Oklahoma's offensive woes continued in a 42-25 loss to South Carolina on Saturday, leaving the Sooners at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. The defeat, marked by boos from the home crowd, underscores the mounting pressure on head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
Offensive struggles persist
Quarterback John Mateer completed just 7 of 12 passes for 25 yards in the first half, with the Sooners accumulating more penalty yards than offensive yards by intermission. Oklahoma trailed 28-10 at halftime, its only score coming on an interception return for a touchdown by Kip Lewis. Mateer finished 26-of-43 for 244 yards, with most production coming in garbage time, including two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Ivan Carreon.
According to TruMedia, Oklahoma entered the game ranked 120th nationally with a 34.1% three-and-out rate. The Sooners rank last in the SEC in total offense and rushing offense, and 15th in scoring offense — all worse than last season. Since an upset win over Texas in early October, the offense has reverted to its anemic form, raising questions about the program's identity under Arbuckle, who is in the second year of a three-year contract.
Venables, who holds a 20-19 record at Oklahoma, faces a critical offseason. Unless the Sooners land a high-impact transfer quarterback for 2027, the roster will feature true freshmen Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, who have combined for two passing attempts this season. Analysts argue that simply running back the same scheme in 2027 will not work unless Arbuckle establishes a clear offensive identity and the execution improves dramatically.
