Lessons learned from Oklahoma's bounce-back win vs South Carolina

The No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners went on the road and got back in the win column with a 26-7 win against South Carolina on Saturday.

Even in what was a controlling victory, there were lessons learned about the Sooners before they start a stretch against five ranked teams to finish the season.

Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson are OU's answers in run game

OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle explained this week that he and running backs coach DeMarco Murray discuss every week which two running backs will be OU's two lead ball carries for the upcoming game. That should no longer be a discussion.

Freshman Tory Blaylock asserted himself early this season as the Sooners' RB1, and sophomore Xavier Robinson is the clear RB2 if Arbuckle or Murray don't overthink things. There's no need to keep giving Jaydn Ott chances and maybe not even a reason to give Jovantae Barnes snaps once he's healthy again.

As the 1-2 punch in the backfield on Saturday, Blaylock and Robinson combined for 159 of OU's 171 rushing yards for the Sooners' best rushing performance of the season against an SEC defense. Both found the end zone once and were the only running backs that got carries until garbage time.

Blaylock led OU with 101 yards on 19 carries, which were both career-highs, for his second time surpassing the century mark. Robinson had 11 rushes and 58 yards.

Hopefully Arbuckle and Murray also learned the lesson of who needs to lead the Sooners' backfield every week for the rest of the season.

Michael Fasusi not immune to freshman mistakes

Offensive tackle Michael Fasusi signed with the Sooners as the highest-rated recruit in their 2025 class with expectations to one day be OU's next offensive line product to go to the NFL. Fasusi has missed two games this season, but when healthy, he has already been the Sooners' go-to at left tackle with four starts.

Despite the hype, there were times the past two weeks where fans were reminded Fasusi is still just a freshman going up against SEC defensive linemen. He had two first-half penalties against South Carolina that disrupted drives and gave up OU's first sack of the game in the fourth quarter.

There's no need to doubt Fasusi will meet his expectations, though. Even while learning as a freshman, Fasusi is still one of the Sooners' best offensive linemen. There will be times Fasusi looks like the freshman he is, but he'll still be a star, and might even already be one.

Still the same plan for Michael Hawkins Jr.

It was just a brief moment in the game, but early in the second half, quarterback John Mateer lost his helmet so was forced to go to the sideline for a play. It was then Whitt Newbauer who went out there to take the snap instead of sophomore backup Michael Hawkins Jr. Newbauer also finished the game at QB in garbage time.

Hawkins started against Kent State when Mateer was injured and would have again if Mateer wasn't healthy enough to play against Texas last week. Hawkins is clearly the Sooners' QB2 when needed, but OU eventually wants Hawkins to be QB1.

OU head coach Brent Venables said earlier this season that the plan was to redshirt Hawkins after he wasn't able to last year while starting four games throughout a QB carousel with Jackson Arnold. So far this season, Hawkins has appeared in two games and is allowed four appearances to maintain his redshirt.

The subtle move on Saturday proved the Sooners still have the same plan for Hawkins, and he'll only get on the field if it's absolutely necessary for OU to win. Hawkins' father, Michael Hawkins, also confirmed that plan.

John Mateer can do literally everything

It's well know that OU quarterback John Mateer is a stellar dual-threat player who can make plays with both his arm and his legs, but apparently he can also punt.

On South Carolina's 41-yard line, Mateer got the task of punting, and he booted it 40 yards before Elijah Thomas downed it on the one. It ultimately resulted in a safety for South Carolina.