Shane Beamer is leaving the sunglasses at home for this game against Kentucky

by:Nick Roush•11/15/23•

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Shane Beamer previews Kentucky | South Carolina Gamecocks

What’s the opposite of endearing? That’s what Shane Beamer did to the Big Blue Nation during his first trip to Lexington as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Ahead of his second season in Columbia, he got into a not-so-subtle war of words with Mark Stoops. It all began during an interview with Marty & McGee at SEC Media Days.

“I’ve talked years and years ago about climate vs. culture,” Stoops said. “It’s easy to change a climate. You just change a uniform, talk a little game, dance around, put on some stupid sunglasses, and you can change a climate. But to change a culture is at the core. I’m quite certain we’ve changed our culture.“

Unfortunately, the Kentucky head coach did not get the last laugh. Will Levis was injured, unable to play against South Carolina. On the first snap the Cats ran a trick play that spectacularly failed, essentially handing the Gamecocks a touchdown. It turned into a South Carolina 21-14 win, prompting Beamer to bust out the ‘stupid sunglasses’ in the middle of a locker room celebration.

Climate check 😎 pic.twitter.com/z9yv0lY14e
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) October 9, 2022

Stoops was asked on Monday if there was any simmering beef, which he denied. Beamer got a little bit friendlier question from the local media: “Will you bring the sunglasses to the game?”

“I think my son has those glasses, so I have to ask him if he has them. I will not be bringing them,” Beamer said. “We need to play well. That was fun last year and all that. Last year was last year. Two new teams. Two good teams going at it on Saturday.”

Kickoff inside Williams-Brice Stadium is at 7:30 pm EST on the SEC Network.

Preparing for a Physical, Slobber-Knocker

When you look at this game on paper, each offense appears to have an opportunity to put up some points. Against the pass, Kentucky ranks No. 83 in EPA and South Carolina ranks No. 108. Beamer’s history in this series tells a different story. He is preparing his team for a messy affair in the trenches between two physical SEC opponents.

“Two years ago was 16-10 and was a slugfest for four quarters. Last year was 24-14 and we had a huge turnover on the first play of the game and a blocked punt,” said Beamer.

“I think our players understand that when you play Kentucky, that is who they are. It is going to be a physical four quarter war. Offense, defense and special teams, all three phases are going to be equally critical this week like they always are. They have our upmost respect.”