South Carolina fanbase ready for progress to turn into success moving forward
It’s time to turn the page in South Carolina. Fans are hoping the next chapter is as exciting as promised.
“The vibes are high [in South Carolina], as well. I mean, Shane Beamer is through and through a program guy, no other way to say it,” On3’s own JD PicKell said. “The way they finished last year has them thinking even better in 2023. If they can pick up where they left off offensively, and the trend has been steady for South Carolina since Shane Beamer has been there.
“They won seven games in 2021. Eight wins in 2022. And so the pulse internally with that fan base is, ‘OK, what are we? What are we here at South Carolina?’ And it’s kind of the same as when you determine a relationship, right?
“You can see some potential in someone, and you all can talk for a while. You can maybe go on a couple of dates, but there’s there’s a certain point in time where you’re like, “OK, well, what is this actually? Because, you know, dating is fun. We can want to date, but what are we going to do?’ We’ve put a label on this thing, and I think that’s the same thing for South Carolina,” PicKell said.
Gamecocks diehards seemingly hope for a long-term relationship with head coach Shane Beamer. After signing with the program on Dec. 6, 2020, Beamer has exponentially grown the program in two years.
In his first season, he took the Gamecocks from a 2-8 mark in 2020 to a 7-6 campaign in 2021. Beamer followed up the magic act with an eight-win season, just the 15th time in the program’s 129-year history. South Carolina looked especially spectacular at the end of the year, defeating No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Clemson in back-to-back games.
With such success, PicKell believes South Carolina fans’ eyes might be moving toward a larger prize.
“With that steady trend, you’re like, ‘OK, this is cool to win that many games. We’re excited about that. But what are we going to be going forward? What are we going to be as a fan base? Are we going to be a team that wins seven games every year, or are we going to be a team that takes that next step? Can we sneak up on a national title contender in Georgia earlier in the year and win nine games?'”
Only time will tell how far Beamer can push the Gamecocks. However, if it’s anywhere near South Carolina fans’ expectations, the Gamecocks will be a successful bunch. South Carolina will kick off its 2023 season against North Carolina on Sept. 2.