first six games. The first-year Sooner leads the SEC with his 91.7% field-goal conversion rate (11 for 12; made his last 11), which includes makes from 52 and and 55 yards. He has also made all 18 of his PAT tries this season and was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after nailing all three field goal tries against Kent State two games ago.

• The Sooners rank eighth nationally and second in the SEC by allowing just 13.2 yards per kickoff return.

• Redshirt junior Ben Anderson is OU's long snapper for the third straight year. He earned third-team All-SEC honors last season and is a 2025 third-team preseason All-American by Phil Steele.

• OU's special teams units were drastically improved in 2024 under first-year coordinator Doug Deakin. After finishing No. 107 in the FEI (Fremeau Efficiency Index) special teams ratings in 2023 the year before Deakin's arrival, the Sooners jumped to No. 34 last season and were No. 5 through five games this year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST

• During the modern era of college football (since the end of World War II), the Sooners are the nation's No. 1 team with more wins (711) than any other program (next most is 683 by Alabama).

• Oklahoma has finished in the top 5 of the AP poll a nation-leading 33 times (Ohio State is second with 31).

• OU leads all FBS programs with 50 all-time conference championships. The rest of the top five includes Nebraska (46), Michigan (45), Ohio State (39) and USC (37). The Sooners' 14 league titles since 2000 are the most among Power Five programs (Ohio State ranks second with 11).

• No program has more all-time 11-win seasons than Oklahoma's 27 (Alabama also has 27).

• Since the start of the 2000 season, OU ranks second with 18 seasons of at least 10 wins and ranks second with 266 victories.

• Since former head coach Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, OU leads the country with its 13,265 points scored. Boise State (12,891) is second and Oregon (12,631) third.

• Oklahoma's 81 consensus All-Americans since 1950 lead the nation (Alabama and Ohio State rank second with 77 each). Since 2000, OU has produced 31 consensus All-Americans, tied with Ohio State behind only Alabama.

EXTRA POINTS

• The Sooners are 26-7 all-time as the No. 14-ranked team in the AP poll (9-3 on the road). Oklahoma was last ranked as the AP's No. 14 team in 2023 (31-24 road win at BYU). It last road loss as the 14th-ranked team in the AP poll was in 1993 (21-7 at No. 25 Kansas State). OU's last defeat overall as the AP's No. 14 team was in 2016 (45-24 to No. 3 Ohio State at home).

• On Sunday, Oct. 12, ESPN's Heather Dinich slotted the Sooners as the No. 10 seed in the College Football Playoff, playing at No. 7 seed Georgia in a first-round matchup.

• First-year South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula was Alabama's head coach in 2003 when the No. 1-ranked Sooners downed the Crimson Tide 20-13 in Tuscaloosa under head coach Bob Stoops and co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Venables.

• Oklahoma leads all SEC programs with its 913 all-time appearances in the AP poll (followed by Alabama with 898 and Texas with 797).

• Of the 75 OU players on the Texas week depth chart, 18 (or 24%) were freshmen. That includes 11 true freshmen (five offense, five defense, one special teams) and seven redshirt freshmen (two offense, four defense, one special teams).

• The Sooners have won their last 86 games when holding opponents to under 21 points. Their last loss under the circumstance came at Nebraska in 2009 (10-3).

• In their 21 wins since the start of the 2023 season, the Sooners have outscored opponents 182-35 off turnovers. In their 11 losses during the same span, they have been outscored 105-27 off turnovers.

• Since the start of the 2014 season, OU ranks fifth nationally (fourth in Power Four) with its 5.2 yards per rush and seventh (fourth in Power Four) with its 358 rushing TDs.

• Since the start of the 2012 season, OU is 96-7 when scoring at least 35 points and 83-4 when scoring at least 40.