OU lost 42-25 to South Carolina at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
The Sooners (4-4, 2-3 SEC) suffered their second home defeat in a row and continued its 2026 pattern of struggling to win two consecutive games. South Carolina (5-3, 3-3) has now won three games in a row, including two ranked wins.
Here are takeaways:
Sooners cannot stop Sellers
South Carolina junior quarterback LaNorris Sellers had a dominant performance in Norman.
Sellers finished with 301 passing yards, 96 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
He rushed with ease against the Sooners. He first made his way into the end zone with a 15-yard rush in the first quarter. He also had a 17-yard rush on that same drive.
He also completed multiple deep passes. He connected with fifth-year wide receiver DJ Black for an 84-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He delivered a deep pass to junior wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a 79-yard touchdown.
Sellers’ 2026 performance is a stark contrast to how he fared against them in 2025. He had 124 passing yards and -9 rushing yards against OU last year.
Anemic offense
The Sooners struggled to generate anything on offense, as loud “fire Arbuckle” chants were heard across the stadium.
OU especially lacked production in the first half. Fifth-year quarterback John Mateer had only 25 passing yards in the first half, with the team having less than 80 total yards at the time. At halftime, Sellers had more rushing yards (79) than OU had total yards as a team.
Students also chanted, “We want Whitt” in the fourth quarter. With the Mateer-led offense struggling, fans called for junior quarterback Whitt Newbauer. Mateer has faced heavy criticism for much of the season due to his inconsistent play. He finished with a 60% pass completion rate against South Carolina after completing 76% of his passes against Mississippi State.
The Sooners finished with only two touchdowns.
OU’s playoff hopes seemingly over
Though it was already unlikely, at three losses, the Sooners still believed they could make a run to the College Football Playoff. No glimmer of hope remains now.
A 9-3 SEC team could be in playoff consideration late in the season, with the parity across college football. There were four multi-loss teams in the top 15 of the last AP Poll, all coming from the SEC. Also, last year, Texas finished 13th in the AP Poll at the end of the regular season with a 9-3 record, placing it just outside the 12-team playoff.
With OU falling to four losses, it can wave goodbye to its playoff hopes.
South Carolina 42, OU 25 (2:59, 4Q): Fifth-year quarterback John Mateer connects with junior wide receiver Ivan Carreon for another touchdown. They failed to convert the two-point conversion.
South Carolina 42, OU 19 (9:46, 4Q): Fifth-year kicker Tate Sandell makes a 34-yard field goal.
South Carolina 42, OU 16 (13:13, 4Q): Junior quarterback LaNorris Sellers delivers a deep pass to junior wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a 79-yard touchdown.
South Carolina 35, OR 16 (14:53, 4Q): Fifth-year quarterback John Mateer completes a pass to Carreon for a 34-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion is no good.
South Carolina 35, OU 10 (2:04, 3Q): Junior quarterback LaNorris Sellers speeds past the defense for an 11-yard rushing touchdown.
Michael Boganowski interception: Junior defensive back Michael Boganowski intercepts a pass.
Brent Venables at halftime: “We’ve got a lot to fix and not much time to do it,” Brent Venables said on SEC Network.
Halftime quarterback comparison: LaNorris Sellers has 179 passing yards and 79 rushing yards at the half, while John Mateer has 25 passing yards and five rushing yards.
South Carolina 28, OU 10 (0:16, 2Q): Junior quarterback LaNorris Sellers finds senior wide receiver Nyck Harbor for an eight-yard touchdown pass.
South Carolina 21, OR 10 (2:49 2Q): Fifth-year kicker Tate Sandell completes a 52-yard field goal.
South Carolina 21, OU 7 (9:19, 2Q): Sellers connects with fifth-year wide receiver DJ Black for an 84-yard touchdown.
South Carolina 14, OR 7 (11:20 2Q): Sophomore running back Christian Clark scores a one-yard rushing touchdown.
OU 7, South Carolina 7 (2:05 p.m., 2Q): Fifth-year linebacker Kip Lewis returns an interception 30 yards for a touchdown.
South Carolina 7, OR 0 (6:26, 1Q): Sellers rushes 15 yards for a touchdown.
OU scoreless in its 1st drive: OU’s first drive ends in a punt, generating -1 yards on the drive.
South Carolina scoreless in 1st drive: The Gamecocks’ drive ends in a punt on fourth and six at the 50. They gained only 28 yards on the drive.
Pre-game availability report: Senior defensive back Peyton Bowen will be a game-time decision.
Source: www.oudaily.com
