All it took was a quarter and a half of football until boos rained down in Williams-Brice Stadium. 

They would come and go until the end of the third quarter, when the majority of Gamecock fans hit the exits in the middle of Saturday’s 26-7 loss to Oklahoma. From then on, all that remained was the cheers of the Sooner faithful and the stunned silence of South Carolina’s strongest supporters. 

“Right now, I'm not getting the most out of this team as the head football coach,” Shane Beamer said after the game.  “I’ve got to be able to do more to help them as the head coach, and we as coaches got to continue to do more to help them. We got the right culture in our building, and that's what gives me hope."

It was a brutal loss for the Gamecocks, who got nothing going on offense outside of one possession. It was the team’s fourth loss this season, all coming in SEC play. 

The team is (3-4) this season and (1-4) in SEC games. South Carolina is back home this week with a game against No. 4 Alabama. 

Here are three takeaways from the loss against Oklahoma. 

SC’s offense is lifeless

The Gamecocks’ offense was inept against Oklahoma. 

South Carolina was outgained 319-224 for the game. 170 of those yards came on offense as the team rushed for just 54 yards. 

Running the ball has been a constant issue for the offense this season. The team is last in the SEC in yards per game, thanks in part to its poor rushing attack. The Gamecocks average 106.6 yards on the ground per game. Their passing game is third worst in the SEC, averaging 191.1 yards per game. 

"The game plan all week was to be able to run the ball,” Beamer said. “I know it may not look like it but we're not sitting here trying to bang our head against the wall and run into a tight box every single time. We tried to do a lot of different things and give them credit, coach Venables is a great defensive coach, and they've got a great scheme.”

It wasn’t just the rushing attack that struggled versus the Sooners, though. The group as a whole got nothing going outside of their lone touchdown in the second quarter. 

The offense had five drives end in a punt, two interceptions, two turnovers on downs and a safety. South Carolina had a chance to get points on the board before halftime but threw a short pass across the middle and the runner was tackled in bounds with no time left. 

With all of its issues, the Gamecocks often found themselves needing a lot of distance to gain a first down. This led to many third-and-medium to third-and-long scenarios the team could not overcome. 

Third downs in general were a weak spot, as the team struggled to convert third-and-shorts. For the game South Carolina finished 3-15 on third down conversions, ending drives before the team could build any momentum. 

“We knew this was going to be an ugly game in a lot of ways. Nobody has scored points on these guys, and we expected it to be a four-quarter fist fight,” Beamer said. “You've got to be able to sustain drives and stay on the field, and we weren't able to do that.”

It’s getting harder to find the crucial 6th win

From an outside perspective, all you can do is look ahead after a game like that. Unfortunately, what’s ahead is just as dangerous. 

South Carolina has five games left this season, three SEC and two non-conference. This week, the Gamecocks host No. 4 Alabama. After that, the team plays No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 3 Texas A&M on the road to end conference play. 

If the Gamecocks want to earn six wins and clinch bowl eligibility, the team has to win one of those games against top-10 conference foes. 

Then beyond that, South Carolina would also have to win both of its games against in-state rivals Coastal Carolina and Clemson. 

The Gamecocks went 2-2 against those teams last season, beating Texas A&M and Clemson, but losing to Alabama and Ole Miss. The team did not play Coastal. 

South Carolina has to go 3-2 down the stretch to reach a (6-6) record. It will be an uphill battle, but it is possible.

“Every week, we're continuing to look at how to be better, and every week I do that, and every week I will continue to do that and continue to evaluate that,” Beamer said. 

Frustration levels are rising 

It’s safe to say the Gamecocks are playing well below their preseason expectations. 

Entering the year, the team was voted to finish near the top of the SEC, a dark horse to make the College Football Playoff and had players looking to contend for postseason awards. 

Past the halfway mark of the season, none of those are on track to happen. 

Frustration is rising around the team both within and on the outside. Fans are voicing their frustration on social media, press conferences have become more tense and one coach has already lost their job. 

When asked if he’d consider making any more changes soon, a snappy Beamer responded he already made one but is always evaluating the team. 

With five games left to go, there aren't many changes Beamer can make this year that will have an impact. The team is what it is and more firings won’t save that this season. 

The best the Gamecocks can do is play their hardest and see where it takes them. Then there’s a whole offseason to look forward to.