Oklahoma is still looking for something this season that has proved strangely elusive: a second straight win.
Brent Venables and the Sooners are 4-3, and every time it feels like they might be turning the corner, another setback shows up. Saturday night at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium gives them another shot to break that pattern against South Carolina, which is also 4-3. If Oklahoma is going to start building any kind of momentum, this is the week it has to happen.
A win would also fit the theme of the way this matchup is being framed: close, tense, and probably decided by a few key plays. The prediction here is that OU gets it done, 20-17, and a few specific things tilt the game the Sooners’ way.
Isaiah Sategna III looks ready to keep carrying the passing game. He just posted his second 100-yard receiving game of the season in last week’s win over Mississippi State, finishing with a career-high 164 yards on eight catches and a 36-yard touchdown.
Oklahoma even leaned on him in the run game, giving him three carries for 24 yards. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle clearly wants the ball in Sategna’s hands as often as possible, and quarterback John Mateer found him more consistently last week while working from a cleaner pocket.
The return of starting left tackle Michael Fasusi may have helped with that. Against a South Carolina secondary that is described here as solid but not special, Sategna is expected to top 100 yards again.
On the other side, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers is coming off a huge rushing day, piling up 96 yards in the Gamecocks’ upset of Tennessee. The Sooners are expected to make that a much tougher act to follow.
Sacks will chip away at his rushing total, and Oklahoma’s interior defensive line along with its veterans on the edge are projected to keep him contained even on designed runs. Sellers has averaged 72.4 rushing yards per game and has been held under 50 only twice, but the belief here is that OU creates an outlier.
The Sooners did the same thing a year ago, when they shut him down to -9 yards.
Special teams could swing it too, and Tate Sandell is projected to bounce back with at least two made field goals. He was only 3-for-6 on field goals last week and is 10-for-16 on the season, which has put his job under a little more scrutiny.
Still, the belief is that the Lou Groza Award winner from less than a year ago is still in there. After extra competition in practice this week, Sandell is expected to settle in again, though there’s also the warning that if the struggles continue, it may be time for Oklahoma to consider another option this late in the year.
The bigger picture is that South Carolina has shown it can score, while Oklahoma has not always been able to match that pace. The prediction is that the difference will be the Sooners’ defense holding up better than the Gamecocks’ offense.
Arbuckle’s approach from last week is expected to carry over and turn the game into a grind, as long as Mateer avoids giving the ball away. In the end, that should be enough for Oklahoma to edge out South Carolina and finally string together consecutive wins.
In Other News...
Oklahoma May Need Caleb Nitta Sooner Than Anyone Expected
Oklahomas injury situation has quickly turned the lead-up to South Carolina into a test of depth, especially up front. The availability report lists 15 Sooners, and with Ryan Fodje and Eddy Pierre-Louis ruled out while Heath Ozaeta is expected back, the attention has shifted to the center spot, where Jake Maikkula is questionable after getting hurt.
If Maikkula cant go, Caleb Nitta could be called on earlier than the Sooners would like, and the staff seems comfortable with what they have behind him. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has praised Nittas preparation and intelligence, the sort of trust that matters most when the offensive line is being reshuffled on short notice. For a team already juggling injuries, the biggest concern now is whether Oklahoma can keep the middle of the line steady enough to avoid forcing even more adjustments. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Heads Into South Carolina With Key Spots Still In Flux
Oklahomas depth chart still has a few moving parts heading into Saturdays 3:15 p.m. matchup with South Carolina, with three starters listed as questionable on the latest SEC availability report. Jake Maikkula, Peyton Bowen and Eli Bowen all remain in flux, leaving the Sooners with some uncertainty in the lineup as they prepare for a conference road test on SEC Network.
The report also showed several other Oklahoma players spread across the out, doubtful and probable categories, adding another layer of uncertainty for a team trying to get settled before kickoff. With key spots still up in the air, the Sooners will be watching the availability list closely right up until game time. [Read more 🡒]
Bixby Gets Its Biggest Test Yet With District Title On The Line
Undefeated Bixby and undefeated Broken Arrow are set to meet Friday in a showdown that should feel like more than just a district game. The winner takes the District 6AI-1 title, and with both teams sitting inside the top three of the High School On SI Oklahoma Top 25, the matchup has the kind of weight that usually comes with playoff football in November, not a regular-season finale.
Broken Arrow brings a dangerous offense led by quarterback Shamar Banner, a University of Tulsa commit, while Bixby answers with a roster that includes several Division I commitments of its own. For the Spartans, this is a chance to protect their No. 1 spot and add another statement win to a season that has rolled along without a blemish, but Broken Arrow has every reason to believe it belongs on the same stage. [Read more 🡒]