South Carolina Defeats Oklahoma 42-25 Behind LaNorris Sellers

Gamecocks cruise to 42-25 victory over Oklahoma behind Sellers

The South Carolina Gamecocks secured a dominating 42-25 win over the Oklahoma Sooners, powered by a standout offensive performance from quarterback LaNorris Sellers on Saturday. Both teams entered the matchup at 4-3, with the Gamecocks coming off a 27-24 home win against No. 11 Tennessee and Oklahoma defeating Mississippi State 23-15 on the road.

WIS reported that the game opened with a trade of punts before Sellers rushed up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown. That score put South Carolina ahead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter while holding the Sooners scoreless. Oklahoma answered early in the second quarter when Kip Lewis intercepted a Sellers shotgun pass and returned it for a touchdown to tie the game. Penalties hampered the Sooners early, costing them 45 yards.

South Carolina builds a halftime lead

South Carolina reclaimed the lead following a 38-yard catch by Nyck Harbor, which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Christian Clark to make it 14-7. After Oklahoma recorded its fourth 3-and-out, Sellers connected with Mazeo Bennett Jr. on an 84-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 21-7. Oklahoma responded when Tate Sandell kicked a 52-yard field goal following a sack of John Mateer, cutting the deficit to 21-10. Sellers then found Harbor in the corner of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown pass, sending the Gamecocks into halftime with a 28-10 advantage.

Action picked up in the third quarter when Michael Boganowski intercepted Sellers on a third-and-11 play with 9:13 remaining. Following another Oklahoma punt, Sellers rushed for an 11-yard touchdown with two minutes left in the period, pushing the lead to 35-10.

Sooners fall short in fourth quarter

Oklahoma opened the fourth quarter with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to Ivan Carreon, though a two-point conversion attempt failed. Bennett Jr. connects with Sellers deep from 79 yards for a touchdown that stretched the Gamecocks’ lead to 42-16 with 13:13 remaining. A subsequent Sooners field goal trimmed the margin to 42-19 with 9:46 left on the clock, prompting South Carolina to substitute Cutter Woods at quarterback.

Late in the period, Mateer fumbled at the Gamecocks’ 32-yard line, which Shawn Murphy returned 57 yards before the play was ruled an incomplete pass, keeping the ball with Oklahoma. Mateer connected with Carreon again for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Another failed two-point conversion left the Sooners trailing 42-25 with three minutes remaining. After Woods threw an interception to Markel Ford on a shotgun pass with 1:53 left, Oklahoma mounted a final drive. A roughing the passer penalty kept the ball with the Sooners at the South Carolina 2-yard line, but the offense fell short on fourth-and-goal, turning the ball over on downs to seal the final score.

Saturday’s matchup marked the third all-time meeting between the Gamecocks and Sooners in a series dating back to 2024, leaving the all-time series tied at 1-1.