COLUMBIA, S.C. — If there’s one thing South Carolina fans remember all too vividly from last season’s matchup with LSU, it’s not just the collapse — it’s the officiating. What was supposed to be a classic SEC showdown turned into a night of flags, confusion, and controversy that still leaves a bad taste heading into this year’s rematch.
Everyone wants the basics this time around: a well-played game, clear skies, and a clean result. But what the Gamecocks truly need is a game where the referees don’t become the headline.
Last year’s 30-27 loss to LSU was one South Carolina let slip away. The Gamecocks blew a 17–0 lead, committed 14 penalties — including seven in the fourth quarter with four pre-snap mistakes — and ran just six offensive plays in the entire third quarter. Still, even with their own self-inflicted wounds, two defensive touchdowns were wiped away by penalties, and several other questionable calls had fans asking, “Was that really a flag?”
When you lose by just three points in a game like that, the frustration lingers.
This week, however, head coach Shane Beamer insists the focus isn’t on revenge or officiating — it’s on execution.
“I haven’t brought it up. We didn’t do enough things to win the football game,” Beamer said. “I don’t think I need to bring it up. There’s enough guys on our team who remember last year.”
Beamer, who’s now preparing his squad to face the No. 11-ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, knows the SEC has its protocols for managing officiating concerns. Coaches are notified of the week’s officiating crew on Sunday night or Monday morning, and they can reach out to the conference office if they have any objections.
Beamer admitted he’s done so before — but not recently.
“I’ve done it once, two or three years ago,” Beamer explained. “I reached out to the head of officials after seeing the call sheet and said, ‘What’s your thinking here, are you sure about this?’ because of whatever may have happened in the past.”
“I didn’t do it last year, I haven’t done it this year. And I didn’t do it this week.”
That statement seems to confirm that referee Jason Autrey — who oversaw last year’s chaotic contest — and his crew won’t be on duty this weekend. Still, in the SEC, strange things can happen, and Beamer knows better than to assume anything until kickoff.
For now, South Carolina’s goal is simple: avoid self-inflicted mistakes, keep the referees out of the story, and prove that this year’s team can finish what last year’s couldn’t.
