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Twice so far this season, fans of the University of South Carolina football program have found themselves buying into what former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan once termed “irrational exuberance.”
Who could blame them, though? Fourth-year head football coach Shane Beamer has proven himself to be a master program-promoter, exuding the sort of infectious energy that his predecessor Will Muschamp never seemed capable of mustering. As a result of his upbeat personality, people want him to succeed… and he frequently seems to be on the cusp of doing just that.
At some point, though, Beamer must prove he can deliver the goods… right? At some point, he has to get over the hump… correct?
Yes… but can he?

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After last Saturday’s embarrassing 27-3 home loss to No. 11/12 Ole Miss, the jury is very much still out on that question. The jury is also very much still out on another key question: Will South Carolina ever find itself on offense? Like Muschamp before him, Beamer has occasionally silenced his critics (including this author) – yet he has failed to prove them wrong on a consistent basis. Also, like Muschamp, Beamer has yet to find a play-caller capable of generating even a middling offensive attack – let alone the sort of elite ‘Cock-n-Fire’ unit the Gamecocks fielded under former head coach Steve Spurrier.
Three weeks ago at Williams-Brice Stadium, Beamer’s fourth squad seemed to have figured things out – nearly upsetting then-No. 16 LSU. Thanks to some terrible officiating, though, a potential season-defining victory was stolen from the program.
But while it’s important to call this year’s game against LSU what it was – thievery – it’s also important to call the Ole Miss game what it was. An undressing.
Actually, that’s too charitable a take. It was an undisciplined mess. An unmitigated disaster. A steaming heap of rooster dung. A big, stinking pile of cock-a-doodle-poo.
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With all the momentum in the world and two weeks to prepare/get healthy, South Carolina put forward its worst effort of the season – deflating an ebullient fan base that had just started to believe again after last year’s losing season (and an uninspiring start to this one).
This was a “trajectory game” for both programs – and with its sloppy showing on Saturday, South Carolina showed once again that, under Beamer, the program remains very much on the Muschamp trajectory. Or rather precisely on the Muschamp trajectory.
Through their first 43 games in Columbia, Muschamp and Beamer have both posted identical 23-20 records – with no reason to believe the former will outpace the latter anytime soon.
Killing this year’s Cocks? Penalties. South Carolina is tied for No. 117 nationally with 8.2 penalties per game. They are also tied for No. 119 nationally with 75.2 penalty yards per game. There are only 133 teams playing FBS football, people.
The dumbest penalty against Ole Miss? This one by true freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart for unsportsmanlike conduct…
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Dylan Stewart just sacked Jaxson Dart and immediately got up and pretend to shoot him pic.twitter.com/mMobe6W77I
— College Football Headlines (@CFBHeadlines) October 5, 2024
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Immediately prior to this braindead personal foul, Stewart had just stopped Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart short of the line to gain with 3:15 left on the clock in the third quarter and South Carolina trailing 24-3.
While it’s probably suspending disbelief to assume South Carolina’s anemic offense would’ve produced points upon getting the ball back… they could have conceivably done so and made it a two-score game before entering the final quarter of play. Stewart’s idiocy ensured they wouldn’t get that chance. Instead, Ole Miss made it a four-score affair by driving another fifty yards and kicking a field goal that put them up by 24.
Not only was Stewart privately called out by his head coach, Dart mocked him on social media.
“How (the fuck) do you miss 100 shots?” Dart wrote on X, referencing a 2017 rap song by Young Dolph in which the Chicago-born rapper mocked a rap rival for unsuccessfully attempting to gun him down. Dolph, incidentally, was successfully gunned down four years later – sustaining 22 gunshot wounds in a fatal attack on the streets of Memphis.
While I’ll let our audience assess the culture underpinnings behind these ‘celebrations’ – and social media references – the fact remains Stewart’s penalty summed up the current state of the South Carolina program.
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“South Carolina is a shockingly classless team,” one fan commented. “Getting their asses whooped and they chirp after very play. Poorly coached. Classless. That’s ‘organizational.'”
Indeed it is… and it’s not the sort of thing “irrational exuberance” based on unrealized potential is capable of fixing.
In addition to limiting its self-inflicted wounds, South Carolina must figure out a way to consistently execute on offense – especially in the clutch. Under second-year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, the Gamecocks rank No. 93 nationally with just 360 yards per game of total offense. They rank slightly better (No. 74 nationally) in scoring offense – although several of the offense’s touchdown “drives” this season have come courtesy of short fields gifted by their stellar defense.
When the going gets tough, the Gamecock offense gets even worse – ranking No. 121 nationally in third down conversion percentage (.300). That included an embarrassing 5-for-16 (.238) performance against Ole Miss.
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“Loggains’ hiring in December 2022 was a decision Beamer had to get right… but the early returns on it are not good,” I noted a month ago.
Those returns are even worse now…
The row to hoe gets no easier, either – which is why I said there’s little reason to believe Beamer is going to outpace Muschamp in wins and losses anytime soon. With the exception of Wofford, every team on South Carolina’s remaining schedule is – or should be – ranked. Beamer’s team has games looming on the road against No. 7 Alabama (this weekend in Tuscaloosa), No. 16 Clemson (November 30 in Tigertown) and No. 18 Oklahoma (October 19 in Norman). The Gamecocks must also face No. 15 Texas A&M (November 2) and No. 25 Missouri (November 16) at home.
Oh, and Vanderbilt? Don’t look now, but ESPN’s matchup predictor has currently installed the Crimson Tide-conquering Commodores as favorites over South Carolina ahead of their November 9 tilt in Nashville.
Bottom line? After a brief respite, Beamerball blues are back… and this time, the head coach has a culture problem to contend with, as well.
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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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4 comments
How about them COCKS! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Could be another rough one this week.
Stewart (and every other showboat) ought to be running bleachers until we’re 12-0.
I think you wrote a great piece Will, it was spot on. This play magnifies what happens to teams who don’t recruit character when offering players. South Carolina is just like Georgia, if they win they could care less about the caliber person they put on the field. Beamer will learn, one day, “if you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas!” But it won’t be at USC, because he won’t be there much longer.
Hope Bernie’s is serving up crow this week.