Just 3 weeks ago, South Carolina was 2-6 and a bowl game looked like a pipe dream. However, with their 17-14 win against Kentucky on Saturday night, the Gamecocks are now 5-6 and will be back in a bowl with a win against Clemson next week.

Coach Shane Beamer spoke with Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network after the big win, and didn’t hide his emotion and pride of his team.

“Huge, it was ugly for a lot of the game,” Beamer said. “Obviously offensively that was a good defense. And but at the end of the day, our defense played their butts off, they’ve been criticized all year. I mean what a game they played and then at the end of the night, as ugly as it was, your 2 best players on offense, Spencer Rattler, Xavier Legette, make a big-time play right there.

One big reason why the Gamecocks won was because the team stepped up and forced turnovers.

“Huge it was extra effort,” Beamer said. “Nick made a play down there, Jalon Kilgore over there, pass rush, what an awesome performance by our defense. But man our whole team. We were sitting there 2-6 Cole, and everybody had us counted out, including (my son). But nobody ever, ever, ever, can question the fight in this team and the culture in this program because that’s a big-time freaking performance right here.”

All you ask for is a chance, and that is what the Gamecocks have next week against Clemson.