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by WILL FOLKS
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It’s hard not to cheer for University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer. The sixth-year Gamecock frontman is a walking spasm of involuntarily relentless, infectious positivity – exuding a throwback aura of genuine commitment and authentic love for a program that’s lost on the modern sport.
There’s also a sense in some quarters – fueled by constant sunshine pumping and hopium smoke emanating from Columbia, S.C – that Beamer could actually be on the cusp of building a program capable of competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
After all, that’s why he still has a job…
But good vibes, nifty threads and slick promotional videos do not win SEC games – as Beamer’s record attests.
The 49-year-old Charleston, S.C. native secured just one conference victory during last year’s disastrous 4-8 campaign – a season many (including this author) believed should have been his last. Through five full campaigns at the helm of the Gamecock program, Beamer’s record versus SEC competition stands at a lackluster 16-24 (.400).
Beamer was given another shot, though, and (so far) he has made the most of it – revamping his offensive coaching staff, retaining multiple key players, addressing core needs via the transfer portal and landing a better-than-expected recruiting class.
Those offseason wins (which are not to be confused with actual wins) have sparked a fresh round of irrational exuberance in Columbia – a town with an itching inferiority complex, aversion to accountability and insatiably masochistic love for its football program.
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Early returns on the 2026 Gamecock squad are… mixed. South Carolina impressed in all facets of the game during its season-opener against Kent State – although the Golden Flashes are currently ranked No. 136 (out of 138 FBS programs) in ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI).
The Gamecocks looked substantially less sharp last Saturday against Towson, a middle-of-the-road FCS program. That uneven performance – especially on offense – revived many of the concerns Gamecock fans had heading into the offseason. With new coordinator Kendal Briles‘ aerial attack struggling, South Carolina had to rely on a pair of punt returns for touchdowns by defensive back Vicari Swain to pull away from the undermanned Tigers.
Sound familiar? That’s exactly how last season started…
The proverbial rubber will meet the road at Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday afternoon (September 19, 2026) when Mississippi State comes to Columbia in the SEC opener for both teams. The Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 SEC) are coming off of an emphatic 38-13 drubbing of Minnesota – a Big Ten program that went 8-5 a year ago. Previously, they pummeled the UL Monore Warhawks of the Sun Belt conference – a team that’s currently ranked No. 137 on ESPN’s FPI.
Oddsmakers currently have the Gamecocks installed as 3.5-point favorites, while ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Beamer’s team a 64.5% chance of victory (down from 77.3% prior to the start of the season).
Should the hopium smokers take those odds to the bank?
It’s a risky proposition… especially given how good the Bulldogs are looking with their new starting quarterback under center.
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While South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers is still arguably the top talent in this matchup, the early-season emergence of Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor has the college football punditry buzzing. Taylor, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore from Macon, Mississippi is off to a scorching start this season – completing 38 of 56 passes (67.9%) for 581 yards and seven (7) touchdowns. He’s also rushed 19 times for 145 yards and another score.
Those numbers dwarf Sellers’ stats – and have vaulted Taylor into the top five contenders for the Heisman Trophy, according to USA Today‘s Austin Curtwright.
“The first-year full-time starter is blossoming into one of the best players in college football, with eight total touchdowns through two games for Mississippi State,” Curtwright noted this week.
South Carolina’s ability to contain Taylor could depend on the availability of All-American edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who has yet to take a snap for the Gamecocks as he deals with the lingering effects of a back injury that dates back to the 2025 season.
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?? @GamecockFB should take @HailStateFB very seriously this coming Saturday.
— FITSNews (@fitsnews) September 15, 2026
Bulldogs have shown they can go on the road and win tough games… https://t.co/dPXON2T0Xp
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Beamer has offered frustratingly conflicting accounts of Stewart’s status for several months – but the elite defensive end has been participating in practices and is believed to be ready to suit up and play for coordinator Clayton White this weekend.
Beamer has not confirmed his availability, however, telling reporters that whether Stewart and top transfer offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak play against the Bulldogs would depend “on what they do in practice.”
“Let’s see what they do in practice leading into the game,” he said. “There’s a ramp-up and that ramp-up starts in practice.”
South Carolina and Mississippi State kick off from Williams-Brice at 4:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday with the SEC Network covering the action. Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we track developments ahead of what could well be the biggest game of the Beamer era…
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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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SOUND OFF…
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