South Carolina Pulls Off Perfectly Executed Trick Play on Two-Point Conversion
South Carolina football is officially back, and Gamecock fans got their first taste of new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles’ scheme against Kent State. But it wasn’t just the new system on display — sixth-year head coach Shane Beamer made clear early on that Beamer Ball trickery is making a triumphant return after a rough 4-8 season.
The Play
After South Carolina’s second touchdown of the day — a LaNorris Sellers touchdown toss to receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. — the Gamecocks dialed up trickery on the two-point conversion attempt. Long snapper Kyler Farrow lined up off the side of the line of scrimmage and tossed the ball backwards to tight end Maurice Brown, who then found a wide-open Brady Hunt on a jump pass, completing a sequence described as: “Backwards pass on the snap ➡️ Jump pass on the two-point conversion. South Carolina is hoopin’!”
The successful conversion gave South Carolina a 15-0 lead, part of what became a commanding 29-0 halftime advantage. While South Carolina entered as more than 30-point favorites against Kent State, the willingness to run something this creative early in the season — and execute it flawlessly — stood out.
A Nod to Family Roots
For Beamer, the moment doubled as a tribute to his father, longtime Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, who built a reputation for sneaky, unexpected special teams trickery — a philosophy the younger Beamer has clearly carried forward. Beamer explained the influence back in 2023: “What I learned from my dad was the importance of special teams. We do [put emphasis on special teams at South Carolina] in meeting time and time on the field.”
Looking Ahead
With tough matchups against Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Georgia still on the schedule, this kind of Beamer Ball trickery could prove valuable in tighter games down the road. Credit goes to Briles and Beamer for cooking up the call, and to the South Carolina players for catching a Kent State defense completely off guard.
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