Oklahoma football is going backward quickly. After losing 34-3 against archrival Texas in the Cotton Bowl last weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners hosted the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday, hoping to get back into the win column. Instead, Oklahoma had a nightmarish start, trailing 32-3 at the half while failing to eclipse 100 yards on offense and allowing two of their three turnovers to turn into South Carolina touchdowns. Fresh off a double-digit winning season in 2023, the Sooners have taken a massive step back in 2024, their first year competing in the SEC.
Oklahoma football’s first-half deficit nearly reset an old record held by their 1997 team that finished the year 4-8. The 29-point deficit OU faced in the first half is the most significant loss they have encountered since trailing Texas A&M 34-0 during the 1997 season. Oklahoma would go on to lose the game 51-7. Meanwhile, the 2024 rendition of the Sooners, which faced a 29-point home deficit, lost 35-9.
South Carolina Destroys Oklahoma Football in 1st Half
According to OUInsider on Twitter:
This is the #Sooners‘ largest home deficit since the John Blake era in 1997 when they trailed Texas A&M 34-0.
In 1997, their second to last season under head coach John Blake, the Oklahoma football team lost four of their previous five games, including each of their final three home games. Oklahoma faced a 34-0 first-half deficit in their final home tilt before losing 51-7 against a ranked Texas A&M squad. The Sooners would go 4-8 to finish the year and 5-6 in 1998 before the program parted ways with Blake and hired his successor, Bob Stoops.
On Saturday, Oklahoma football faced their most significant first-half home deficit, 29 points, since the 1997 season. After the Sooners’ first three drives resulted in turnovers from quarterback Michael Hawkins, the team turned to former starter Jackson Arnold. The redshirt freshman signal-caller played well in relief, but the defense struggled for a second straight game, failing to force a turnover. As for the quarterbacks, Hawkins went 3-of-5 for 18 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble, while Arnold completed 53% of his passes for 225 yards and a touchdown.
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