What was supposed to be a routine Saturday afternoon in Norman turned chaotic and not in the way you’d expect. Within a few minutes of the first half in a game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Georgia Bulldogs, flames erupted inside the Lloyd Noble Center, forcing a temporary halt to play and an evacuation of nearby seating sections.

With 15:31 minutes remaining on the clock, the Bulldogs held an early 11-7 lead. However, officials had to stop the game as smoke began to drift into the arena bowl.

While initially broadcast footage on ESPN showed a concessions machine engulfed in flames, authorities later confirmed that a popcorn machine inside one of the stands caught fire. But it’s still unclear what caused the incident.

“We’ve got a full-blown fire going on right now!” one voice said during the live broadcast, another added, “A popcorn machine, it looks like!… Goodness gracious!”

As a result, security personnel quickly cleared Sections 222 and 223, as sprinklers activated on the concourse to contain the blaze. Furthermore, an officer from the Norman Police Department confirmed the incident was limited to the popcorn machine only.

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And with no injuries reported, and fans reseated in other sections of the arena, the delay lasted roughly five minutes before officials determined it was safe to resume play.

While the disruption was brief, the visual of flames inside the 50-year-old venue, which celebrated its anniversary last fall, added an unexpected twist to an already important SEC matchup in the 2025-26 NCAA season.

Oklahoma Sooners Flip the Script After Fiery Delay to Seal Statement Win

Before the stoppage, Georgia was leading on the scoreboard behind Blue Cain, who scored 11 first-half points on 5-of-6 shooting. Oklahoma’s Kuol Atak kept the Sooners close after knocking down four three-pointers en route to 12 points.

Georgia shot a scorching 71% (17-of-24) from the field in the opening half, while Oklahoma held steady at 50% from the floor and from beyond the arc.

But once play resumed for good, the Sooners gradually flipped the script.

Tae Davis poured in 19 points, while Nijel Pack and Atak each added 18. A decisive 18-0 second-half run broke the game open as the Oklahoma Sooners pulled away for a 94-76 victory.

For Georgia, Cain finished with 20 points, and Marcus Millender added another 16, but the Bulldogs couldn’t withstand the Sooners’ second-half surge.

So with this game under their belt, Oklahoma has improved to 13-12 overall and 3-9 in the SEC, after they recently ended their nine-game losing streak.

Now, for their next game, they will play against the Tennessee Volunteers on February 18th, a game predicted to be in favor of the Vols with 85.0% by ESPN. Following that, they will then face:

• The Texas A&M Aggies on February 21st.
• The Auburn Tigers on February 24th.
• The LSU Tigers on February 28th.

Whether the five-minute delay disrupted the rhythm or not, one thing became clear: the Oklahoma Sooners found something in that pause, as they suddenly have life in a conference that hasn’t been kind to them. So even when the schedule ahead of them is brutal, if Saturday proved anything, it’s that this team isn’t done fighting just yet.