Oklahoma followed a familiar path on Saturday — the same path that continues to take Sooner Nation to rock bottom.

For the second time in three years, OU was blown out at home by middling South Carolina, this time a 42-25 defeat on soggy Owen Field.

Not even Oklahoma’s fearsome defense could keep the Sooners afloat this time. In fact, Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers and his teammates took to the challenge of facing Brent Venables’ vaunted defense.

South Carolina led 28-10 at halftime despite Kip Lewis’ third career interception return for a touchdown.

OU fell to 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in Southeastern Conference play. South Carolina won its third in a row to improve to 5-3 and 3-3.

The Gamecocks piled up 521 yards on this visit to Norman — nearly the most against a Venables defense since his rookie year in 2022, and far more than South Carolina did two years ago, when three first-quarter turnovers produced 21 points (two defensive TDs) in a 35-9 wipeout.

The most yards given up by a Brent Venables defense since his return came in 2022 when Kansas State had 509, TCU 668 and Texas had 585 in three successive games. Texas Tech had 599 in the season finale, and Florida State had 587 in the bowl game.

Since Venables got things headed…

— John E. Hoover 🌮 (@johnehoover) October 31, 2026

Meanwhile, against a solid but hardly special USC defense, the Oklahoma offense was as bad as it’s been at any point in 2026. The Sooners managed 359 yards of total offense, but it was almost all in garbage time. At halftime, OU had more penalty yards than rushing or passing yards. After three quarters, South Carolina had amassed 423 total yards, while OU had just 118.

John Mateer completed just 26-of-43 passes for 244 yards. Coming off his best game of the year in OU’s win at Mississippi State last week, Mateer was again inaccurate and indecisive. 

He was also hindered by an occasionally leaky offensive line and an offensive coordinator who refused to test the Gamecocks downfield and declined an opportunity to establish a ground game but instead stuck to a predictable script of screen passes and quarterback keepers.

Ben Arbuckle’s day was so bad, OU fans (mostly the student section) began a “Fire Arbuckle!” chant — for the third time this year.

Sellers looked every bit the preseason Heisman contender he was billed as. He broke away for a handful of nice runs in the first quarter, then got himself out of tight situations and threw downfield for touchdowns of 84 and 79 yards with a 38-yarder to set up another TD.

He finished 19-of-24 for 301 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and also rushed 17 times for 96 yards and two more TDs.

In all, South Carolina produced nine rushing plays and four pass plays of 10 yards or more.

Here’s the Sooners’ stock report from Saturday’s game:

DOWN: OC Ben Arbuckle 

Late in the first quarter, Arbuckle called a QB keeper on third-and-1, and even called it to the right side instead of running behind the o-line’s two best blockers, Michael Fasusi and Noah Best, on the left side. The result was a loss of 1 and a punt — OU’s second three-and-out in their first three drives.

Backed up against the goal line early, Arbuckle kept it safe with two screens and an off-tackle run. 

Late in the second quarter, the Sooners finally started to generate a run game, but after Mateer scrambled for a first down, Arbuckle called another ill-fated trick play — unbalanced line and direct snap to running back Lloyd Avant, who started a sweep to the right and gave to Sategna on a reverse, which resulted in a 2-yard loss, which was negated by a holding penalty. Arbuckle’s next two plays were sideline screen passes to Sategna, which brought a cacophony of booing from the crowd, which included a chant of “Fire Arbuckle!” from (mostly) the student section.

Arbuckle’s worst moment may have come on the opening possession of the second half: after an 8-yard run by Avant on first down, Arbuckle called for another screen to Sategna (0 yards) and another QB keeper by Mateer (loss of 1), and the Sooners, trailing 28-10 at halftime, mustered another three-and-out.

UP: LB Kip Lewis

Lewis got the Sooners on the scoreboard in the first quarter with his third career interception return for a touchdown — dubbed a “Kip Six” — but that and a fourth-quarter touchdown pass were OU's lone highlights.  

Lewis stayed in his zone near the line of scrimmage, caught a desperate throwaway pass from LaNorris Sellers and raced 30 yards untouched for Oklahoma’s first score to tie it at 7-7.

UP: DE Jake Kreul 

Lewis’ touchdown was only possible because freshman defensive end Jake Kreul didn’t bite on a play-action fake, maintained his rush lane and drove in hard on Sellers and hit the quarterback just as he tried to release the throw. Sellers couldn’t see Lewis behind Kreul and tried to throw it away to avoid the sack, but Lewis was in the right place at the right time to make the play.

DOWN: LT Michael Fasusi

Fasusi is certainly welcome back to the starting lineup — but in just his second game back from a prolonged shoulder injury, he looked a little rusty early Saturday.

In the first quarter, Fasusi was flagged for a false start, a hold and an illegal formation.

In the second quarter, Fasusi added another holding penalty on an Isaiah Sategna reverse that would have otherwise been a 2-yard loss.

Fasusi was part of an overall larger theme for the Sooners that resulted in six infractions in the first half alone. Including declined and offsetting penalties, the Sooners finished with eight total offensive infractions, two on defense and one on special teams.

UP: WR Ivan Carreon

The third-year sophomore apparently has rocketed up the depth chart recently, from not playing any offensive snaps to getting six offensive plays last week to catching two fourth-quarter touchdown passes against the Gamecocks.

The 6-foot-6, 238-pound Carreon led the Sooners with five catches for 88 yards and two scores, including a 34-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. 

DOWN: QB John Mateer

Arbuckle’s play calling didn’t give Mateer many  opportunities to succeed, and he didn’t seize the few he had.

Mateer finished 20-of-33 for just 175 yards. He threw two touchdowns to Ivan Carreon in the fourth quarter and also ran a team-high 11 times for 29 yards.

He was sacked three times but did not commit any turnovers, but was perilously close: a third-quarter fumble was overturned by video review as an incomplete pass, and a fourth-quarter interception was negated by a late-hit targeting penalty.

UP: RB Jonathan Hatton

The burly freshman took his turn in the rotation as Oklahoma’s best running back with his best game of the season.

He came in mid-first quarter and went 5 yards on his first rush, then took one 13 yards on the next play. One play later, he picked up 10 yards — but it was negated by a holding penalty.

Hatton had a nice, powerful, 6-yard run late in the first quarter, then on the final play of the third caught a short throw from Mateer and gained 11 yards.

Hatton’s totals against the Gamecocks: 26 yards rushing and 22 receiving.