Shane Beamer assesses state of the South Carolina program

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer was asked about the state of the Gamecocks program this week during his Tuesday press conference. Despite a disappointing start to the season, Beamer very much likes where the program is at.

“I think the state of the program is fantastic right now,” Beamer said. “Are we happy with being 2-3? No. Did we expect to be 2-3? No. Am I discouraged or do I feel like we’ve had any kind of step back? No. Not to go back to the last two years but based on the way most of you guys projected us the last two seasons, we, without a doubt, overachieved in 2021 and 2022. Now I think the natural progression that people think in their minds is okay, they won seven and they won eight. Now they’re just supposed to win 10 or nine and we still may. Who knows? There’s a lot of football left.”

The Gamecocks have a front-loaded schedule this year with arguably the three best teams on their slate — Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee — coming over the first five weeks of the year. They lost all three of those games.

But that could pave the way for a strong finish. They play only one team currently ranked the rest of the season.

“But I look at just the big picture as far as everything where we were when I got here in December of 2020,” Beamer said. “What we’ve done from a culture standpoint, what we’ve done from a recruiting standpoint since we got here. The success that we’ve had on the field. And I get it. Ultimately I’m judged season to season but week to week and you’re judged on wins and losses. Right now in 2023, we’re not good enough because we’re 2-3. But I also look at the big picture as far as the progress that we have made since we got here, the football that’s still left to be played in this season as well.”

Beamer had inherited a group that went 2-8 during the COVID season and also missed a bowl game the year prior. He led the team to a 7-6 record and a bowl win during that first season.

Last year was an even greater success with an 8-5 record and monumental wins over the Volunteers and Clemson in back-to-back weeks.

“I see a group of guys that love one being around one another in this program,” Beamer said. “Players, coaches and staff. I see the way they compete out there on the practice field. I see the recruiting progress that we’ve made where each year has been better and better from a recruiting standpoint. I see the young freshman that we’re playing right now. I see the kids that are the young men that are seniors in high school right now that’ll be a part of this program next year as well as the guys that are juniors in high school right now that are really excited about what we’re doing.”

One decade ago, the Gamecocks won 11 games and finished in the top 10 of the country for the third consecutive season. Last year was the first season since the team finished ranked in the AP Poll.

Steps have been made in the right direction for South Carolina to return to that place. Whether it happens remains to be seen.

“I couldn’t be more fired up, not necessarily fired up about being 2-3, but could not be more fired up about the future,” Beamer said. “Again, I get it. You don’t get like a six-year rebuilding plan as well. I understand that you’re coaching at the highest level and you’re expected to win. But I also know how far we’ve come since December 2020 and that we’re just scratching the surface of where we’re going to be as a program.”