Gamecock Football: Kentucky Cure For Beamerball Blues

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Two years ago, a road victory over then-No. 13 Kentucky gave University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer his first signature win – and helped propel the Gamecock program to a New Year’s Day bowl invitation. This year, a surprising upset win over the unranked Wildcats gave his foundering program a huge shot in the arm as it embarks on one of the most brutal schedules in all of college football.

Beamer’s Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0 SEC) defeated Kentucky 31-6 on Saturday afternoon in Lexington – delivering the program its third-straight win in this conference rivalry. Because no other SEC programs have played a conference game, South Carolina is – for the moment, anyway – at the top of the SEC standings by virtue of its upset.

“Stop the counting,” one Gamecock fan joked on X.

Beamer has temporarily silenced some of his critics after South Carolina struggled mightily against Old Dominion in its 2024 season opener on August 31. The Gamecocks managed just 288 yards of total offense against the Monarchs – and were gifted their only two touchdowns after Old Dominion lost a pair of fumbles inside its own ten-yard line.

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The 23-19 win was an atrocious showing against the No. 108 team in the nation – a team which entered Williams-Brice Stadium as a three-touchdown underdog.

South Carolina’s offense continued to struggle against Kentucky, amassing only 252 yards in its second game with redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers staring under center. Coordinator Dowell Loggains‘ unit now ranks No. 122 (out of 133 NCAA FBS programs) in total yards per game (270).

Inexplicably, deep ball threat Nyck Harbor – a 6-foot-5, 235-pound wideout from Washington, D.C. who runs the 100-meter dash in 10.11 seconds – has yet to record a catch this season and has only been targeted three times. South Carolina has run 129 offensive plays so far this season – and Harbor has been on the field for only 37 of them.

Harbor did draw a pass interference penalty against Kentucky on one of his targets last weekend, but Loggains’ inability (unwillingness?) to involve him in the offense has become a source of mounting frustration for Gamecock fans.

Thankfully, defensive coordinator Clayton White bailed Beamer and Loggains out for a second straight game – holding Kentucky to a measly 183 yards and forcing a pair of turnovers. One of those turnovers was an interception by Irmo, S.C. native Nick Emmanwori – which the 6-foot-3, 227-pound junior defensive back took to the house for the Gamecocks’ first defensive score of the season.

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Party in the endzone, hosted by @Eman7Nick ? pic.twitter.com/E59iWhz7hP

— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) September 8, 2024

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Pacing White’s unit are two newcomers up front, true freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart and former Georgia Tech lineman Kyle Kennard. Through two games, Kennard has already recorded 4.5 tackles for loss – which is tied for seventh nationally. He’s also tied for fourth in the country with 3.5 sacks, while Stewart is tied for No. 15 nationally with 2.5 sacks.

Both Kennard and Stewart will be chasing records set a dozen years ago by former Gamecock great Jadeveon Clowney. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft set the school’s single season mark for sacks (13) and tackles for loss (23.5) as a sophomore in 2012.

Saturday’s victory over Kentucky was a must-win for Beamer if his team is to have any hope of qualifying for a bowl game this year – as the road ahead for the Gamecocks is perilous indeed.

Up next on the schedule? No. 16/17 LSU, which visits Williams-Brice (along with ESPN’s College Gameday crew) for a 12:00 p.m. EDT kickoff on Saturday (September 14, 2024). The Tigers (1-1, 0-0 SEC) are favored by a touchdown over the Gamecocks – whom they are playing for the first time in five years. LSU owns a 19-2-1 edge in this all-time series, including a pair of blowout wins in 2015 and 2020.

Things don’t get any easier for Beamer thereafter. Games remain against No. 4 Alabama (October 12 at Tuscaloosa), No. 5 Ole Miss (October 5 at home), No. 6/8 Missouri (November 16 at home), No. 13/15 Oklahoma (October 19 in Norman) and No. 20/22 Clemson (November 30 in Clemson). Another opponent, Texas A&M (November 2 at home), is on the cusp of the national rankings.

That is definitional tough sledding, people…

The good news? Saturday’s win over Kentucky shot South Carolina up sixteen slots on ESPN’s football power index. Beamer’s squad is now ranked No. 33 on that list.

Count on our media outlet to continue tracking the Gamecocks as they look to defy expectations for a second consecutive week this coming Saturday. And given the brutality of the upcoming slate, it’s safe to say this is another game Beamer probably has to have if he hopes to punch a postseason ticket this year…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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