The Daily Gamecock

Beamer, Gamecocks hoping to find joy amid 2-6 record

<p>FILE — Gamecock head football coach Shane Beamer addresses the media at the Gamecock Football Operations Center on Sept. 26, 2023. Beamer spoke about the challenges facing the team ahead of the team's game against Tennessee.</p>
FILE — Gamecock head football coach Shane Beamer addresses the media at the Gamecock Football Operations Center on Sept. 26, 2023. Beamer spoke about the challenges facing the team ahead of the team's game against Tennessee.

South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer addressed the media on Tuesday with one overarching message of staying positive through the team's struggles.

The Gamecocks only have four games left in their season and currently stands at 2-6, with its last win coming against Mississippi State on Sept. 23. 

After losing four straight games, Beamer said no one is more upset about their record than the team and his staff. 

"No one has put more into (the football program) than our players," Beamer said. "I also don't want anybody in our program being negative. Positive energy is a core value of this program, and we're working to get ourselves out of where we are right now." 

Beamer said that, when he was hired as head coach, many players dreaded walking into the practice facility every day and that "there was no joy." Beamer said positivity has become a core value of the team.  

According to Beamer, even with all the losses, the Gamecocks still play with joy in every game. Beamer said that it is now down to coaching and executing better. 

"They played with great joy out there on Saturday in College Station, and they practiced that way today," Beamer said. "Now we need to go play better, and we need to coach better and execute better so we can put four quarters together."

Beamer said he is not letting the poor results and inconsistent play hurt players' mentality.

"I'll be damned if I'm ever going to be the head coach here and not have our guys not look forward to coming into this building," Beamer said

Despite the record, South Carolina is still able to make a bowl game if they win each of their last four games. Beamer said that based on how they have been practicing, the players are looking forward to the opportunity. 

"We're going to make the most out of every single day," Beamer said. "Our guys are going to be excited about coming in this building each and every day. You would've thought we were playing for the freaking Super Bowl the way we practiced out there today." 

This is Beamer's first instance as USC's head coach where the team must win out to be bowl-eligible. However, this is not an unfamiliar situation for him in his career. Beamer was a part of Virginia Tech's coaching staff in 2012 when the team was 4-6 and had to win their last two games to be bowl-eligible.

"We beat Boston College up in Boston, and then Virginia, obviously, at home," Beamer said. "So I've got experience with (getting bowl eligible). Hopefully that will pay off in four weeks." 

South Carolina's remaining games are Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and in-state rival Clemson, all of which will be played at Williams-Brice Stadium. Beamer called on the fans to create an atmosphere to help the team.

"We love going on the road, but there's nothing like being in Williams-Brice stadium in front of our fans," Beamer said. 

The South Carolina Gamecocks will play their first home game since the Oct. 14 loss to Florida on Saturday at noon against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. 


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