Shane Beamer: South Carolina still writing this year's story after entering Top 25

Shane Beamer has South Carolina rolling as they extended their win streak to four games this past weekend with a 30-24 win over Texas A&M. Their win over the Aggies moved the Gamecocks to the AP Poll for the first time since 2018, as they’re now ranked No. 25. Beamer was asked if he noticed a difference in his team this week, and if they needed to be “knocked down a few pegs” for being satisfied with their new ranking.

“Not yet, they’ve been really good,” Beamer said. “Sunday obviously a lot of energy and excitement here in the building on Sunday, but they’re motivated to get back to work. Yesterday was their off day but I saw Stone Blanton and Tanner Bailey up here last night at probably 9:30 or so just trying to get some extra work in and watching video on their off day. And then this morning, we had a really good practice this morning, and we talked about it.”

It seems like it’s business as usual for South Carolina this week, as Beamer and his team are still aware that there’s plenty of football left to be played.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

“I mean obviously we’re excited about where we are but the only ranking that matters is the end of the season and we’ve got a lot more in front of us. And we talked about it, we’re writing the story still of this 2022 football team, and I would certainly hate for the high mark and the high point to be the last two weeks,” Beamer said.

The past two weeks have been great for the Gamecocks, as they’ve defeated two SEC opponents in a row for the first time since 2020, which were their only two wins of that season. South Carolina was not favored in either of their last two wins, and are showing no signs of resting on the laurels of their newfound recent success.

“We’ve got to continue to get better and that’s what we’re really focusing on now is getting better as a team. But no, I haven’t seen any signs and I thought today was a really productive practice,” Beamer said.

Beamer was also asked which message was more important to share with his team now that they’re ranked, that the ranking can come and go in any given week, or to do what it takes to climb up in the polls.

“What it would take to stay and continue to “climb” which means we’re getting better as a football team. I mean that wasn’t our message, this morning was nothing about staying ranked and not falling out of the polls, it was more what do we need to continue to do to get better as a football team,” Beamer said.

Beamer will be coaching a ranked squad this weekend for the first time in his career, as the Gamecocks will take on a Missouri team that they’re familiar with not only for the close three-point loss they suffered to the Tigers last season.

“And starting this week against a football team that certainly none of us enjoyed that day in Columbia, Missouri last year. That was a long bus ride back to St. Louis that night after the game because we couldn’t fly out of Columbia after the game,” Beamer said. “So that game doesn’t really have anything to do this year’s game, but we have plenty of motivation to get better as a team and just continue to improve.”