What Shane Beamer said after win against Virginia Tech
With all the hype leading into South Carolina football’s 2025 season, it was only fitting that the Gamecocks’ season opener against Virginia Tech was ugly, tense and a perfect summation of “Beamer Ball.”
With his father, Frank Beamer, in attendance, USC coach Shane Beamer saw his team pull off a gritty 24-11 win ignited by a punt return touchdown from redshirt sophomore defensive back Vicari Swain.
“It’s like so many Virginia Tech games where offense is ugly, and special teams finally says, ‘All right, we’re tired of watching this. We’re just gonna go score ourselves.’” Beamer said. “If you could’ve scripted it, you would’ve scripted it like that. To score on special teams was pretty special, especially playing Virginia Tech and with [Frank Beamer] being here.”
The Gamecocks came out rolling on offense early before a midgame lull. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers led a seven play, 75-yard drive that finished with a 15-yard touchdown run from Sellers.
“The first drive was obviously good, to go right down the field and score like you did. You’re like, ‘OK, heck of a start,’” he said. “And then it got ugly there between that and the end of the half. But those guys just continued to battle. We knew, and we told our players early in the week … Just keep battling. Those guys did a really nice job.”
South Carolina’s defense played well all day, not allowing a touchdown, after an offseason filled with questions about who would fill the shoes of star players moving on to the NFL. The highlight of the defense was sophomore linebacker Fred “JayR” Johnson. He totaled 10 tackles, a pass breakup and an interception in the end zone.
The lowlight, perhaps, also came from Johnson, when he attempted to return the interception rather than go down in the end zone for a touchback.
“[Johnson] was awesome, first of all. Fred’s a big-time player … When he was flying sideline to sideline, one of the guys on the sideline was like, ‘Man, he’s on a freaking mission today!’ That’s the way he played,” Beamer said. “I think he just got caught up in the moment … He was a heck of an offensive player in high school, so I guess he just envisioned running that thing back for a touchdown.”
That decision caused USC to start at its own 2-yard line and finish with Sellers downed in the end zone for a safety.
“We had a couple guys open on the left side we would’ve liked to have gotten the ball to quicker,” Beamer said.
USC’s only other offensive touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 64-yard post route from junior Nyck Harbor. The former Gamecock track star nearly had another score in the second quarter but had his touchdown overturned after a review determined he didn’t control the catch into the ground.
“He was obviously disappointed. It was a heck of a catch. I hate that they overturned it,” Beamer said. “I told Nyck, ‘You’re gonna come back and make another one,’ and he did. What a play. He’s a weapon.”
Dylan Stewart was a force for the Gamecock pass rush all game, and it paid off with two sacks in the second half for the sophomore phenom.
“He is that disruptive when he doesn’t get to the quarterback. I was really proud of him today,” Beamer said. “It’s something we talked about as a staff this morning when we met at the hotel. Dylan couldn’t let the frustration get to him … He affected the quarterback even when he wasn’t in the backfield, and that’s what I was most proud of, just his demeanor during the game, because he’s still young, but the Dylan of last year, I think, might have let the frustration get to him.”
Ultimately, USC’s output in every phase was enough to leave Atlanta 1-0.
“We feel very blessed to have been in this game. Proud of our players. It was certainly ugly at times,” Beamer said. “It was really cool to see our guys do that; certainly really emotional to me. I’d be lying to you if I told you this one wasn’t extra special.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2025 at 8:22 PM.
