Shane Beamer speaks on offensive play-caller, more after Gator Bowl

Freddie Kitchens and Nick Coleman had a few different roles for South Carolina in Friday’s Gator Bowl. 

The Gamecocks’ two off-the-field analysts helped tag-team game plan building and play-calling duties during a 45-38 bowl loss to Notre Dame and worked in collaboration with the rest of the on-field coaching staff.

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“Yeah, it was a group effort. The whole staff was doing a great job. Freddie and Nick Coleman did a great job throughout the game of doing stuff, along with the rest of the offensive staff,” Shane Beamer said.

“Freddie and Nick were in the office while most of the staff was out on the road recruiting so they were able to really do a great job of putting the initial game plan together, and then there was great collaboration on the headphones today amongst the entire offensive staff.”

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Beamer didn’t come out and directly say who was calling plays. He pointed to the joint effort of the entire staff. But Kitchens was seen wearing a headset for the first time this season and holding a play sheet. 

Kitchens didn’t wear a headset in games during the regular season. Coleman–who worked closely with the quarterbacks beside Marcus Satterfield–typically wore headsets and was wearing one again Friday. 

Since neither was on the road recruiting during December, they could stay and build the game plan and gear up for bowl preparations almost exclusively. 

It wasn’t the game either likely wanted, but Spencer Rattler seemed pleased with how the game plan installation went and how play calling worked in the game. 

“I thought they came out and did a great job. They communicated with us at all positions, they were supportive, they stuck with what they were doing, they listened to input. I thought they had us in good positions all night,” he said. 

“The second half we could have done some things differently but it happens. We had a lot of new faces on the field, new coaches calling plays. It’s not going to be as pretty as you want it to be but we did what we could.” 

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South Carolina’s offense looked electric on its first drive, going 75 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown, but bogged down after that. The Gamecocks’ had just one more offensive touchdown the rest of the way and the second half was a struggle. 

They had five three-and-outs, including four straight where the offense lost a combined 14 yards. South Carolina scored 14 points in the second half with one offensive touchdown and had 100 total yards on 27 plays after half. 

“Yeah, they didn’t do anything different, we just didn’t perform as well as we needed to. Had an opportunity there after the interception that Nick Barrett got, plus territory. I think we were up one score at that point. We’ve got to punch that in for seven at that point,” Beamer said. “Give them credit, they’ve got a good football team. They kind of did what they do, and we got beat out there on the perimeter a couple times on some perimeter plays, and just didn’t execute as well as we needed to.”

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The caveat, though, is South Carolina was without some of its key pieces. Josh Vann and Jalen Brooks didn’t play while MarShawn Lloyd, Jaheim Bell and Austin Stogner were in the portal. 

The biggest hits, though, came with Nate Adkins missing almost the entire second half with an injury and Juice Wells not appearing 100 percent. Wells pointed multiple times at his abdomen and while jogging off the field. 

Before going out with injury Adkins had five catches on six targets for 78 yards while Wells hauled in five catches for 30 yards. With Adkins out it left South Carolina with no tight ends and changed what the offense could do. 

“It hurt. That was the one tight end we had and he was balling out. He had four or five catches. He was a big part of our run game, our pass game. When he went out it was tough,” Rattler said. “We had to depend on 10 personnel more and they can get big on defense and blitz. They know we’re probably going to throw it not having a tight end. Nate going down sucks.” 

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