Shane Beamer dives in-depth on bold decision made in Week 1 vs. Virginia Tech

For Shane Beamer, the decision to make Virginia Tech re-kick a fourth-quarter punt that led to a game-clinching 80-yard punt return touchdown from Vicari Swain was an easy one. Ultimately, he knew South Carolina‘s return unit had the potential for something special.

And that confidence in his own players paid off in spades. Swain’s sensational 80-yard return gave the 13th-ranked Gamecocks a 17-8 lead with 13:36 left in the eventual 24-11 win Sunday night inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“It wasn’t anything that we saw, it was really our thought-process going into the game,” Beamer said Wednesday during an appearance on the SEC’s weekly coaches teleconference. “Every week we want to be aggressive on special teams and we felt like we had an advantage when they punted the football, our personnel against their personnel and our punt returner (Swain) back there.”

Beamer went on to explain exactly what went into his thinking after Virginia Tech was called for an illegal formation penalty which negated Hokies punter Nick Veitsistas‘ 57-yard punt the play prior.

“On that particular instance, we actually had a rush called on the one that was a penalty. We were going to be a little bit more aggressive because we felt like we had a great opportunity to block a punt in the game. We came close a couple times of blocking a punt,” Beamer continued. “And then after the penalty, … I think it was like a 45-yard net, and I said to myself, ‘Surely the next time, if we make them re-kick, we can improve and get a little better field position as well.’ So that’s what it was. I didn’t hesitate. Joe DeCamillis, our special teams coach and I talked about it and we were both in agreement that’s what we wanted to do. … If it had been a shank for 25 yards, we wouldn’t have made them re-kick. But 45-yard net and feeling how we did about our personnel going into the game, it was an easy decision.”

Shane Beamer reacts to touching moment between Frank Beamer, LaNorris Sellers

There was a little extra emotion in the opening game of the 2025 season for South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer. He saw his team take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, a team he’s intimately familiar with as his father, Frank, became a legend coaching there, and Shane both played and coached for him.

In the end, South Carolina got the win, and it was star quarterback LaNorris Sellers who had a special game ball to give out, presenting it to Frank. That was a gesture that Shane wouldn’t find out about until later on, but as Beamer shared on the weekly SEC teleconference, it is something that he’s incredibly grateful for.

“I appreciate it,” Shane Beamer said. “That was a really special day in a lot of ways. Really, really emotional, not gonna lie, for everyone involved. But glad we were able to get a win. I really appreciate LaNorris doing that.”

Initially, South Carolina did not publicize the moment. However, it was captured on video, and that video leaked out. Incidentally, those videos that made it online were how Shane Beamer found out about the gesture.

“I had no idea he did that until we got in the plane in Atlanta to fly back. I was just looking at my phone and I saw that pop up on social media — I had no idea. My dad didn’t tell me. My mom didn’t tell me. Nobody had told me that,” Beamer continued. “Then, I found LaNorris on the plane and just sought him out and thanked him for doing that. That’s just who he is. I didn’t tell him to. He did that out of his own heart and that’s who he is as a person. Really grateful and blessed to be able to coach him. And all the guys on this team that I get to coach.”

— On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this report.