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The University of South Carolina football program narrowly missed out on its chance at a ten-win season on New Year’s Eve – dropping a 21-17 heartbreaker to No. 20 Illinois in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Head coach Shane Beamer‘s Gamecocks (9-4) entered the game as ten-point favorites, but struggled in their first outing under new offensive coordinator Mike Shula. Beamer also completely lost his composure during the second half when Illinois coach Brett Bielema taunted him over the Illini’s deliberately lethargic defensive substitutions – which succeeded in keeping the Gamecock offense out-of-sync all afternoon.
Beamer erupted on the sidelines after Bielema crossed the field late in the third quarter – ostensibly to check on an injured player. As he approached the South Carolina sideline, the Illinois head coach repeatedly extended his arms to the side – making the official substitution gesture.
Beamer went out of his gourd… and required three assistants to restrain him from going after Bielema.
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Bowl Games don’t matter?? Tell that to Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 31, 2024
LOOK WHAT THE CHEEZ-IT BOWL MEANS TO THESE GUYS
pic.twitter.com/l3Y7gXNECn
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The sour Citrus Bowl outcome left a decidedly bad taste in the mouth of Gamecock Nation – although the future of South Carolina’s program still looks extremely bright. After being projected to win only five games this season, Beamer’s squad nearly qualify for the expanded College Football Playoff (CFP) field – reeling off six consecutive victories to close out the regular season.
The Gamecocks nearly made it seven in a row, but quarterback LaNorris Sellers – a redshirt freshman closing out his first season as the team’s starter – failed to connect with sixth-year tight end Joshua Simon on a fourth down play from the Illini seven-yard line with three minutes left in the game.
Illinois (10-3) took possession and was able to run out the clock against the Gamecocks’ defense – which was playing without 2024 Bronco Nagurski Trophy winner Kyle Kennard. The SEC sack leader was sorely missed – as was South Carolina’s leading running back, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who also opted out of the game to focus on the 2025 NFL draft.
All-American safety Nick Emmanwori of Irmo, S.C. played the first half of the game but opted out of the second half, a decision coaches were informed of prior to the bowl’s kickoff.
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Bielema’s team had only one player opt out – with leading wide receiver Pat Bryant choosing not to suit up for the game.
Sellers finished his first bowl game completing 24 of 34 passes (70%) for 260 yards and a touchdown. He was not intercepted and did not fumble. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound, Florence, S.C. native gained just 19 yards on the ground, though, matching his second-lowest total of the year. With Sanders out of the lineup, South Carolina relied on sixth-year tailback Oscar Adaway III to carry its ground game. Adaway gained 69 yards on 14 carries – including a 36-yard touchdown scamper that briefly put the Gamecocks ahead in the third quarter. He also caught a team-leading seven passes for 37 yards.
Backup tailback Jawarn Howell – a sophomore from Mooresville, N.C. – had five carries for 31 yards. Howell had a costly third quarter fumble, however, which led to an Illinois touchdown at a moment when it appeared as though the Gamecocks had wrestled momentum away from the Illini.
Illinois tailback Josh McCray – a junior from Enterprise, Alabama – carried his team to its first ten-win season since 2001 – and its first bowl victory since 2011. McCray gained 114 yards on 13 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns en route to winning the game’s MVP award – although he did lose a controversial fumble at the goal line during a discombobulated first quarter.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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5 comments
Was Bielema grinning because he was schooling young Beamer or because young Beaver Cleaver put on an Oscar winner “hold me back” performance after Bielema was already halfway back to his sidelines?
Excellent point!
One would think that the USC Trustees would start to figure out that they need to offer huge pay raises and contract extensions after the season is officially over. They haven’t noticed that after they give out 50% pay raises to the coaching staff that the team then goes into coast mode and shits in the punch bowl. Same can be said about the Athletic Department and NIL money. That wasn’t a $3 million dollar quarterback out there on the field.
Living rent free in the head of your cheerleader in charge (a/k/a Beamer), PRICELESS!
NCAA football has gone from one extreme to the other on money to players. Pre-NIL, they could get disciplined for taking a couple hundred bucks to sign a jersey, or if a car was given to their parents. Now we have players putting the screws on programs for multi-million dollar NIL packages so they won’t transfer to take an even larger package. They need to cap NIL.