What’s next after South Carolina road win over Kentucky? The good vibes are back
Shane Beamer slept in a smidge on Sunday morning. Why not? The notoriously early-riser had earned it.
South Carolina didn’t get back from its 24-14 victory over No. 13 Kentucky until almost dawn. His postgame celebration took plenty out of him, too.
That isn’t to say USC is sleeping on the rest of the season, but, for the first time in six weeks, there’s a chance to exhale — albeit briefly.
“I think they’re proud,” Beamer said of what his three kids thought of Saturday’s win. “I really haven’t talked to them. We got home 3:30 a.m. or whatever in the morning and we went to bed, and I was back in the office at 8:45 a.m. or so.”
South Carolina came into 2022 with plenty of momentum. A win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl sparked an offseason of excitement. A slew of offensive acquisitions and the promise of improvement brought expectations that have lacked in Columbia in recent years.
Early-season losses to Arkansas and Georgia had put a damper on the positive vibes flying around Columbia all summer. That was until Saturday’s win over Kentucky and Beamer’s first victory over a ranked opponent.
Suddenly, South Carolina, once again, has its preseason goals back in front of it.
“It‘s exciting because we haven’t played our best,” Beamer said Sunday night, “and there’s a lot of work to get done.”
South Carolina hasn’t been perfect this fall. Far from it.
It was manhandled by No. 1 Georgia as the glaring offensive issues of 2021 returned. It also failed to slow down Arkansas’ dynamic rushing attack that has since fallen off a cliff.
The weeks that have followed, though, have brought incremental growth, Beamer assures.
The previously anemic USC offense exploded for 50 points in back-to-back wins over Charlotte and S.C. State — the first time a Gamecocks team had done so since 1995. Running back MarShawn Lloyd recorded his first 100-yard game in the victory over Charlotte. Quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 73% or more of his passes.
The defense, too, began flying around. The Southeastern Conference’s leader in takeaways a year ago looked closer to form as the group forced six turnovers in downing the 49ers and Bulldogs.
But those results came against the nation’s worst statistical defense and an FCS opponent. How much could really be gleaned from that? Plenty, apparently.
Facing Kentucky sans projected NFL first-round signal-caller Will Levis, South Carolina largely controlled a wild-and-wonky game from the start. Defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway’s fumble recovery and Lloyd’s ensuing 2-yard touchdown run 13 seconds into the game put the Gamecocks up early.
It wouldn’t relent.
Rattler responded to a wayward first half by completing his final seven passes and 8 of his 10 second-half throws. The defense, too, held Wildcats tailback Chris Rodriguez to just four rushes of 10 yards or more and forced him to an average of 3.5 yards on his 18 other touches.
That all amounted to a win that had Beamer cheery on Sunday night as he spoke with local reporters via teleconference.
“There’s a lot going on with social media talking about our culture and everything,” Lloyd said postgame, referencing a seemingly veiled shot Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops took at Beamer during an interview at SEC Media Days. “So I know it means a lot to Coach Beamer that we were able to come out here and execute.”
South Carolina’s bye week comes at a prime time. It’s right at the midway point of the season and sets up for a month ahead that includes games against Texas A&M, Missouri and at Vanderbilt. USC should be favored in at least two of those contests, if not all of them.
A 2-1 mark over the next four weeks would have the Gamecocks bowl-eligible. Then comes a brutal close to the campaign with Florida, Tennessee and Clemson.
Beamer on Sunday said he thinks this year’s squad is more confident at this time than it was last year. Then again, the 2021 iteration of South Carolina limped into its bye week having been throttled 44-14 by Texas A&M in College Station.
The Gamecocks might be a bit weary after a night of celebration in Lexington on Saturday — a place it had only won once in its last seven tries — but South Carolina opened plenty of eyes (take the 12 points it received in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 as proof).
Beamer and USC deserve a nap. This week warranted as much. But those offseason aspirations that seemed dead in the water three weeks ago have returned once more.
South Carolina football schedule
Sept. 3: South Carolina 35, Georgia State 14
Sept. 10: Arkansas 44, South Carolina 30
Sept. 17: Georgia 48, South Carolina 7
Sept. 24: South Carolina 56, Charlotte 20
Oct. 1: South Carolina 50, S.C. State 10
Oct. 8: South Carolina 24, Kentucky 14
Oct. 22: vs. Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Oct. 29: vs. Missouri
Nov. 5: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 12: at Florida
Nov. 19: vs. Tennessee
Nov. 26: at Clemson
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
