How to Watch Oklahoma vs. South Carolina
When the 2024 schedule was first released, Oklahoma’s battle with South Carolina was simply the game sandwiched between Texas and Ole Miss.
Now, it’ll be a pivotal battle.
The Sooners (4-2, 1-2 SEC) will meet the Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) will meet at 11:45 a.m. in Norman on Saturday on the SEC Network where both teams will try to avoid seeing their season truly spiral out of control.
For OU, it will have to find a response after getting embarrassed by Texas for the second time in three years.
South Carolina will be dealing with another set of emotion. Last week, Shane Beamer’s team almost upset Alabama, but the Gamecocks couldn’t piece together one final drive to upend the Crimson Tide.
Both team’s struggles are due in large part to the offense, too.
The combination of injuries, growing pains with young quarterbacks and mounting mental errors have doomed Oklahoma’s offense so far.
Through six games, the Sooners have yet to have a quarterback throw for 200 yards, a running back rush for 100 yards or a receiver finish with 100 yards through the air.
In OU’s two losses, its has turned the ball over a combined five times, and the defense feels like it has to score to give the team a chance to win, leading to even more mistakes.
South Carolina is working through its share of growing pains with a young signal caller as well.
Redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers has completed 62.1 percent of his passes this year for 793 yards and four scores, adding 219 yards and three additional touchdowns on the ground. He’s also thrown four interceptions, one in each of his last four starts for the Gamecocks.
Both defenses rely on the talent in the front seven to disrupt opposing offenses, but can be susceptible to big plays downfield if forced to stay on the field for an entire quarter while the offense struggles to move the ball.
Saturday will also serve as a reunion for Beamer.
The South Carolina head coach served as an assistant on Oklahoma’s coaching staff from 2018-2020 before accepting his current post, and the contest against the Sooners will be his first trip back to Norman since departing Lincoln Riley’s staff.
Beamer spoke glowingly of his time with OU at SEC Media Days this summer, and he’s looking forward to returning to his old home to see plenty of friendly faces this weekend.
Venables is also familiar with the South Carolina program from his decade as a defensive coordinator at Clemson, so while the Sooners and the Gamecocks have never met, both programs know exactly what to expect from one another.
The return to Norman will be good for the Sooners after two games away from home and the bye week, especially as a trip to The Grove looms to close out October.
How to Watch Oklahoma vs. South Carolina
- Location: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
- Date: Oct. 19
- Time: 11:45 a.m.
- Channel: SEC Network
- Broadcast Crew: Gregg Daniels and Chad Brown
- Radio Broadcast: 107.7 FM The Franchise
- Weather Forecast: Sunny with a high of 75 degrees