The Oklahoma Sooners and the South Carolina Gamecocks will face off for the third straight season. The Gamecocks are one of the few teams the Sooners have faced every season since joining the SEC.
Oklahoma won last season's matchup in Columbia, 26-7. However, the Gamecocks dominated the first matchup in Norman, 35-9. It was a disastrous game, as the Sooners turned the ball over four times, including on their first three possessions. Two of those turnovers led to Gamecock defensive touchdowns. Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins was then benched and replaced by Jackson Arnold.
Oklahoma EDGE Adepoju Adebawore said they will use that performance as fuel this weekend.
"Ultimately, every single week we are trying to go 1-0," Adebawore said via SoonerScoop.
"We don't forget the things that happened. Last time they came here, it was pretty embarrassing. We all took that and felt that. We grew from it and are continuing to grow throughout the week. We definitely are going to come out with a chip on our shoulder like we do every week."
Oklahoma will have an opportunity to show how much it has grown since that difficult loss in Norman. The Sooners' defensive performance will be especially important as they look to set the tone early and keep South Carolina from building momentum. Avoiding the costly mistakes that defined the previous meeting in Norman will also be critical, particularly against a team that has already shown it can capitalize on Oklahoma's miscues.
With the Gamecocks returning to Norman, the Sooners will have added motivation to defend their home field and prove they are a different team than the one that struggled in the first matchup. Adebawore and the defense will look to turn that frustration into disciplined, physical play from the opening whistle.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma using embarrassing South Carolina loss as fuel on Saturday
