Beamer Praises Gamecocks’ Fight, Fans After Fourth-Straight Win Over Kentucky
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer addressed the media following the Gamecocks’ 35-13 victory over Kentucky on Saturday night, a win that marked the program’s fourth consecutive triumph over the Wildcats.
Opening thoughts
Beamer opened by praising Kentucky’s toughness while crediting his team’s resilience.
“Best of luck to Coach [Mark] Stoops and Kentucky next week. [I’ve got a] ton of respect for them and their program and the way they do things,” Beamer said. “To sit here and having beat Kentucky now four straight years is something that I and our entire program take a lot of pride in… that’s no small accomplishment.”
Beamer noted how proud he was of his players for blocking out negativity and playing complementary football.
“Obviously, when you score twice on defense, you’re going to be really hard to beat,” he said. “Our guys responded to adversity, and that’s a testament to the culture in our program.”
Responding to adversity
The coach admitted Kentucky’s first drive was frustrating.
“They run it right down our throats on the first drive… but every time adversity happened tonight, we responded,” Beamer said.
He highlighted a dominant final drive where South Carolina bled nearly nine minutes off the clock. “Holy smokes… that was really freaking good to not have to give the ball back to them anymore after that.”
Defense and turnovers
The defensive performance stood out, especially with two touchdowns.
“Clayton [White] talked about it to the defense last night: ‘Don’t just win the turnover battle; we want to dominate this thing,’” Beamer said. “And when turnovers come, they come in bunches.”
He added that stopping Kentucky’s run game and forcing their young quarterback into passing situations was key.
Running game and Sellers’ impact
South Carolina finished with 178 rushing yards, a huge jump from last week’s struggles. Beamer credited QB LaNorris Sellers’ ability to extend plays.
“When your quarterback can run the ball like he can… that’s a huge thing,” he said. “We’ve got to continue to lean on that, but also get these other running backs going.”
Freshman Matt Fuller also earned praise for closing out the game. “I liked the way that Matt came in there and finished. He’s a load.”
Connor Shaw’s return
Beamer was moved by seeing former QB Connor Shaw serve as the Celebrity Starter after his recent health scare.
“[It’s] a testament to his toughness that, a week ago, there were questions… and then nine days later, he’s out here on the field, leading the Gamecock chant? Come on, man, that gives me chills.”
Fans and atmosphere
The head coach praised the Gamecock faithful for creating an electric environment.
“This was a sellout with not an empty seat in the stadium. That Gamecock Walk was amazing,” Beamer said. “We made a statement about us as a team, and we made a statement about our fan base, for sure.”
He also thanked fans who continue to cheer for the team even in tough conditions, like those who waited in the rain along Bush River Road to see the team buses.
Looking ahead
Beamer emphasized progress but also acknowledged there’s work to be done.
“To win an SEC game against a really good team by 22 points… it’s a lot to build on,” he said. “We’re 3-2 coming out of September. We’ve got an off week to get healthy and get better… tonight was a really good start and certainly a game that we, let’s be real, had to have.”
