Oklahoma-South Carolina Review: PFF Grades, Redshirt Report and More

Looking back at the game and diving into Pro Football Focus' grades and snap-count totals reveals even more about the Sooners' loss to South Carolina.

Oct 19, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back David Spaulding (29) and South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Debo Williams (0) tackle Oklahoma Sooners running back Jovantae Barnes (2) during the second half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

It was an ugly day for the Sooners on Saturday, and a deeper look into the numbers only solidified what the eye test showed. 

South Carolina hammered Oklahoma 35-9 in Norman after getting up 21 in the first quarter thanks to three turnovers. The loss was OU’s second in a row as it dropped to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play in its first season in the conference. 

“They played an excellent game,” OU coach Brent Venables said postgame. “Really did a great job, impressively, from the get-go, putting themselves in position right from the beginning to win the game. What we put out there today as a football team is nothing remotely close to the standard here at the University of Oklahoma. Certainly not what we planned for today. My job as the head coach is to evaluate everything and figure it out and find a way to put us in a better position to be successful.”

Here’s a look at some OU numbers – Pro Football Focus grades and snap counts – coming off the Sooners’ ugly loss to South Carolina. 

Pro Football Focus

After four turnovers (three in the first quarter), these offensive grades obviously weren’t going to be pretty. Overall, the Sooners’ offense was graded at a season-worst 42.9, according to Pro Football Focus, while the defense was at 74.9, better than three other games this season. 

Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. was responsible for all three of those first-quarter turnovers before being pulled after only nine snaps. The abysmal start got Hawkins a career-worst grade of 25. Jackson Arnold took over at QB for the rest of the 76 snaps, also earning a low grade at 46. 

Offensive linemen Jacob Sexton, Troy Everett and Febechi Nwaiwu played all 85 snaps, while Michael Tarquin (76), Spencer Brown (46), Jake Taylor (20), Logan Howland (19) and Heath Ozaeta (9) also logged snaps up front. Nwaiwu earned the best grade of the offensive line at 65 – the second-best on the offense. 

Running back Jovantae Barnes earned the best offensive grade at 65.1 while logging 50 snaps, according to PFF. Kalib Hicks had 18 snaps at running back and Taylor Tatum had 17. Gavin Sawchuk didn’t see the field. 

At receiver, there was Brenen Thompson (69), JJ Hester (65), Jacob Jordan (47), Zion Ragins (36), Ivan Carreon (20) and Zion Kearney (16). Jordan, a walk-on true freshman making his season debut, was the highest-graded receiver at 60.7, barely better than Thompson’s 60.6. 

Bauer Sharp topped tight ends with 59 snaps, followed by Kaden Helms (15) and Jake Roberts (13). 

Defensively, defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. and linebacker Danny Stutsman both played 67 snaps, according to PFF. 

Freshman defensive lineman David Stone, who played only 10 snaps, had the best grade at 77.5. Fellow big man Gracen Halton was next with a grade of 76.2 in 32 snaps. Other defensive linemen who saw the field Saturday include Jayden Jackson (35), Damonic Williams (28), Da’Jon Terry (25), Adepoju Adebawore (21), Caiden Woullard (14), Taylor Wein (2) and Ashton Sanders (2). 

At the next level with Stutsman, there was Kip Lewis (34), Trace Ford (26), Samuel Omosigho (23), Kobie McKinzie (19), Jaren Kanak (18), Dasan McCullough (14) and Lewis Carter (10). 

As for the secondary after Bowman: Eli Bowen (58), Robert Spears-Jennings (43), Kani Walker (40), Peyton Bowen (28), Jacobe Johnson (23), Woodi Washington (21), Devon Jordan (15), Jaydan Hardy (3), Jeremiah Newcombe (2) and Michael Boganowski (2). 

Redshirt Tracker

One of the biggest storylines this week involved Arnold’s redshirt after Venables said that redshirting Arnold, a sophomore, this season had been discussed. But after coming in Saturday for his fifth appearance, that discussion is no longer on the table. He played in five regular-season games last season as a freshman. Hawkins, a freshman, also burned his redshirt with his fifth appearance. 

Other freshmen that burned their redshirts Saturday include defensive back Devon Jordan and receiver Zion Kearney. Receiver Ivan Carreon reached his four-game limit.