Shane Beamer reveals why O’Donnell Fortune missed first half against Texas A&M

South Carolina defensive back O’Donnell Fortune was mysteriously absent during the first half of the Gamecocks’ 30-17 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. After the game, head coach Shane Beamer explained why Fortune missed the first half.

“He was suspended for a violation of an athletic department policy,” Beamer said. “Nothing illegal at all, but an athletic department policy that we have, where he was not allowed to play the first half and he was able to play the second.”

Despite playing in the second half, Fortune did not record a tackle or pass defended in the outing. Fortune’s sluggish showing was representative of South Carolina’s Saturday. In the loss, the Gamecocks only managed to accumulate 209 total yards.

Worse, the team committed eight penalties and a turnover. The loss is South Carolina’s fourth-straight. Fortune has been there for all of them, starting in every game this season besides the loss to A&M.

In eight games, the redshirt junior boasts 28 tackles, four passes defended and an interception. Despite any individual success, South Carolina’s secondary has been atrocious this season. South Carolina allows 298 passing yards per game, the fourth-most in the country.

Shane Beamer stays positive after loss

Although South Carolina’s season has been disappointing, Beamer still believes in his team.

“Just told the team in the locker room, there is not another team in America that I would rather be the head coach of,” Beamer said after the game. “The played their guts out today. Not to make excuses. Shorthanded as you know. Injuries that happened in the game at the worst positions that they could possibly happen at.

“We talk about staying in the fight. Our guys stayed in the fight today. All we said was, get this thing to the fourth quarter and let’s find a way to win it. Got it to the fourth quarter and it was a one-score game after the touchdown, and we just couldn’t quite get over the hump. That is disappointing, starting with me.”

South Carolina hasn’t caught a break this season. The team faces one of the strongest schedules in the country while dealing with a slew of injuries weekly. Nonetheless, there’s still hope for the Gamecocks. The team will close out the season with four straight home games. Beamer is hopeful for a happy ending.

“We’ve showed the kind of team we can be. We are getting healthier now,” Beamer said. “Now, we have an opportunity in front of our fans in Columbia and I know how Gamecock Nation is and I know they will turn out for Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and then Clemson. Let’s see if we can finish this thing the right way because our kids care, and they hurt in that locker room.”