GAINESVILLE, FL — South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer doesn’t feel “relief” after ending an eight-game SEC losing streak with a 38-19 victory over No. 15 Florida.
“Just happiness for our players,” Beamer said after the game Oct. 10. “What comes to mind is happiness.”
The Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent in two years, or picked up a conference win since September 2025.
Since losing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to Florida in 2023, Beamer’s teams had blown leads of more than 10 points six times.
In this game, not only did South Carolina maintain its 17-10 halftime lead, it outscored Florida 21-9 in the second half. The Gamecocks were 4-for-4 on their red zone attempts, forced three turnovers and won the explosive-play battle, all of which have been areas of struggle.
“We talked about in the locker room just now, we’re 3-3 at the halfway point in the season but in my mind, we’re just getting started in a lot of ways,” Beamer said.
Shane Beamer believes things will keep rising after Florida win
After going 4-8 last season, the 2-3 start to Year 6 for Beamer was met with harsh criticism. It wasn’t until the victory over Florida that Beamer has a reason to quiet any doubt.
But while his postgame message was filled with ample praise for his coaching staff and players, and he expressed how happy he was for everyone, including his own friends and family, there are still six games left.
South Carolina has an open date before hosting Tennessee on Oct. 24. After that are SEC games against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Georgia.
“When we’re clocking and playing our standard of football, we’re going to be hard to beat and that’s where we are right now,” Beamer said.
In the first three losses, the Gamecocks lacked consistency and execution across the board, and were unable to close out games against high-level competition.
“We need to put it all together,” Beamer said. “Four quarters of just our standard and consistent football. And if we do that, we got a chance to do some special things here down the stretch.”
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There was some doubt before the Kentucky game that had Beamer not stopped the losing streak then, things could get rocky in Columbia.
But after a 35-34 overtime loss, a game where South Carolina once led by 17, Beamer woke up the next day still the coach of the Gamecocks.
With athletic director Jeremiah Donati, deputy AD Wesley Mallette and senior deputy AD Jeff Crane at the news conference, Beamer said they are the type of people he wants in the foxhole with him.
“Whatever the noise was on the outside the last three weeks, what you guys wrote, and what the ‘sources say’ . . . these guys have done nothing but have my back, and be unbelievably supportive,” Beamer said. “Even last year, this year, they get it. They know how close we were. We’re a team that continues to get better.”
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky @bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Shane Beamer says South Carolina football is ‘just getting started’ after Florida win