South-Carolina
Everything Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said after South Carolina's 35-9 domination
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables spoke to the media following the Sooners’ lopsided loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Here’s what he had to say following the 35-9 beatdown:
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Opening Statement
“I’d like to start off just by congratulating Coach Beamer and their staff for having their team ready to play. [South Carolina] played an excellent game. [They] really did a great job of playing aggressively from the get-go and putting themselves in the position right from the beginning to win the game.
“What we put out there today as a football team is nothing remotely close to the standard here at the University of Oklahoma. [It’s] certainly not what we planned for today. My job as the head coach is to evaluate everything and figure it out and find a way to put us in a better position for us to be successful.
“[I’m] incredibly proud of the fight in our players.
“As we know, nothing influences and impacts a game like turnovers. We lost the turnover margin, which we’ve done for the last two weeks…
“They forced six fumbles and recovered a few of them. They had a couple of scores off turnovers…nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss…
“The leaders in the locker room—I feel they’re going to continue to fight and stay committed. That’s one of the hardest things to do. Through the adversity, through the losses…Because of the competitiveness of this league, the parody of this league, there is no margin for error. So, we will need everybody to have a chance to finish the year in a better way.
“So, I’m incredibly hurt for our players. I know how much they prepared, how hard they fought, how much they put in—not only today but certainly this season—but this is a game that will punish you for the smallest mistakes. So, this will be a group of guys and a staff that will continue to fight and find a way to put our players in a better position than what we did today.”
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Texas A&M football game]
On if his team’s unreadiness to play against South Carolina surprised him
“We’ve got to take care of the ball, you know? Making one bad decision affects everybody. So, I don’t think that’s fair to say that everyone else ain’t ready because of the turnovers. When they happen, we’ve got to respond. Many times we did today. Other times, we didn’t. But when they get it, and they go score, I don’t think that’s necessarily indicative of everybody else being ready to play.
“Even individuals sometimes, they’re making a play. Sometimes they’re covering somebody, they squeeze the ball, they put pressure because of the time, and then we’re vulnerable.”
On the decision to switch quarterbacks from Michael Hawkins, Jr. to Jackson Arnold
“We’ll talk about that when we figure that out, as far as moving forward. Then again, three straight drives with turnovers, that’s a pretty easy decision.”
On how Jackson Arnold played in relief of Michael Hawkins, Jr.
“There was some that was good and some that wasn’t, but he did a lot that was good today. Again, we had to be good around him. I hate saying the same thing every time we’re playing a really good defense—well-coached, very long and athletic—when we’re not turning the ball over, having negative plays, having sacks, you know, there were some things where we had rhythm at times. But [it was] not really where it needs to be. [We] fell below the standard and expectation.”
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On his team’s offensive game plan against the Gamecocks’ pass rush
“We felt good going in. Obviously, until you go play and match up, obviously it wasn’t anything about it that was good.”
On if there is anything the Sooners can hang their hats on after a bad game like this
“Yeah, there has to be. Yeah, absolutely.”
On if there are any potential gameday coaching roles that he envisions changing for his team moving forward
“Whenever there are changes, you guys will be the first to know. [Having tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley] as another set of eyes up top to be able to see things and identify things…the iPads are amazing. You can learn a lot from those, as well, to be able to see the structure of the defense and things of that nature.”
On what Jacob Jordan brought to the passing game
“Yeah, he’s hard to cover, and he runs great routes, very precise. He had a good fall, then was a little inconsistent catching the ball at times in the fall. He’s had a good last couple of weeks. He’s hard to get a hand on, he knows how to set routes up, how to stem, understands coverage and where the space is. He did a nice job.”
On how struggling offensive coordinator Seth Littrell will handle “outside noise” following another disappointing offensive outing
“I don’t want to speak in conjecture and what he will or won’t but, but that’s for any of us. You should never do it for the applause or the boos. You put your head down and you go to work, control the controllable. Scrutiny comes with it. Everybody wants to see success, and we’ve got a smart fanbase. They know when it’s going well, and they know when it’s not going well, regardless of what the issues are.
“Our job is to put our guys in a great position to be successful, no matter what. No excuses, no injuries, no new quarterback, no ‘who we’re playing.’ None of that matters. Everybody knows that’s what you sign up for. But he’s been a winner his whole life, you know? He’s a competitor, he’s a winner, he’s a leader. I know he hurts, and then he’s disappointed for the University of Oklahoma, a place he loves dearly, and certainly every one of his players who lay it on the line every single day for us.”
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On if he would be willing to do an in-season evaluation of his coaches.
“Yeah, that’s nothing I really want to discuss right now. We’ve talked about here this week. I look at everything, and so, what are we doing to put the guys in position to be successful? Everything that’s out there, all the information that you have, you evaluate that along with it, but there’s a lot that goes into that.”
On if he will get more involved with the offense as the team struggles to score
“You know, I have been. I sit in staff meetings. I sit in a bunch of different position meetings. I’m certainly still involved with the defense. I spend time on the defensive field, and I spend time on the offensive field. Again, who knows what would have been if you took care of the ball better to give yourself a chance…Today, we didn’t give ourselves a chance.”
On playing a sixth different combo on the offensive line this week
“Jake [Taylor] had to come out, so I’m looking at the next guys up. Logan and Spencer both played, and both of them did some good things, and both of them did some not-so-good things.”
On Oklahoma heading in the wrong direction, and if he has any plans to fix it
“No, the problems are easy to identify. Fixing them always isn’t quite as easy, but that’s what we’re working relentlessly to do. We’re not doing it fast enough.”
On how difficult it is to keep fighting through the adversity of not playing well, especially on defense in light of the offense’s struggles
“Again, I guard against it every single day. I have since I’ve been a coach. You know, I guard against success, how people are going to respond to doing well. I guard against days when, inevitably, things don’t go well, both for the individual and us collectively. I think that’s what a good coach will do to be proactive all the time.
“You compete, you commit, you work not to a result, you do that to a standard, a certain way of doing things. My job is to have everybody buy into doing things in a certain way. To be committed to that and defend that…really buy into that. So, again, I know some people don’t understand that. I know these guys on defense. They’re not going to flinch. These guys have got the right stuff.
“Are there moments they could be frustrated or disappointed? Absolutely; they’re human. Would they let that steer themselves to a place to be negative or finger-pointing or playing the blame game or making up excuses or being pissed at their teammates? Absolutely not. I just know who they are, and I just listen to them and watch them and watch how they fight and compete. I would be deeply disappointed and hurt and surprised if they chose to go that route.
We have a strong culture, we have a strong belief system. The results that we’ve gotten the last couple of weeks, nobody desires that. Nobody wants that. Nobody accepts that in any way; it’s not acceptable. But the only way you bounce back from it, to get better from it, is, man, you’ve got to fight. You’ve got to continue to lead. You have got to continue to lead. You’ve got to have the courage it takes. Your effort, your mindset, your attitude, your leadership is not conditional. It is second nature. It is who you are. Then, in the moments of pressure, it should reveal itself…Every single bit of it falls on my shoulders. It’s my responsibility. I’ve got to get it figured out, and that’s on me.”
On what happened on Michael Hawkins, Jr.’s two interception
“A few things. We allowed some pressure. The first one, we’ve got seven on four, and we’ve got to win every single time. Football is a game of matchups. If you get whooped, you see what happened. Pressure forced us into making a decision, and everything is affected. Your accuracy, your launch point, everything. We’ve got to make better decision, we’ve got to be better fundamentally, we’ve got to do a better job of executing in that situation right out of the gate.”
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On playing from behind early in the game
“Our strategy? I mean, you’ve got a lot of football…just claw your way back into it, one possession at a time on offense and one stop at a time on defense. Then, every play in the kicking game is a season of its own. You go right back to work, though, that’s the only way you can do it. One positive yard at a time, one first down at a time, that’s the vision.”
On if South Carolina surprised him by playing turnover-free football
“Yeah, absolutely, I’m very surprised, but [South Carolina has] learned. They did a better job than we did today, but that goes without saying. There’s a few times the ball’s getting jarred loose, both in the kicking game and them on offense. But not enough to force a turnover.”
On his kicking game and the decision to Zach Schmit at placekicker
“Yeah, you saw what happened at Texas, and then Keltner responded…that’s what went into it.”
On his offense’s struggles in the running game despite Javontae Barnes’ effort level
“Yeah, great toughness, great resolve. He’s got a tremendous will to win. He’s becoming a really good leader, using his voice. The success that he’s had…he’s doing a really good job trying to be a good example and then [trying] to lead these guys emotionally and verbally. But today was another, well, he had some really good moments today. But he’s got to continue to hold onto the ball.”
The University of South Carolina athletic program tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in the latest Graduation Success Rate, released Wednesday by the NCAA.
The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) measures the number of scholarship student-athletes that graduate within a six-year period of their initial full-time enrollment. For this report, the GSR is based on student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2017.
South Carolina’s athletic teams had a 94 percent score, which tied with Auburn University and the University of Mississippi in the SEC behind Vanderbilt (96) and Alabama (96). South Carolina’s Football GSR score (95) ranked second among SEC schools and South Carolina schools. It tied for ninth among all Power 5 schools.
“I am so proud of the academic achievements of our student-athletes,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “Our student-athletes work hard in practice and in games, and they also put in the time with their academics. We have the staff and resources to help our student-athletes reach their goal of graduation.
An outstanding nine teams scored a perfect GSR (100): Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Track & Field, and Volleyball.
Thirteen of South Carolina’s NCAA-sponsored teams met or exceeded the Division I national average for their sport.
“Once again our student-athletes have demonstrated a strong tradition of academic dedication and tenacity”, said Charlie Ball, Associate AD. “Student-athletes at the University of South Carolina have a competitive edge in the classroom and in their respective sports. We are excited to have the ability to offer notable academic support and provide a one-of-a-kind SEC academic experience.”
A Record of Academic Success
Gamecock Athletics has developed a proud tradition of academic success, achieving numerous honors and reaching high levels of achievement during the 2023-24 academic year.
- Student-athletes at USC ended the Spring 2024 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.37. It was the 35th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0. The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.41, which is the third highest cumulative grade point average ever for Gamecock student-athletes.
- 133 Gamecock student-athletes earned their degrees during the 2023-24 academic year.
- South Carolina had 430 members on the SEC Academic Honor Roll (fall, winter, spring, first-year), which was third in the SEC. Since 2015-16, South Carolina leads all schools with 3,748 members of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. South Carolina led all schools in SEC Academic Honor Roll in seven of the last nine years (2nd – 2017-18; 3rd – 2023-24).
- Six Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors. It is the first time since 2021 that Gamecocks have had multiple first-team and six overall Academic All-Americans. The list includes Dylan Taggart, Men’s Track & Field (1st Team / CSC Academic All-America Track & Field Team Member of the Year), Sarah Hamner, Women’s Tennis (1st Team), Anass Essayi , Men’s Track & Field (2ndTeam), Cole Messina, Baseball (3rd Team), Skylar Allen, Beach Volleyball (3rd Team) and Louise Rydqvist, Women’s Golf (3rd Team).
- 43 Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors and four earned conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in their respective sports – Dylan Taggart (SEC Indoor & Outdoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year), Louis Rvdqvist (SEC women’s golf), Ayana Akli (SEC women’s tennis) and Skylar Allen (CCSA Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year).
South-Carolina
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Sports Seriously
Technically, Feast Week is still three days away, but given some of the star-powered matchups this week in women’s college hoops, those who are craving good basketball are going to get their fill — and then some.
The two biggest games of the week are both taking place in L.A., more proof that Hollywood really does attract the biggest and best stars. While USC-Notre Dame and UCLA-South Carolina will command plenty of attention, don’t discount some of the unranked and/or mid-major schools listed below. November is a great time to get familiar with non-brand names that could make a run come March.
And with that, here are five women’s college games to watch this week.
Belmont at No. 14 Duke
Thursday, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
Don’t be fooled by Belmont’s 2-2 record — the Bruins took No. 11 Ohio State to the wire last week, and Bart Brooks is one of the best coaches in the country, period. Belmont boasts a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging 8.0 points or more, but in order to pull an upset in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, they’re going to need Kendall Holmes (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Emily La Chapell (11.5 ppg, 3.0 apg) to step up. Duke, which also has a balanced attack, won’t make it easy, especially if Ashlon Jackson (13.2 ppg, 40% 3FG) and Reigan Richardson (11.4 ppg, 41.2% 3FG) are hitting from outside.
No. 9 Oklahoma at UNLV
Friday, 3:30 ET on Mountain West Network
This could be interesting. UNLV has ruled the Mountain West for a few years, and is often ranked at the end of the regular season. But the Rebels have yet to make major noise in the NCAA tournament, even though they’re often a popular upset pick. Could a win at home over a top 10 team help build the confidence they need to do some damage in March? To upset the Sooners they’ll have to figure out how to handle junior center Raegan Beers (21.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg), arguably the top transfer in the country.
Harvard at Northwestern
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network+
Harvard’s already picked up one win against a Big Ten team, knocking off then-ranked Indiana in Bloomington in the second game of the season. And given that the Crimson feature one of the best players in the country you haven’t heard of — senior guard Harmoni Turner is averaging 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and shooting 45.1% from the field — the chances of notching another big road win look good.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 3 USC
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
The two best sophomores in the country, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo take centerstage in a game that could very well break scoring records based on how much these two guards love to push pace. Watkins (21.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 spg) is pro-ready in just her second year of college hoops and Hidalgo (25.0 ppg, 5.2 spg) is maybe the best on-ball defender in the country, a pest who knows how to steal the ball and turn it into points on the other end. But these two are hardly one-woman shows. USC got a gem out of the transfer portal in Kiki Iriafen (17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and the Irish’s other star guard, Olivia Miles (18.3 ppg, 6.8), is healthy after missing last season. You’re going to want popcorn handy when you tune into this game.
No. 1 South Carolina at No. 6 UCLA
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on FS1
UCLA junior center Lauren Betts (21.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) is an early favorite to contend for national player of the year honors. One thing that would help make a case for her: a stellar performance against the defending champs. That’s a tall task though, even for the 6-foot-7 Betts. She’ll be going up against Gamecocks like Joyce Edwards (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), a freshman who plays like a veteran, and Ashlyn Watkins (5.7 ppg, 1.3 bpg), who proved last year she’s one of the best defenders in the country. Will UCLA and Betts be able to slow Chloe Kitts (17.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and Te-Hina Paopao (13.5 ppg, 44% 3FG)? They’ll have to in order to beat South Carolina. A big game from transfer Timea Gardiner (14.5 ppg, 57.7% 3FG) would also help.
USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll: Defending national champions remain at No. 1
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
The South Carolina football record for single-year NFL Draft selections in the modern era is seven. Both the 2009 draft and 2013 draft saw seven Gamecocks selected. (Back in 1954, nine USC alums went in a much longer draft.)
The 2025 NFL Draft could challenge those numbers.
The Gamecocks will be well-represented in April’s draft, especially on defense. You can check out some recent draft projections below. (The only underclassmen included are TJ Sanders and Nick Emmanwori because of their expected early-round selections.)
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TJ Sanders
The player most consistently mocked in the 1st round among the draft-eligible Gamecocks is big TJ Sanders. The athletic defensive tackle has gotten top-30 love from CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and Mike Renner. Other outlets predict a 2nd or 3rd-round selection, but Sanders appears to be a lock in the top 100.
Nick Emmanwori
Nick Emmanwori has been one of several standouts on this year’s defense at South Carolina. Because of that, the talented safety has become one of the top players at his position in the 2025 draft. Some even consider him this cycle’s best overall safety. Emmanwori is big, fast, and great on the back end. CBS’ Ryan Wilson views the freaky athlete as a 1st-rounder. Most outlets seem to position him in the 2nd round.
Kyle Kennard
Coming into 2024 as a late-round guy, Kyle Kennard has played himself into a new future. Now, following an All-American showing this fall, he has been mocked as high as the late 1st round but seems settled into somewhere in the top 100 according to most sources. That is exactly where The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez projects Kennard. Sanchez calls him a “Day 2” pick, meaning he believes Kennard will go in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Rocket Sanders
Running backs aren’t nearly as highly coveted in the draft as they used to be, but Rocket Sanders is among the names garnering consideration. The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs projects Sanders to be a 5th-round pick. That also tracks with other NFL Draft big boards and mocks. Most outlets seem to think Sanders will be off the board between the fourth and seventh rounds.
DeAndre Jules
An under-the-radar Gamecock in draft circles in DeAndre Jules. The big defensive tackle has missed some time this fall, but the NFL is still intrigued by the big fella. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell projects Jules to go in the 3rd or 4th round in April. That is higher than most other mocks, though. When Jules is included on other NFL Draft boards, it is as a potential late-round pick.
Josh Simon
As part of a strong season, Josh Simon tied USC’s single-season touchdown record for tight ends (6) against Missouri. Because of his production, the NFL is taking notice. AtoZSports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Roberts called Simon “a better pro than college player,” which is significant because he’s a really good college tight end. NFL Draft pundits are late to the party, but he’s starting to get late-round buzz as a possible 5th-round to 7th-round selection. The offseason should be kind to Simon’s draft stock.
O’Donnell Fortune
O’Donnell Fortune could be the next South Carolina cornerback to make his way into the draft. In fact, earlier this fall, NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline gave the Palmetto State native a 6th-round grade. Several other outlets have followed suit recently. Fortune has had a strong senior season in Columbia and should find himself in professional football next year, whether via draft selection or free agent contract. He is a “stock up” candidate.
Demetrius Knight
Demetrius Knight is an NFL linebacker. Because he didn’t play until last year (with Charlotte) and has just one season in the SEC, his stock isn’t high. As things stand, Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell lists Knight as a 6th or 7th-round pick. However, Knight’s size and speed should see him be an offseason riser. His physical testing numbers and pop on film should impress scouts.
Tonka Hemingway
Heading into the season, Tonka Hemingway was viewed as a potential major riser for the 2025 NFL Draft. With other players also stepping up around the country at the position, a solid year for Hemingway hasn’t seen that draft stock bump come to fruition. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell calls Hemingway a 6th or 7th-round pick.
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Wofford football game]
Other Late-Round/Undrafted Free Agent Hopefuls
*The players listed below have received 7th-round or undrafted free agent grades from various outlets*
LB Debo Williams
G/C Torricelli Simpkins
C/G Vershon Lee
LB Bam Martin-Scott
DT Boogie Huntley
WR Gage Larvadain
P Kai Kroeger
LS Hunter Rogers
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