Shane Beamer revises spring game crowd estimate up — way up
South Carolina announced that 20,671 fans made their way into Williams-Brice Stadium for this year’s spring football game Saturday.
Head coach Shane Beamer didn’t think that figure was quite large enough. Asked whether he believed there were more than 20,000 fans in attendance, Beamer gave a speedy quip.
“One billion percent,” he said. “I don’t know who said 20,000. There were more than 20,000 in there, I can promise you that.”
Beamer’s comments followed social media chatter that speculated there were more fans in attendance than the announced number. The spring game attendance count provided by the university is heavily unofficial, especially given that the scrimmage isn’t ticketed like a regular season game. Williams-Brice Stadium holds 77,559 people.
This year’s announced number was up from last year’s head count of just over 13,000, which was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. South Carolina hosted 25,842 for the spring game in 2019 and didn’t hold a spring scrimmage in 2020, as the early stages of the pandemic canceled sports events. The Gamecocks drew an announced crowd of 32,916 to the 2016 spring game in Will Muschamp’s first season as coach.
Beamer was impressed with Saturday’s turnout for the first night spring game in recent memory. The spring practice finale kicked off at 7 p.m., with Beamer giving credit to USC athletics director Ray Tanner and senior deputy athletics director Chance Miller for the night game idea.
Beamer was especially complimentary of Saturday’s Gamecock Walk into Williams-Brice Stadium.
“That pregame walk that we had ... there’s college football programs across the country that would die to have a walk like that for a regular-season game,” Beamer said. “We had that kind of turnout for a pregame walk for a spring scrimmage in April. It’s unbelievable. We’ve got the greatest fans in the nation, and they showed that tonight.”
Fans flooded Saturday’s Gamecock Walk with the opportunity to catch a first glimpse of USC newcomers, including Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler. He completed 8 of his 10 passing attempts for 79 yards for the Garnet team, which defeated the Black team 20-13.
“What a great turnout, the fans,” Rattler said. “That was an environment I’ve never seen in a spring game before. It was a lot of fun getting out there, throwing it around a little bit. ... Guys looked good.”
Beamer said he told Rattler he was going to see a pregame walk “like he’d never seen” ahead of the spring game. Rattler’s postgame comments confirmed that.
“It was like non-stop,” Rattler said. “You look left and right, fans everywhere. I’ve never seen anything like that. Then (offensive coordinator Marcus) Satterfield said, ‘Look at that. Times that by five, or 50, that’s what it’s going to be like during the season.’ So I can only imagine what it’s going to be like.”
Rattler flashed his connection with FCS James Madison transfer Antwane “Juice” Wells during the first half of the spring game. Wells finished with 31 yards on three catches.
Sixth-year senior tight end Chad Terrell led all Gamecock pass catchers with four receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. Traevon Kenion finished with 46 yards on three receptions.
Running backs Juju McDowell and MarShawn Lloyd each finished with over 40 yards on the ground Saturday. McDowell carried the ball six times for 57 yards, and Lloyd finished with 40 yards on eight attempts.
Luke Doty led quarterbacks statistically Saturday, returning from a season-ending foot injury that sidelined him last year. He completed 7 of his 10 attempts for 85 yards and a touchdown.
South Carolina’s spring game capped off what the school dubbed “Big Gamecock Weekend,” which featured a postgame firework show, alumni flag football game and Gamecock Block Party, in addition to other South Carolina athletics events held Thursday to Saturday.
From Beamer’s perspective, he hopes the environment impressed the 32 Gamecock recruits, all with scholarship offers, who attended South Carolina’s spring game.
“The statement we made here tonight about what this football program is about and what this university is about was an awesome, awesome, awesome statement,” Beamer said. “Thanks to our fans for that.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 11:07 PM.
