Shane Beamer reveals Gamecocks’ COVID situation 24 hours before bowl game vs UNC
South Carolina is dealing with some COVID-19 issues heading into Thursday’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte — but the game is on track to be played, according to head coach Shane Beamer.
“We did have a few positives,” Beamer told reporters Wednesday. “Nothing that’s going to prevent us from playing the game. ... Every single one of the positives, zero symptoms at all.”
USC is slated to play North Carolina at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Bank of America Stadium in a meeting of 6-6 squads. The Gamecocks and Tar Heels have played three times since 2013, most recently a 2019 UNC win in Charlotte.
The Gamecocks were scheduled for routine COVID testing on unvaccinated players Tuesday, Beamer said. He indicated earlier in the week that most players are vaccinated and a “handful of guys” would be tested.
The recent COVID-19 spike, much of it attributed to the virus’ omicron variant, has had a large effect on bowl season as a whole. Five bowl games — Hawaii Bowl, Military Bowl, Fenway Bowl, Arizona Bowl and Holiday Bowl — have all been canceled due to COVID-19 issues with programs affiliated with the game.
The Holiday Bowl between UCLA and N.C. State was canceled Tuesday just hours before kickoff due to COVID problems within the Bruins’ program.
TheBigSpur on Tuesday reported that the Duke’s Mayo Bowl might be in doubt because of USC’s positive COVID cases. From Beamer’s perspective, playing the game was always the plan.
“At no point this week did I think that we were in position or in danger of not playing this game,” Beamer said. “I know there was chatter and rumors out there about that (Tuesday) apparently. That hasn’t even been a discussion from our standpoint. We’re in good shape and excited about the guys that we’re taking into that stadium (Thursday).”
Short of any issues with COVID-19, South Carolina was already slated to be shorthanded in postseason play due to a handful of injuries, opt-outs and transfers.
The Gamecocks are missing 10 players due to transfers or opt-outs, plus upwards of 15 others who were out for either injuries, suspensions or undisclosed reasons. Barring anything unforeseen, that would put South Carolina somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 scholarship players heading into the bowl game.
The Southeastern Conference in 2020 had allowed teams to pull out of a contest should it have under 53 scholarship players, but there’s been no expressed roster requirements this season, according to the league’s updated COVID-19 protocols. South Carolina traveled to its 2020 regular season finale at Kentucky with 47 scholarship player, per the SEC Network.
“I’m just the head football coach at South Carolina, so I’m sure no one cares what I think, but it’s a disappointing deal because one of the positives was a senior walk-on getting ready to play in his last football game ever as a South Carolina Gamecock,” Beamer said Wednesday. “Feels completely great, has zero symptoms, not a cough, not congestion, not a runny nose — nothing. And his college career ends with a phone call telling him that he just tested positive for COVID and he’s got to get in a car and drive home.”
Beamer didn’t add any more specifics as to who would not be with the team on Thursday or what the total COVID impact might be.
The Gamecocks are expected to have wide receivers coach Justin Stepp and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray available for Thursday’s game. Both Stepp and Gray were not at practice earlier in the week for undisclosed reasons.
Asked Wednesday if there were any other coaches who would not be available for the game Thursday, Beamer said, “I don’t want to get into all that right now.”
North Carolina head coach Mack Brown spoke with reporters later Wednesday, noting that his team was dealing with minimal COVID-19 issues.
“The doctors have discouraged us from talking about it publicly,” Brown said in response to a question about where UNC stood heading into the bowl game. “But I can tell you it is very minimal to none. I will say that.”
South Carolina hasn’t won a bowl game since the Outback Bowl after the 2017 season, but have won five of their last seven postseason appearances dating back to 2012.
Beamer is in his first season coaching the Gamecocks and helped the squad reach the six-win bowl eligibility threshold for the first time since 2018. South Carolina was slated to play in the Gasparilla Bowl in 2020 with a 2-8 record before COVID-19 issues within the program canceled the contest.
“You go through the whole season and making sure everyone is up on protocols trying to do the right thing and it sucks,” USC receiver Josh Vann said. “It’s the last game of the season. Everybody wants to play, but guys have got to go home two days away from the game. It’s real heartbreaking.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 10:12 AM.
