Shame Beamer and South Carolina fell 41-20 at Tennessee in Week 5 to drop to 2-3 on the season. South Carolina allowed Tennessee to rush for 238 yards. The Gamecocks went just 2-for-15 on 3rd down conversions.

However, during a conference call on Sunday, Beamer is keeping his spirits up despite the tough start to a season filled with expectations.

South Carolina’s losses have all come to ranked opponents in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Gamecocks defeated Furman and Mississippi State. This comes a season after South Carolina upset Tennessee and Clemson, sparking optimism for 2023.

“The key for us is we have to get better as a football team. I told the team today no one expected to be 2-3,” Beamer said. “I think we’re better than a 2-3 team. We’ve got to get a whole lot better.”

South Carolina will hit the bye week now as they prepare to host Florida on Oct. 14. Beamer says it’ll take a total team effort for the Gamecocks to turn the season around but is confident it’s possible.

“The off week is a great opportunity for us. It’s a work week for us. We have to get ready. We have to get healthy. We have to develop our young guys. We know we’re dealing with some issues right now we’ve got to overcome,” Beamer said. “We’ve got to do a better job coaching and putting our guys in positions to make plays and be successful.”