South Carolina entered the season with big expectations, but third-year head coach Shane Beamer still sees lots of positives despite the 2-3 start.
“I think the state of the program is fantastic right now,” Beamer told reporters on Tuesday. “Are we happy with being 2-3? No. Did we expect to be 2-3? No. Am I discouraged or do I feel like we’ve had any kind of step back? No.”
Beamer highlighted that the team “without a doubt overachieved” with 15 wins between 2021 and 2022 after being projected for weaker finishes both seasons. This year’s squad has taken lumps against ranked opponents in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.
“Now, I think, the natural progression people think in their minds is ‘OK, they won 7 and then they won 8, [and] now, they’re just supposed to win 10 or 9, and we still may. Who knows. There’s a lot of football left,” Beamer said.
South Carolina has a tough road ahead with Florida on Saturday followed by Missouri, and Texas A&M in SEC play.
“I get it. Ultimately, I’m judged season to season … week to week, and you’re judged on wins and losses. And right now in 2023, we’re not good enough because we’re 2-3, but I also look at the big picture, as far as the progress we have made since we got here,” Beamer said.
