National reactions to South Carolina football's Oklahoma demolition
On Saturday, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer returned to Norman, Oklahoma for a matchup with his former team. Surprising many, Beamer’s Gamecocks dominated the Sooners during OU’s homecoming 35-9.
With two defensive touchdowns and a record nine sacks, South Carolina had one of the year’s top defensive performances. The Gamecocks’ 32-3 halftime lead also was among the most impressive of the Shane Beamer era.
Some of the biggest outlets and individual names in college football had strong opinions on the big win.
ESPN’s FPI now ranks South Carolina as the No. 23 team in the sport. The improved spot stems from the Gamecocks’ No. 4-ranked defense. In fact, despite a below-average offense and average special teams, USC boasts the 27th-best overall efficiency numbers in the country according to the worldwide leader.
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ESPN NFL and college football analyst Dan Orlovsky called the Gamecocks “a top-15 football team.” He added that he believes once LaNorris Sellers and the offense become more consistent, “[Carolina] could beat anyone in America.”
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On3’s JD PicKell called the Gamecock defensive line “a problem.” He then said that South Carolina is going to be a real factor in the conference down the stretch of the season.
Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops (who won a National Championship in 2000 and retired in 2016) said on the Sooner’s radio broadcast that the Gamecocks exposed some major problems within the Sooners’ program. Overall, though, the legendary OU headman didn’t know what to say about the Gamecock domination in Norman.
Former Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler (who transferred to South Carolina from Oklahoma) got in on the action, too.
South Carolina football is celebrating a big win right now, but they have five regular season game remaining. USC has the week off before a home matchup with the Texas A&M Aggies on November 2nd.
