Shane Beamer: 'I didn't come here just to be 25th in the country'

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer knows how much a top 25 ranking means to the Gamecock fan base. But at the same time, his goals for the program remain much higher.

Coming off of a 30-24 victory against Texas A&M this past week, South Carolina moved into the No. 25 spot in the AP poll, its first appearance since Week 2 of the 2018 season. Beamer appeared on the Paul Finebaum Show on Monday, where he acknowledged the progress the ranking represents while also sending a message that this is just the beginning.

“I could give you coach speak and tell you it doesn’t mean anything and I’d be lying to you,” Beamer said. “I think it’s a sign that we’re headed in the right direction. It was a big step for us to be a two-win team two years ago and then in Year 1 win a bowl game. Now in Year 2 to be nationally ranked halfway through the season is a good step for our program, but it’s not the end goal. I didn’t come here to just be 25th in the country. Our players didn’t come here just to be ranked in the top 25. We all have higher expectations than that and we’ve got to continue to work.”

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After leading the Gamecocks to a 7-6 finish and Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory in his inaugural season, Beamer has them off to a 5-2 (2-2 SEC) start this year. They are currently on a four-game winning streak that includes a road win against another top 25 opponent in No. 19 Kentucky.

But even as South Carolina enters the top 25, Shane Beamer is aware how quickly the rankings can change. For that reason, his focus remains on the final five games of the season as he hopes for an equally strong finish.

“The rankings, the only one that matters is at the end of the season,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. But to be ranked now in mid-October or late-October is a testament to the people in this program. The players, the coaches, the staff and everyone in this organization. We’re headed in the right direction, we’re doing the right thing. We’ve got a long ways to go, but it’s certainly something that I know our fans are excited about coming off a big win on Saturday night.”

South Carolina will hope it can carry the momentum from last week’s win into its next game against Missouri (3-4, 1-3) at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at home.

“There’s a lot of good things going on right now, but I know nobody in this program is satisfied with where we are right now,” Beamer said. “In our mindset, it’s, ‘What’s next?’ And what’s next is the opportunity to go and compete against a really good Missouri team on Saturday and continue to try to get better as a football team.”