OU defense stifles USC offense, sacks QB 6 times
In its first true SEC road game of the season Oklahoma finally found its rushing game, led by RB Tory Blaylock, who started the Sooners off with an 18-yard touchdown run to end a 75-yard opening drive.
The Sooners never looked back. With a dominant defense that had Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers scrambling all day, Oklahoma went on to a 26-7 win in its first ever appearance in the state of South Carolina.
Blaylock finished the day with 101 yards on 19 carries. Xavier Robinson had 58 yards on 11 carries.
It was an important win for Oklahoma, coming off the previous week’s disappointing loss to Texas (where they managed just 48 yards rushing) and a week before a strong Mississippi team comes to Norman. The Sooners are now 6-1, with a 2-1 SEC record.
“I saw a hungry and angry football team…they were hangry,” Coach Brent Venables in his post-game interview.
It was a journeyman day for QB John Mateer, going 18 of 26 for 150 yards passing and 14 yards rushing. He threw one touchdown and no interceptions. He managed an efficient offense, which took advantage of good field position and a strong defense that smothered the Gamecocks all day.
The Sooners defense tackled a scrambling USC runners 13 times for a loss and sacked Sellers six times.
The Sooners capped the day with a late fourth quarter safety, set up by a quick kick on fourth day Mateer that backed the Gamecocks up to their own one yard line.
On the next play, Markus Strong tackled ‘SC running Matt Fuller in the endzone.
Defensive end Taylor Wein had a stellar day. He came into the game leading defenders with 8.5 tackles for a loss. Against South Carolina Wein stopped Sellers short of the end zone on their opening drive. In the third quarter he intercepted a fake punt try by the Gamecocks — a turnover that seemed to flip all momentum the Sooners’ way.
“We were on a mission. We were fired up,” Wein said.
On their first drive, South Carolina’s went 10 plays, 72 yards, but they came up empty handed with OU’s goal line stand. The Gamecocks finished the game with a final drive of 8 plays and 59 yards, but it ended with an OU interception.
In between, the Sooners defended 49 plays and only gave up 126 yards (2.5 per play) and 7 points.
“We tried to do a lot of different things, but give them credit. Venables is a great defensive coach. It’s why I think Texas scored one TD against them. It’s why Michigan didn’t score much on them, Auburn didn’t score much on them. They’re freaking good,” South Carolina Coach Shane Beamer said.
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