Oklahoma’s offensive line took a real step forward last week, but South Carolina is bringing a different kind of test to Norman.
In the Sooners’ 23-15 win over Mississippi State, quarterback John Mateer was sacked just once, and the return of star sophomore tackle Michael Fasusi helped steady the unit after he missed five and a half games with a shoulder injury. That cohesion will matter again on Saturday, because the Gamecocks arrive with one of the most dangerous defensive ends in college football in Dylan Stewart.
“He’s an incredible talent,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “Nothing but respect and awe for the way that he plays football.”
Stewart has the résumé to back that up. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound edge rusher was a consensus 5-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and has earned All-SEC honors in each of his first two seasons in Columbia. He is also widely viewed as a top 10 prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
But his profile has included some discipline issues, too. Last year, Stewart was ejected from South Carolina’s game against Vanderbilt after picking up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
He was hit with another unsportsmanlike conduct foul in this year’s game against Alabama after throwing a punch at Alabama tight end Josh Ford in the Crimson Tide’s 49-18 win on Sept. 26.
South Carolina and the SEC suspended him for one game after that.
Since coming back, though, Stewart has been a force. In South Carolina’s road win over No.
16 Florida on Oct. 10, he recorded four solo tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack. He followed that with two solo tackles and a strip sack in the Gamecocks’ upset of No.
11 Tennessee last week.
That stretch is exactly why Oklahoma’s protection plan has to be sharp.
“He’s a real player,” Arbuckle said. “He can wreck a game if you let him, and he goes out there, and he makes it happen, especially whenever the biggest moments call for it. You definitely have to be aware of where he is at and how you’re going to handle him in different situations.”
Stewart may be the headliner, but he isn’t the only problem on South Carolina’s line. Illinois transfer Tomiwa Durojaiye leads the Gamecocks with 5.5 tackles for loss and has a 80.6 Pro Football Focus defensive grade. Anthony Addison has seen the most snaps on the other side of Stewart and has totaled six quarterback hurries and three sacks in 2026.
For Oklahoma, the assignment is straightforward and demanding: all five linemen have to stay disciplined and play with force if the Sooners want to carry over what worked against Mississippi State.
“They’re able to play free, fast, physical, fly around and make life hard sometimes,” Arbuckle said. “So, (we’ve) got to be ready, got to be delivering our best.”
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Sooners Loss To South Carolina Raised A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Night
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Oklahomas ground game never really gave the offense a way to reset, with no running back topping 32 yards, and the offensive line spent much of the night dealing with South Carolinas defense and its own penalties. One bad result can be shrugged off in a long season, but this was the kind of performance that leaves the Sooners with a lot more to sort through than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]