Tag: shane beamer

Marcus Freeman named one of five finalists for Dodd Trophy

He deserves this for sure.

Notre Dame easily could have folded after its shocking loss to Northern Illinois in its home opener. Instead, [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] got the Irish back on track, and they haven’t lost since. That put the Irish in the College Football Playoff, and Freeman’s reward was a contract extension that locked him up for the next six years.

Now, Freeman has another reward coming his way. He has been named one of five finalists for the Dodd Award, which is given to the coach whose team best excels on the field, in the community and in the classroom. This is his first time making the final cut alongside all the other finalists, consisting of Army’s Jeff Monken, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer.

Brian Kelly is the lone Irish coach to win this award, doing so in 2018. Given the current environment, it’s very likely Irish fans would be much happier seeing Freeman win it.

Here’s Freeman news conference this past week in case you missed it:

Obviously, the real goal is a national championship, but this is a nice one to have at the moment.

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A hyped Shane Beamer immediately pointed to Gamecocks fans after they startled LSU into a fumble

That’s what a home field advantage does in the SEC

South Carolina created the type of home field advantage on Saturday most schools dream about being able to rely on. And if anyone doubts what kind of difference that can make in a game, just look to Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer on the sidelines.

With the No. 16 LSU Tigers in town, and South Carolina nursing a one point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks fans got so rowdy that Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had a miscommunication with his center and wound up unprepared for the snap.

The ball ricocheted off his hands and fell right to the Gamecocks.

South Carolina: Maurice Brown soared over 3 LSU players for the punt block of the year

Over on the sidelines, an elated Beamer knew exactly who to thank for creating the fumble. He instantly turned around to the fans and pointed in appreciation.

https://twitter.com/TreyWallace_/status/1835035735998566600

Just an awesome moment in one of the day’s marquee games as LSU went on to escape with a 36-33 victory.

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ESPN analytics predicts LSU’s Week 3 matchup against South Carolina

Here’s what ESPN’s FPI and SP+ have to say about LSU’s chances on Saturday.

LSU football will look to get above .500 and kick off its SEC schedule with a win it travels to face South Carolina on Saturday morning.

The Tigers and Gamecocks haven’t met since 2020 when LSU put up 52 in Tiger Stadium. This is LSU’s first trip to South Carolina since 2008. The two were scheduled to meet there in 2015, but a hurricane forced the game to Baton Rouge.

According to BetMGM, LSU is a seven-point favorite, but what do the projection systems say about LSU’s chances?

ESPN’s FPI gives LSU a 50.6% shot at coming away with the win. That’s lower than some might expect given where the betting line is at. SP+ projects a 3.6 margin of victory for LSU with a 59% chance to win.

Both systems have this one closer than LSU fans hope for. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the Tigers are looking to make a statement after the first two weeks brought on some concerns.

LSU fans want to see the run game get going along with a stabilized defense. As far as LSU’s playoff hopes go, this is a must-win. A 1-2 start would not go over well after LSU entered the year with high hopes and expectations to compete for a spot in the 12-team playoff.

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Shane Beamer says Sooners will have to adjust to defensive line depth in SEC

Speaking at SEC media days former assistant turned South Carolina Head Coach, Shane Beamer, believes Oklahoma will have to adjust to defensive line depth and stadium capacities.

There are a number of adjustments the Oklahoma Sooners have began making over the last few years in preparation for their move to the SEC. One of those has been on fortifying their talent in the trenches. And for good reason, the amount of talent along the offensive and defensive lines in the SEC is unmatched.

Brent Venables made it a priority when he arrived in Norman and the defensive line depth, in particular, is arguably the best its been in a decade. The offensive line has some talented depth, but with complete turnover upfront, may have more issues making the adjustment to the level of play in the SEC.

Speaking at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag], South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer argues the defensive line talent and the environments will be the biggest adjustments Oklahoma will have to make.

Beamer Said, “From being in other conferences — and I’ve coached in multiple leagues in my career — it’s the size and the depth and the athleticism you see on the line of scrimmage every single week in this conference.

“I can remember being at Oklahoma, coaching tight ends, and you would be getting ready to play most Saturdays and there may be one or two guys on the opposing defensive line that you really got to be cognizant of. Like this guy can completely wreck your game if you don’t have a plan for him.

“But then you come into this league, it’s not one or two, it’s like six or seven every single Saturday on the line of scrimmage. That’s one thing.”

Six or seven game wreckers along the line of scrimmage might be a bit of an exaggeration, but we know the level of talent is going to be a step up. There’s a reason the SEC leads the way in NFL draft picks every cycle. But even if it’s not “six or seven” and it’s three or four game wreckers per team up front, it’s going to be a challenge for Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line.

“The other part off the field, and it’s awesome, is just the venues that you go into this in league,” Beamer said. “Being able — like every single Saturday it’s an event in that town. There is 80, 90, or 100,000 people every single Saturday in this league.

“There is nothing like it. Just the competition, pageantry, it’s special. It’s something I missed when I was not in this conference and coaching in other conferences, and excited that I’m still part of the SEC.

“And don’t get me wrong, Oklahoma and Texas have played a lot of big-time football games and are two big-time programs. But to answer your question, just the difference and what to expect, those are two things that stand out to me that I think are a little bit different than other conferences.”

The only schools OU traveled to that can boast stadium capacities rivaling that in the SEC are Iowa State and West Virginia. Those stadiums have just over 60,000 in capacity.

It’s going to be a challenge going into Jordan-Hare Stadium, which boasts a capacity of 87,000. That’s the new reality for the Oklahoma Sooners as they enter the SEC.

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Shane Beamer fires back at ‘lazy narrative’ around Saints QB Spencer Rattler

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer defended his quarterback Spencer Rattler, firing back at a ‘lazy narrative’ surrounding the Saints QB:

Why did Spencer Rattler fall all the way to the New Orleans Saints in the 2024 NFL draft? The former South Carolina and Oklahoma passer was once the highest-rated pro style quarterback recruit in the country, but a difficult college career meant his experience thus far didn’t go as planned.

Commonly projected to be a third round draft pick, Rattler wasn’t selected in the first two days of this year’s event. When he was still on the board early on the third and final day, network panels covering the draft tried to explain his fall. Some pointed to his less-than-flattering depiction on a Netflix documentary when he was a high school student. Others suggested he had a poor work ethic, bad attitude, or other character concerns.

And that rubbed Rattler’s coach the wrong way. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer fired back on social media.

“Such a tired, lazy narrative. And bullcrap. None of the NFL teams that called me said that,” Beamer wrote on Twitter, in response to a report attributed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel citing the above concerns. “And any team that thinks that clearly hasn’t done their research.”

Beamer said that he was proud of how Rattler handled adversity at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina, and that there was no greater proof of his growth and strength of character than Rattler’s teammates twice voting him a team captain.

“He’s a great person, great player and some team is getting a future starter today,” Beamer added. A couple of hours later, the Saints made the call and  selected Rattler in the fifth round of the NFL draft. He’s landed in a great spot to prove his coach right.

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South Carolina reportedly hires FBS head coach as offensive assistant

South Carolina hires the Georgia State head coach, who had been in charge of the Panthers since 2017, as an offensive assistant.

According to multiple reports, Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott is expected to be hired as the new tight ends coach at South Carolina.

Elliott has been the head coach of the Panthers program since 2017 and has amassed a combined 41-44 overall record during that span. Across those seven seasons, Elliott led Georgia State to five bowl games, with his best year having been an 8-5 campaign in 2021, as well as their record in bowl games being 4-1.

Elliott now returns to South Carolina where he spent from 2010-16 in a variety of different assistant coaching roles, as well as having served as the interim head coach back in 2015, leading the Gamecocks to a 1-5 record.

South Carolina is coming off a 2023 season in which they finished at 5-7 overall as well as 3-5 in SEC play.

The Gamecocks tight end room will feature the likes of Joshua Simon, Connor Cox, Maurice Brown II, Lukas Vozeh, Nick Elksnis, Reid Mikeska, Brady Hunt, and Will Helmadollar.

Gallery: Clemson tops South Carolina, celebrates at Williams-Brice Stadium

Check out the best photos from Clemson’s road win over South Carolina on Saturday night.

Clemson defeated South Carolina 16-7 at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, and the Tigers understandably were happy to celebrate the rivalry win.

In the nine-point victory, Clemson’s defense was the story of the game, as it held South Carolina to 169 total yards and seven points while forcing two turnovers. While the Tigers’ offense struggled to earn points, the defense came up clutch when it mattered, with true freshman defensive back Khalil Barnes recording both takeaways, including a 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

With the win, the Tigers reclaimed the Palmetto Bowl Trophy and moved their all-time record versus the Gamecocks to 73-43-4.

Here are some of the best photos from the game:

Aggies Wire Staff Predictions ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Our Staff at Aggies Wire have predicted just how things may shake out during Texas A&M’s Saturday home matchup vs. South Carolina.

Texas A&M (4-3 2-2 SEC) is coming off their bye week after consecutive close losses to Alabama and Tennessee, set to host the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) on Saturday afternoon.

Taking center stage week after week, the Aggies floundering offense starts and ends in the trenches, as A&M’s offensive line has continued to digress after solid showings to start SEC play, leaving quarterback Max Johson either on his back or scrambling for his life after every snap.

Looking to show some improvement against a porous Gamecocks secondary and unimpressive pass rush, there’s plenty of improvement to be had, especially in the passing game. Again, with such a talented receiving core led by Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Noah Thomas, and Moose Muhammad, there’s no reason the offense should be struggling at this rate.

Ahead of the battle for the Bonham Trophy, we at Aggies Wire have provided several key storylines and five players to watch ahead of the game. At the same time, Our Staff has made our predictions ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

Cameron Ohnysty, Managing Editor: 

“Coming off of their bye week, will Texas A&M’s offensive line finally show some level of improvement? South Carolina may be the cure to the Aggies’ offensive woes. 

While quarterback Max Johnson needs to get the ball out faster, above-average blocking should be enough to reignite the offense and get back to “feeding the studs” in the passing more consistently. While SC quarterback Spencer Rattler is certainly a threat, the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense, specifically the pass rush (29 sacks), should feast against the Gamecock’s O-line, ranked 132nd in sacks allowed per game (5.0). 

All in all, this should (hopefully) be a much-needed rebound game for the Maroon and White.” 

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 14

Pete Hernandez, Staff Writer: 

“After two tough back-to-back matchups against SEC behemoths, A&M comes off a much-needed bye week and is greeted with a softer matchup compared to the last two weeks. Simply put, it’s do or die, and the Aggies HAVE to win this game.

Being two-touchdown favorites seems generous, but then again, SC boasts just the 81st-ranked scoring offense and the 114th-ranked scoring defense. Texas A&M needs to show marginal improvement, and they should get a much-welcomed return to the win column.”

Final Score Prediction: Texas A&M 28, South Carolina 17

Jarrett Johnson, Staff Writer: 

“I’m not sure what to think about this team anymore. Every game, they have shown the potential to score at least 30 points but disappear in the second half of games. That could be attributed to several things; however, with the experience the team possesses across the offensive coaching staff, they are still a step behind the elite teams.

Getting back on track, South Carolina is not an impressive team right now. Even though I believe in the concept of “Any Given Saturday,” there is no way in my mind that Bobby Petrino will call an aggressive game, putting his players in the best position to score points.

The defense will handle business as usual, as DJ Durkin has been in his play-calling bag since the Miami game. The defensive line is clogging lanes, keeping the linebackers clean, and helping propel Edgerrin Cooper to an All-SEC type of bounceback halfway through the season. In conclusion, the Aggies will have a lot of yards, and the defense will have a lot of sacks en route to a comfortable victory.”

Final Score Predictions: Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 12

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Shane Beamer likes idea of helmet radios after sign stealing discussion in college football

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer likes the idea of helmet radios after sign stealing discussion in college football.

Third-year South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer discussed his stance on potentially having radios in helmets on Wednesday’s Southeastern Conference coaches media teleconference.

“I like the idea of it,” Beamer said. “When I first got hired here as the head coach at South Carolina, it was up for discussion. I can remember some of our early head coaches meetings when I got hired in the spring of 2021, it was something that we discussed. Something that I thought was very intriguing. Everybody has technology. You go to high school game, tons of technology. I think I saw where Matt Rhule talking about this yesterday, NFL games, they have technology. For whatever reason, college is a little bit behind. One, making sure that every team, whether you are SEC, Group of Five, Big Ten, Big 12, everybody’s got the same capabilities and policies, making it universal, but I think it would be good.

“Essentially, you’ve got a group of coaches that don’t want it for certain reasons, and then you’ve got a group of coaches that do want it for certain reasons. I know it’s a big topic of discussion this week with sign stealing, or signal stealing, and things like that, but me personally, I like it, would be in favor of it.”

Beamer’s comments come after sign stealing allegations at Michigan.

Connor Stalions, an off-field analyst for Michigan football, is reportedly a person of interest in an investigation of scouting opponents in-person, potentially violating NCAA rules.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Stalions allegedly purchased tickets to more than 30 games of Michigan’s opponents throughout the past three years.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

South Carolina’s head coach breaks foot in frustration over Florida loss

Florida football did more than break the spirits of the South Carolina Gamecocks in their homecoming game last Saturday.

Florida football did more than break the spirits of the South Carolina Gamecocks in their homecoming game last Saturday. The frustrating defeat also resulted in head coach Shane Beamer breaking his right foot following over the Gators’ 41-39 comeback victory.

On Tuesday, the injury made national headlines as Beamer admitted that he “kicked something I shouldn’t have kicked” after his team fell to 2-4 on the season.

“It hurts like you-know-what, but I gotta show toughness,” Beamer said with a smile. “It’s been one of those years … We’ll be like, faking punts from the 2-yard line on fourth-and-30 because I’ll be loopy if I’m on pain meds, so have to make sure I can fight through with no pain meds.”

However, the skipper was quick to take full accountability for his poor reaction.

“Before anybody starts the narrative that the head football coach is frustrated and lost his poise and all that, no, I care,” Beamer said. “I care about these kids, and I was really upset on Saturday that I didn’t do enough to help them get over the hump to win the football game.”

Athletic director Ray Tanner “died laughing” when Beamer called him to tell him what happened but that does not mean that his temper tantrum was acceptable.

“Like I told the players, I don’t condone it. I’m not saying that it’s OK to kick things after a game goes bad,” Beamer said. “I feel bad as a dad because my kids saw me and were like ‘what the heck.’ So, lesson learned. Stupid on my part.”

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