Everything Shane Beamer said after South Carolina's loss to Oklahoma

South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer spoke to the media after the team’s 26-7 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Here’s everything he had to say.

Your GamecockCentral membership starts at just $1 for the first week – and we’ll throw in a complimentary year of access to The Athletic.

Opening statement

“Not a whole lot to say about that one. Pretty disappointing. Apologize to our fans. Asked them to show up; they certainly did their part early in the game and were loud. Nowhere near good enough to win.”

When you kept running into Oklahoma’s defensive front, did you think that you would eventually break through?

“Yeah, we knew there were going to be some ugly runs. That’s a really good defense. They’re one or two in the country in everything. And when you’re missing three offensive line starters, and then three of your offensive line starters from today’s game go out, it’s not ideal.

“But yes, we needed to get the ball on the perimeter. We did that on the first play of the game. We needed to get the ball out in space; we did that with some of the perimeter throws to receivers. But not being able to line up and run the ball downhill like we need to certainly was a challenge today.”

At some point, do you feel like a change is needed on offense when it comes to calling plays?

“I made a change last week. Every week, we’re continuing to look at how to be better. And every week, I do that. And every week, I will continue to do that, continue to evaluate that.”

What gives you hope that the play calling will improve?

“What gives me hope? I see the way we practice during the week.

“What gives me hope? I see the number of guys that we had out today, that I wasn’t even sure was going to be able to play, that fought their asses off to get back out there and get healthy and be able to play today.

“What gives me hope? I know the talent we have on our offense. What I just told our team: ‘We’re not playing up to our potential right now.’ I, I, am not getting the most out of this team right now — offensively, defensively and special teams.”

After the change in offensive line coach, how do you feel like that group played today?

“We were better in regards to just going out there and being able to turn it loose. Only four penalties, one of those was on the punt team. So, I thought they did a better job of just relaxing and going and playing. I told you guys all week: this isn’t the ideal scenario for the new offensive line coach to be debuting, when you’re down three starters against that front seven. Nobody has run the ball against them.

“I thought we did some good things. Certainly, as the game went on, and we got worn down, it was a challenge. But none of it was good enough today, don’t get me wrong. We’re not sitting in there, patting ourselves on the back because of what we did. But thought those guys got in there and competed and battled. That’s what I’m proud of.

“We didn’t even know if Gabe Brownlow-Dindy was going to be able to play today. We didn’t know if Brandon Cisse was going to be able to play today; we didn’t know if Monkell Goodwine was going to be able to play today. Vicari Swain breaks his finger in practice on Wednesday, has to have surgery on Wednesday night, and is out there catching punts today. Markee Anderson, wasn’t sure he was going to be able to play. And our guys, they played their butts off. Hurt for them because they’re fighting. And proud of those guys, but we just weren’t good enough in any area today.”

What was it like for you to see Jayden Sellers out there and doing work on the field today?

“Proud of him. He’s a really good football player. He got an opportunity today because Brian Rowe wasn’t available today. So, Jayden got an opportunity. That’s what happens; it’s the next man up. And I thought he did a great job.

“He’s been practicing the right way. He brings some juice to the offense. He’s a competitor. Like the way that he practices. And when you practice the right way, you get opportunities on Saturdays.”

How do you keep South Carolina’s players thinking that expectations for the season are still high?

“I just told them, in the locker room, my goal. When people ask me — and you guys have asked me this before, and I’ll tell you the same answer — what’s the goal for this season? What’s a successful season? It’s to get the most out of this team. And right now, I’m not getting the most out of this team as the head football coach. It’s back to work tomorrow to continue to see if we can maximize the ability and the potential on this year’s team.

“I see the way that our guys are competing. I see the way that our guys are working. We’ve got to get healthy. Give Oklahoma credit, they kicked our butts. But the injuries that we had today were tough to begin with, down some guys. And then, to have guys go out in the game, our guys continued to fight. I got to be able to do more to help them as the head coach, and we as coaches got to continue to do more to help them. But we got the right culture in our building, and that’s what gives me hope.”

How would you evaluate how LaNorris Sellers was able to handle Oklahoma’s pressure?

“I mean, we got to continue to help him. We got to be able to continue to run the ball; we got to be able to move the pocket. We tried to some today. They do a good job defensively. So, none of us were good enough. He statistically made some nice runs and did a nice job throwing the ball. I’m sure he’ll be the first to tell you that he missed some, but thought he gave us an opportunity.”

Can you talk a little bit about not being able to convert a third down until the fourth quarter?

“I looked up one time; I think we were 0-for-10, maybe? That’s not ideal, to say the least — particularly with our depth on defense and being down guys. We knew this was going to be an ugly game in a lot of ways. Nobody has scored points on these guys, and we expected it to be a four-quarter fistfight. You’ve got to be able to sustain drives and stay on the field, and we weren’t able to do that. Disappointing, too, on some of the short yardage where we weren’t able to finish drives and convert in short-yard situations.”

What was the thinking on passing up on a field goal during the opening drive of the game?

“Passed up on the field goal because we were down there… I think it was, what, the four-yard line, maybe? I’m thinking that we had a call that we felt would be good on fourth down. I told Mike on first down, ‘You got four downs to get this.’ I knew I was going to go for it on fourth down regardless. One, I wanted a touchdown. Felt like we were down there, we had a nice drive going, and I wanted to make a statement about that. And then, two, went forward that, knowing that if we don’t get it, they’re backed up, and they’re down there by The Cockpit, our student section. It’s loud down there, and they’re on the road, and it’s their first true road game this season in an SEC environment.

“So, I told Clayton [White] that we were going for it. And if not, we’re going to go out there and put the ball down. We got them right where we want them, backed up. Let’s go get a stop.”

Is Brian Rowe injured?

“Brian Rowe, Anthony Addison and Davonte Miles were suspended today. I made that decision for ‘a violation of team standards.’

“Accountability is a core value of our program. Whether you’re 3-3 or 6-0, the core values and the accountability doesn’t change. So, disappointing for them, disappointing for us. Selfish decisions that certainly affected our team today because we needed that. But they’re good kids that will learn from this, hopefully, and respond the right way. I would anticipate them being back next week. And again, that was my decision.”

Do you have any update on Dylan Stewart?

“Got a hip both times. Thought he could go. He went back in the second time and, I guess, got hit on it again. I don’t have much of an update, other than just hip injury.”

What were you doing today to try to get the ball out of LaNorris Sellers’ hands a little bit more quickly?

“The game plan all week was to be able to run the ball. Felt like we had some runs that would give us an opportunity to be successful and be efficient and stay ahead of the chains. Wanted to get the ball on the perimeter. Like I just said, the first play of the game was a jet sweep to Nyck Harbor. We came back later in the game and tried that. We wanted to be able to [do], not so much RPOs, but kind of RPOs where, you run the ball, and if it’s not there, you kick the ball out in space to receivers — which is what we were able to do.

“And then, we wanted to get some quick game in there. We had some empty; we went empty on a tempo play early in the game to try and spread them out. And I know it may not look like it. I mean, we’re not sitting here trying to bang our head against the wall and run into a tight box every single time. We tried to do a lot of different things.

“Give them credit. Coach [Brent] Venables is a great defensive coach, and they’ve got a great scheme. It’s why Texas scored, what, one touchdown against them last week, outside of a punt return and a couple field goals? And it’s why Michigan didn’t score much on them, and Auburn didn’t score on them. They’re freaking good on defense.

“Having said that, we weren’t good enough. And we did not maximize the potential of this offense today — or defense or special teams, because we all had a hand in this one.”

Can you take us through that sequence to end the first half?

“Sure. If you go back and look at it, which I’m sure you guys did, we had a play into our boundary that’s designed to catch the ball and get out of bounds. So, we had a concept that we practice all the time that is a, ‘We know that we need to get catch the ball, get out of bounds.’ And that’s what we had called. We we ran something similar in the Gator Bowl against Notre Dame a few years ago before the half.

“They did a good job of defending the sideline. Hindsight being 20/20, you throw that out of bounds or live to see another play. Brady [Hunt] was coming open from the backside. LaNorris dumped it off to him, which I have no problem with. And then, we’ve got to be able to get out of bounds or get the first down.

“Then, when we were short, we’d already told them, if anything is in bounds, we have to clock it. But then, we have to know that if the clock is running down, and we’re not able to be able to clock it in time, we’ve got to make a call that says, ‘We just run a play.’ And thought that once we got tackled, we’d be able to get up to the line of scrimmage and clock it in time. I thought we were going to be able to. I saw Brady get up and then go back down. You guys probably know better than I do. I don’t know if they held him down or knocked him down. He told me they did. The official said they didn’t. It was just bodies trying to get back.

“Certainly, we need to get points in there. We practice two-minute all the time and had the right idea. We just didn’t quite get it done right there. But again, after that, I went into the half feeling, ‘You know what? We’ve played pretty good defense, now, the last couple series. We have moved the ball offensively.’ I think we scored the touchdown the series before. And then, we had a two-minute drive to move the ball down the field. So, I liked where we were at the half, and that’s what I told the team. Just weren’t able to finish in the second half.”

What do you attribute the focus and lack of penalties today to?

“I’ve told you guys before, I feel like we’re a disciplined team. I see the guys inside our building and outside our building — the things they do from an academic standpoint and being on time and whatnot. So, I feel like we are a disciplined team, and it hasn’t been showing up with the penalties in games. Certainly, we had a different voice in the offensive line room. Because let’s face it — a lot of our penalties have been pre-snap penalties, a lot of false starts or illegal snaps. So, I thought those offensive linemen did a nice job today of just being poised and relaxed in there and not getting the pre-snap penalties. One of them, like I said, was a delay of game on a punt, I believe.

“So, proud of the guys playing smart football. Not having penalties is one of our things that we look at each week on how to win football games, and it was good to see us do it. We emphasize it in practice the same way this week that we did last week against LSU, when we had way too many. But, I think, just good focus by our guys today.

“And that’s what’s frustrating. You guys get tired of me saying it. Had a great week of practice. Our guys were focused. Had a hell of a walk-through yesterday here in the stadium. And just like last week, we fully expected to win this game. And disappointed that we do that we didn’t do it.”

Was there any consideration to just keep the offense on the field instead of the fake punt that was intercepted?

“Yeah, there was. But I had seen plenty of fourth-and-ones and fourth-and-twos, and third-and-ones and third-and-twos, from our offense at that point. And that’s not me saying I don’t have confidence in our offense on third or fourth down, but we had something the first time that we punted earlier in the game where they kept their defense out on the field. That fake is designed for when they keep their defense out there. Everything we had seen on film study, we had the same fake in the game plan last year against them because of how that corner typically plays into the boundary. Thought it would be an easy throw-and-catch.

“Give them credit. I mean, they dropped the defensive end. Almost like a zone pressure, they dropped the defensive end in coverage on a fake punt. So, give them credit for defending it. But yes, there was thought of it.

“Hindsight being 20/20, yeah, Shane, you keep LaNorris Sellers and the offense out there if you’re going to go for it. But felt like, based on what we had seen earlier in the game — when we punted, and they kept their defense out there — as soon as we punted, I said to Joe D[eCamillis] on the headphones, ‘Hey, whatever we call that punt, that fake is going to be here later in the game. Let’s be ready to get to it.’ And they made a nice play on it.

“But again, when I told Clayton, we’d do that, we can go out there and just get a stop on defense — or, at the worst, minimum, hold on them to a field goal. It’s still a two-score game and weren’t able to do that.”

Can you explain the thought process of having LaNorris Sellers in shotgun and handing it off three times on the one-yard line?

“Yeah. If he’s under center, you guys are probably asking, ‘Why is LaNorris Sellers under center?’ Because you all were saying that after the first play of the game last week against LSU — when he was under center, and we ran a little pin and pull or crack toss play, and we fumbled the exchange.

“Whether he’s under center or in the shotgun, the plays that we were running, they’re designed to hit downhill. Whether he takes the snap from under center and backs up, [it’s] highly unlikely that you’re going to line up and quarterback sneak it in from two yards. So, those are downhill runs with multiple tight ends in there that we want to be able to knock them back. Whether he’s catching the ball in the shotgun and handing it off, or whether he’s under center and coming backwards to the running back, the play should hit the same way. And that’s why.”

Closing statement

“Happy birthday to my dad. Not the birthday that he wanted, but happy birthday to him.

“Also, I’ve got a lot of respect for Joe Castiglione, their athletic director. I know he’s retiring. He’s a great friend. He’s a giant in the coaching profession, and [I] think the world of him. So, best of luck to him in retirement.

“And congratulations to Luke Doty, who was inducted into the Myrtle Beach High School Hall of Fame last night. It was a really cool honor for him.”

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!