The SEC played six games in Week 8. Four of those matchups featured a ranked team battling an unranked foe, giving us an opportunity for a chaotic week. Despite this, only one unranked squad found a victory. Following that triumph, their head coach is being recognized for it.
On Monday, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz revealed South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer was the publication’s SEC Coach of the Week for Week 8. Beamer’s Gamecocks defeated No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 for their second-straight ranked win on Saturday.
Following disheartening defeats to Alabama and Kentucky, Beamer’s seat in Columbia was scalding hot. His ability to get South Carolina to rally and beat then-No. 16 Florida on the road and come out of its bye strong could have saved his job. The Gamecocks are only slated to face one ranked team — No. 3 Georgia — the rest of the way, which gives Beamer a chance to go above .500 in conference play during the first year of a nine-game SEC schedule.
South Carolina (4-3, 2-3 SEC) will face a conference member in similar straights next weekend in Oklahoma (4-3, 2-2 SEC). The Gamecocks and Sooners face off at 4:15 p.m. ET on Halloween (SEC Network).
