Week 8 Preview: Scouting the Oklahoma Sooners

The South Carolina football team officially reached the midpoint of the 2024 season last week. The Gamecocks are heading into the second half of the campaign with a 3-3 overall record.

But before South Carolina goes on its second bye week of the year, it will face Oklahoma for the first time in program history. Saturday’s contest will serve as a homecoming for Shane Beamer, who served as an offensive assistant there for three years ahead of his hire as the Gamecocks’ head coach.

Before the game kicks off at 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network, here’s what the Sooners bring to the table.

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How they got here

Oklahoma is coming off its toughest test of the season, which came against No. 1 Texas in the SEC’s first-ever Red River Rivalry matchup. The Sooners finished the first quarter with a 3-0 lead, but the Longhorns stormed from behind and scored 34 unanswered points to clinch the victory.

The defeat dropped Oklahoma to 4-2 overall and 1-2 against conference opponents. The Sooners’ other loss this season came against another top-10 opponent – then-No. 6 Tennessee, which won 25-15 in the two teams’ game on Sept. 21.

Through six games, Oklahoma boasts wins over one team within the conference (Auburn, 27-21) and three outside it – Temple (51-3), Houston (16-12) and Tulane (34-19).

Where they sit in the rankings

The Sooners are not ranked in either the AP or USA Today Coaches polls. After previously being ranked in the top 25 all season, Oklahoma dropped out this past week. It did, however, receive votes in both polls. The Sooners received 36 votes in the AP poll (which essentially means they are ranked No. 29 in the country, if the rankings extended beyond 25 teams). They also received 81 votes from the USA Today Coaches poll, putting them at No. 26 overall.

ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI) ranks Oklahoma No. 20 with a 11.9 FPI. Its projected record is 6.8-5.2. The team has a 90.4 percent chance of winning six games this season.

In ESPN’s SP+ rankings, the Sooners check in at No. 26.

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Oklahoma sits 18th in the Massey Ratings. It ranks 17th in offense and 16th in defense.

ESPN gives the Sooners a 65.7 percent chance to win this weekend. Oklahoma heads into the contest as 3.5-point favorites, according to ESPN BET.

Players to watch

Michael Hawkins (Freshman, quarterback) – Hawkins has recently emerged as the Sooners’ starting signal caller following the benching of former five-star recruit Jackson Arnold in the team’s loss to Tennessee. Through four games, he has completed 42 of 67 passes for 458 yards and one touchdown, in addition to gaining 128 yards and another score on 48 rushing attempts. Heading into the season, Hawkins was a four-star prospect and the No. 260 recruit in the class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Danny Stutsman (Senior, linebacker) – Stutsman’s presence behind Oklahoma’s defensive line has been a constant over the past two seasons. He logged 100-plus tackles in both 2022 and 2023 and is on his way to hitting the century mark once again. Stutsman has made 46 tackles through six games, with 27 of those tackles coming in two contests against Houston and Temple. His 3.5 tackles for loss are tied for second-most on the team.

Billy Bowman (Senior, defensive back) – Bowman headed into 2024 coming off an All-Big 12 First Team season the year prior. He has carried that success into the Sooners’ debut SEC campaign as one of the team’s top players in its secondary. Bowman has made 16 tackles (11 of which were solo stops), two interceptions and one pass breakup this year.

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Path to victory

Three of South Carolina’s conference opponents were ranked in the top 20 at the time of their matchups against the Gamecocks. While Oklahoma has also only recently dropped out of the top 25, its debut campaign in the SEC has been far from ideal, especially on the offensive side of the football.

The Sooners currently rank last in the conference in passing (165.7), rushing (122.0) and all-purpose yards (287.7) per game. Their 24.3 points per game trumps only Kentucky, which has scored just 20.5 points per contest.

The Wildcats also happen to be the team the Gamecocks had arguably their best defensive performance of the season against. South Carolina collected 11 tackles for loss and five sacks in a 31-6 victory over Kentucky earlier in the year. The Gamecocks allowed just 183 yards of offense in the contest, too.

South Carolina has proven multiple times this season that it can compete against the country’s top teams on the back of its defense. Because of the offensive struggles Oklahoma has faced this year, Saturday’s game could be one where the Gamecocks’ defense shines again.

As far as the team’s offense goes, premiums should be placed on taking care of the football. South Carolina committed four turnovers against the Crimson Tide this past weekend – three fumbles and one interception. Maintaining control of the football for lengthy drives could have potentially resulted in more-game changing points during that contest.

The Gamecocks will also need to see improvement along its offensive line. LaNorris Sellers showed he can generate explosive plays when he is given plenty of time to operate in the pocket. Should Sellers be able to do so, South Carolina could be in line for another SEC victory on the road.

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