LaNorris Sellers Silences Norman as South Carolina Routs Oklahoma 42-25
South Carolina made a statement Saturday in Norman. Behind LaNorris Sellers, who had a hand in five touchdowns, the Gamecocks beat Oklahoma 42-25 for a second straight marquee win, a week after taking down Tennessee. The quarterback threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 96 yards and two more. Behind him, the defence smothered the Sooners' offence for three quarters, and South Carolina climbs to 5-3.
A false start, quickly erased
LaNorris Sellers opened the scoring himself in the first quarter on a 15-yard run. But the start of the second quarter seemed to point to a tight game. On a Sellers throw, Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis picked off the ball and returned it 30 yards to the end zone: 7-7.
The Gamecocks answered right away. On the next possession, they drove 75 yards before Christian Clark finished it with a 1-yard run. Then, after a Sooners punt, Sellers found DJ Black on third-and-12. The receiver went the distance for an 84-yard touchdown, and South Carolina led 21-7. That play changed the shape of the game.
Oklahoma cut into the lead with a 52-yard field goal from Tate Sandell, but South Carolina still had time to score before the break. With 16 seconds left in the half, Sellers threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Nyck Harbor. The Gamecocks led 28-10 at halftime.
A defence that smothered the Sooners
The most telling number of the first half comes from the other side of the ball. Oklahoma gained just 71 total yards before the break. Of its 10 first-half points, seven came on Kip Lewis' interception return: the offence itself produced only a field goal. The Sooners never found a rhythm, on the ground or through the air, and could not settle into opposing territory before the game was decided.
Shane Beamer's defence held firm until early in the fourth quarter. After that, with a lead of several touchdowns, the Sooners were able to move the ball against a more cautious defence. Quarterback John Mateer threw two touchdown passes, of 34 and 10 yards, but both two-point attempts failed. Oklahoma finished with 359 yards, much of it after the outcome was no longer in doubt.
In the third quarter, Sellers had already stretched the lead by scoring a second time on the ground, from 11 yards out, to make it 35-10. Early in the fourth, right after Oklahoma's first touchdown, he answered on third down: a deep ball to Mazeo Bennett, who went the distance for a 79-yard touchdown and a 42-16 lead.
Sellers, flashes and mistakes
Sellers completed 19 of his 24 passes. His touchdowns of 84 and 79 yards show what makes South Carolina dangerous when its quarterback has time: the ability to attack deep in difficult situations, twice on third down.
It was not a flawless afternoon, though. Sellers threw two interceptions, including the one that let Oklahoma tie the game, and another in the third quarter. That is the area to watch going forward. Against offences more efficient than Oklahoma's was on Saturday, that kind of gift will cost more.
Still, Sellers made an impact both ways. With 96 rushing yards, he gave his offence one more option on every play, and his two rushing touchdowns opened the scoring and then put the game away. He drove his team from start to finish.
A season revived, a demanding November
A few weeks ago, South Carolina was coming off a three-game losing streak against Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky. Since then, the Gamecocks have beaten Florida, Tennessee and now Oklahoma, three wins that transform their season. At 5-3, they have room to aim for a bowl again.
The 27-24 win over Tennessee last week, against a team then ranked 11th, showed the Gamecocks could win a close game. The win in Norman shows something else: the ability to take control of a road game and never let go. Between the 7-7 tie and the end of the third quarter, South Carolina scored 28 points to Oklahoma's three.
For Oklahoma, the loss hurts. The Sooners fall to 4-4 and took this defeat at home. They showed almost nothing on offence for an entire half, and the rest of their season now depends on their ability to regroup.
South Carolina, meanwhile, heads into November with renewed momentum. It still has to prove it can sustain this level for four more weeks, with Georgia and Clemson still on the schedule.
