South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Oklahoma Sooners Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 19th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Oklahoma is recovering from a devastating defeat at the hands of their biggest rival.
South Carolina, on the other hand, is coming off a narrow loss to Alabama.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from their recent disappointments when they face off on Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma.
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Turnovers are expected to play a crucial role in the outcome of the game.
The Sooners currently lead the Southeastern Conference and are tied for seventh in the nation with 14 forced turnovers, while the Gamecocks are tied for second in the conference with 12 takeaways.
The South Carolina secondary has been particularly effective at intercepting passes, with Jalon Kilgore leading the way with three interceptions and Nick Emmanwori and O'Donnell Fortune each adding two. On the other side, Billy Bowman Jr. has been a standout for Oklahoma with two interceptions of his own.
Both teams have also been successful at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, with both ranking 10th nationally in sacks per game with an average of 3.17.
While this will be the first meeting between these two programs, South Carolina did get a glimpse of what to expect from Oklahoma's defense last season when they faced off against Jacksonville State. Sooners co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley was the defensive coordinator for Jacksonville State at the time.
Despite their success in forcing turnovers, both teams have struggled with holding onto the ball on offense.
Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2 SEC) has committed a total of seven turnovers, with five of those coming in their two losses to Tennessee (25-15) and Texas (34-3).
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South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) has given up the ball 12 times, including four turnovers in last week's close 27-25 loss to Alabama. This was the Gamecocks' second defeat by three points or less this season.
Head coach Shane Beamer emphasized the importance of finishing strong and playing clean football in order for his team to be successful.
This game is crucial for Oklahoma's hopes of extending their bowl streak, which currently stands at 26 consecutive seasons - the second-longest in the country.
According to Sooners coach Brent Venables, there are no easy games in the conference and this matchup against South Carolina will be a tough one.
For the Gamecocks, this game is equally important as they look to bounce back from a bowl-less season last year.
Beamer, who was an assistant on Lincoln Riley's staff at Oklahoma from 2018-2020, will surely have some fond memories as he returns to face his former team.