The 3-2-1: Three key plays, two game balls, one burning question from South Carolina’s win at Oklahoma

Three Key Plays
1. Interception
On the first snap of the game, Kyle Kennard got pressure on Oklahoma freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins. Hawkins stepped away from the sack but threw late to the sideline and was intercepted by Nick Emmanwori. Five plays later the Gamecocks were in the end zone.

2. Fumble
Oklahoma’s second possession wasn’t much better. The Sooners picked up a first down, but then Demetrius Knight got to Hawkins for a strip sack. The fumble bounced to Tonka Hemingway, who returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. At that point, Oklahoma had two turnovers on four snaps, and the two-touchdown deficit may as well have been four.

3. Offsides
South Carolina added a pick-six before it even got another offensive snap, and then added a field goal off a failed fourth down attempt by Oklahoma. The 24-0 lead masked a struggling offense, so when the Sooners finally managed a field goal, it felt like the Gamecocks needed to answer. That’s why they lined up to go for it on fourth and five from midfield. The Sooners jumped offsides to give the Gamecocks the first down. Four plays later South Carolina scored a touchdown and the rout was comfortably on again.

Two Game Balls
Nick Emmanwori
Emmanwori had an interception on the first play of the game and a pick-six on the ninth. Everything after that was just gravy, but he did finish with 11 tackles including one for a loss.

Defensive line
South Carolina harassed the Oklahoma quarterbacks all game. It would be unfair to single out just one player, or two. What made South Carolina’s pass rush so dominant was that everyone contributed. South Carolina’s nine sacks were the most in a game since at least 1996, and they came from nine different players. Clayton White mixed in some blitzes, but the defensive line didn’t need much help as the Oklahoma quarterbacks spent the entire game running away from pressure.

One Burning Question
Can South Carolina bottle up all of the good things from the past two weeks for November?
It’s hard to believe, but after next week’s bye, there is only one month left in South Carolina’s season. Two years ago the November to Remember was one of the high points of the Shane Beamer era, but last season fell short. South Carolina nearly knocked off Alabama and then totally outclassed Oklahoma. There’s a lot to feel good about, especially from the defense. But the offense was inconsistent (four turnovers against Alabama and less than 300 yards against Oklahoma). 

Can the Gamecocks use the bye week to minimize those issues and build on the dominant defense?

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