Shane Beamer Defends Players Publicly, Stresses Accountability Behind the Scenes
COLUMBIA — South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer made it clear after Saturday’s 29-20 loss to Missouri that while he won’t criticize his players or assistants publicly, accountability within the program remains a non-negotiable.
“No matter how a game looks on paper or tape,” Beamer said, “I’m not going to publicly criticize our players or coaching staff. When I’m on these calls with you guys, and I’m in postgame press conferences I’m going to have our guys’ backs. I’m the head coach, I’m paid to stand up there and be responsible. I’m going to defend our players, but there’s also what happens in this building behind closed doors. Accountability is a core value of this program, and we hold one another accountable.”
Missouri Loss Highlights Key Issues
The Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) dropped their second straight conference game after struggling across multiple areas. South Carolina committed 14 penalties for 98 yards, finished with minus-9 rushing yards, and recorded 16 missed tackles.
Beamer pointed to instances where defenders appeared to slow down prematurely: “There were a couple of long plays where I thought our players assumed the tackle had been made and slowed down before the whistle.”
Missouri (4-0, 1-0 SEC) dominated on the ground, rushing for 285 yards. Sophomore running back Ahmad Hardy carried the load with 138 yards — 118 of those after contact — while breaking nine tackle attempts.
“There was a lot on that tape last night that was not good and was not football that we’re proud of on all three phases,” Beamer admitted. “It’s on me to correct that … there’s no one coming in here Sunday and patting everybody on the back.”
Offensive Bright Spot and Lingering Concerns
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers kept the Gamecocks competitive, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns. His connection with his receivers gave South Carolina a chance late, but Beamer emphasized there’s no moral victory in coming close.
“(There’s no) saying, ‘Hey good job guys, we went on the road, we were two-touchdown underdog, and we had a chance to win it.’ There’s none of that today. It’s a sick, sick feeling today,” Beamer said.
Through four games, South Carolina ranks last in the SEC with 300 total yards per game, one of the lowest outputs among FBS programs. The rushing attack has been particularly ineffective, totaling just 321 yards — fewer than Alabama despite the Tide playing one less game.
“Got to take a step back and really look at everything,” Beamer said. “That doesn’t mean blow stuff up, but it means there’s a four-game body of work right now of evidence that we’re not anywhere close to where we want to be.”
Defensive Decline
South Carolina’s defense hasn’t fared much better, ranking 11th in the SEC at 346.3 yards allowed per game. That’s a step back from last season, when Clayton White’s unit finished fourth in the league at 316.6 yards per game.
“Our guys are well aware of what the standard is here,” Beamer said. “Our guys are well aware of my feelings about where we are right now, players and coaches.”
South Carolina will have a chance to rebound when they host Kentucky (2-1, 0-1) on Sept. 27 at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
