Despite last weekend's 31-point loss to Texas, Oklahoma is still 4-2 with a lot of season ahead of it.

The only problem? The rest of the season isn't going to get any easier, and this weekend feels incredibly pivotal in terms of finding something to build on. And South Carolina may need a win as desperately as the Sooners do.

The Sooners welcome South Carolina to Norman for an 11:45 a.m. kickoff on Saturday. The Gamecocks are coming off a heartbreaking 27-25 loss to Alabama, which marked their third straight SEC loss. But those losses have been a little misleading — two of those losses have come by a total of five points, and all three of those losses have come to teams ranked inside the AP Top 18.

That makes this weekend a very pivotal one to watch for the Sooners as they try to get the offense back on track.

Here's a few things to watch this weekend:

As difficult as things have been for both offenses, both defensive lines have established themselves as two of the best units in football.

The Sooners are tied for 10th in sacks per game (3.17) and 14th in tackles for loss (7.7 per game). Per Pro Football Focus, the Sooners' pass-rush grade ranks 17th (9.1).

The numbers for South Carolina are eerily similar. The Gamecocks are also tied for 10th in sacks, they're one spot below Oklahoma in tackles for loss per game (7.3) and they rank third in highest pass-rush grade (84.5).

The main reasons the pass rush has been so successful for South Carolina is Kyle Kennard (11.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks) and Dylan Stewart (5.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks). The duo has accounted for 39% of the team's TFLs and 61% of the team's sacks. Kennard ranks second nationally in tackles for loss and fourth in sacks.

Essentially, South Carolina has one of the best fronts in the country. That's a tough proposition for an OU offensive line that ranks 97th in pass blocking and is allowing 3.3 sacks per game, which ranks 127th nationally.

If the Sooners hope to win, they're gonna have to hold off South Carolina's pass rush and give Michael Hawkins an opportunity to throw. On the other side, the Sooners really need to generate pressure on redshirt freshman QB LaNorris Sellers. Look for R Mason Thomas to be a huge factor.

The numbers for OU's passing offense are bleak. The Sooners rank 123rd in passing offense (165.7 yards per game) and 130th in yards per completion (9.5). There's been no explosiveness down the field — they rank 107th in passes of more than 10 yards (43) and 132nd in passes of 20 yards or more (8).

Some of it is that the Sooners simply haven't executed when those passes have been called. But a lot of it is a lack of effort to even try anything down the field. In 10 quarters as the starting quarterback, Hawkins has attempted 12 passes with a target depth of 10 yards or more, and only attempted four passes with a target depth of 20 yards or more.

Those numbers have to skyrocket against South Carolina.

While the Gamecocks have been solid in every phases, including defending the pass, they have been vulnerable to explosive plays. South Carolina has allowed 17 passes of 20 yards or more, which ranks 47th, and 10 passes of 30 yards or more, which ranks 91st.

The Sooners have to try to attack South Carolina early and often. If they don't, the Gamecocks will suffocate the run and generate easy pressure on Hawkins.

Now, the Sooners offensive line is going to have to hold up against an aggressive South Carolina front seven. But the Sooners simply have to do two things:

1) Actually attempt some throws down the field.

2) Proceed to execute on some of them.

The Gamecocks' running game has been decent, but they haven't done anything particularly well. They rank 103rd in passing offense (187 yards per game), 47th in rushing offense (175.3 yards per game) and 58th in scoring offense (27.5 points per game).

But the issue that's plagued them the most is turnovers. They've committed 12 turnovers this season, which ranks 112th best in the country. Fumbles have been a particular issue, as they've lost eight of them. Sellers has been the biggest culprit, throwing four interceptions and losing four fumbles.

The Sooners have proven through six weeks that a winning formula includes the defense forcing turnovers. They're gonna have to generate pressure on Sellers and force him into risky situations.

But on the flip side, turnovers have been a killer for OU's offense. They committed three takeaways in the loss to Tennessee. The Texas game snowballed in the second quarter, when the Sooners lost fumbles on back to back plays. That's not a great sign heading into a matchup with a South Carolina team that has forced 12 takeaways this season, which is tied for the 14th most nationally.

As much as both offenses have struggled, this game is likely going to be decided by which defense can force the most turnovers.

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