Shane Beamer describes the emotions of coaching against Virginia Tech

South Carolina will open its season against Virginia Tech in the Aflac Kickoff game in Atlanta. It’ll be a unique opportunity for Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer, who will be going against the program his father helped put on the map.

Beamer, 48 now, has had his fair share of matchups against former employers over the years. None quite like this, though.

“Personally it’ll be certainly unique playing a school that you’ve spent so much of your life at,” Beamer said at SEC Media Days. “And I’ve played schools that I used to coach at. I’ve played against Mississippi State, and I’ve played against Georgia Tech, and I’ve played against Georgia, and I’ve played against Tennessee, I’ve played against Oklahoma. Those are all places that I’ve coached.

“But this one is different because there’s a statue of my dad outside the stadium. It’s different from that standpoint, and I’ve got great memories.”

The matchup with Virginia Tech will be pivotal for more than one reason. Not only is it a chance for Beamer to put a stamp on his program, but South Carolina has playoff ambitions in 2025.

The program was on the doorstep a year ago but fell just short of the top 12 mark. It can get there this year, but it probably needs a strong start in non-conference play.

“It’s probably even more intense because it’s Game 1, because there’s going to be so much build-up,” Beamer said. “There already is and there will continue to be leading up to that game. At the end of the day it’s about the players on the field, that’s what it’s about. And we need to make sure that we are prepared to play really well against a talented Virginia Tech team that we know will be playing really well against us.”

Beamer’s doing his best to make sure his boys are fully locked in ahead of the season opener. To that end, he’s warned them about the pitfalls of believing in the hype too much.

And there’s a considerable deal of hype around South Carolina heading into the Virginia Tech matchup. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is back on offense, while Dylan Stewart returns to lead the defense.

The Gamecocks, on paper, have what it takes to be a contender. Can they avoid the mental trap?

“Make sure that we’re not some of those teams — all you have to do is look around college football every year and there’s always a handful of teams that all summer long they listen to how great they’re going to be, and then they go out Week 1 and they get absolutely smacked in the face,” Beamer said.

“There’s examples of that every year in college football, and there was last year. So we need to make sure that we prepare the right way and get ready to go play and coach really well against a good Virginia Tech team.”