Shane Beamer discusses South Carolina’s mid-season turnaround: ‘This was the expectation’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Shane Beamer was on one of the hottest seats in the country after South Carolina‘s 35-34 home loss to Kentucky on October 3. The expectation across college football was that the Gamecocks’ head coach could be fired if they lost to Florida, which would put them at 2-4 heading into an open week.
Ultimately, the Gamecocks didn’t just beat the then-No. 16 Gators. They dominated them, 38-19. Two weeks later, they dropped Tennessee, ranked No. 11, 27-24. They then routed Oklahoma 42-25.
All of a sudden, South Carolina is 5-3. It came in at No. 21 in Tuesday’s initial College Football Playoff rankings. And with four games to go, starting with Texas A&M on Saturday, the mood around the program has shifted dramatically.
“This was the expectation. It’s not like we’re doing cartwheels because we’re 5-3. The expectation was to be playing meaningful football in November. And it was a roundabout way to get here, but we’re here,” Shane Beamer told ESPN’s Marty Smith.
That said, Beamer is hoping his team remains focused, despite the increased national attention. And he’s confident it will.
“The best thing about this team is it’s a businesslike group. Great, we’re ranked. Three-game winning streak. People are talking about us. We ain’t even eligible for the postseason yet!” Beamer said. “We have five wins. We have to figure out how to get a sixth win.”
If South Carolina is to get that sixth win, and maybe more, it will need continued output from LaNorris Sellers, who has thrown for 790 yards and eight touchdowns during the win streak. He’s also run for 96 yards and two touchdowns in back-to-back games.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
