Shane Beamer moves up South Carolina football record books following huge Texas A&M victory
The Battle for the Bonham Trophy victory was the third AP top-10 win of the Shane Beamer era, joining the 2022 beatdown of the Tennessee Volunteers and the road rivalry win the following week over the Clemson Tigers. Just like the ’22 upsets, the win over A&M could be one that keeps the Gamecocks’ opponent out of the College Football Playoff at season’s end.
The 44-20 shellacking moves Shane Beamer into second place all-time in top-10 wins at the University of South Carolina. Of course, Steve Spurrier is No. 1 on that list. The Head Ball Coach did it seven times across 10.5 years in Columbia. Beamer previously had been tied for second with the Man in Black, Joe Morrison. Now, the Gamecock headman has three top-10 wins in less than four years.
That might not seem like many, but matchups against the top 10 are rare. Less than 8% of the country can claim a ranking that high each week. However, because the Gamecocks have a tough schedule, Beamer’s teams have played more elite opponents than average.
In just over three and a half seasons, South Carolina is 3-4 in top-10 games. USC is 1-3 on the road and 2-1 at Williams-Brice Stadium in those games. For comparison’s sake, Clemson is 1-4 against top-10 teams during the same span.
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It seems unlikely that South Carolina would have another opportunity at a top-10 win during the regular season. Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Clemson all could be ranked when they meet up with the Gamecocks, but they won’t be top-10.
However, if Shane Beamer’s team keeps winning, the College Football Playoff selection committee could have to have a difficult conversation about a 9-3 Gamecock squad on a six-game winning streak. That conversation is still a long way away at this point in time. However, a hypothetical trip to the CFP assuredly would include a top-10 matchup.
For now, South Carolina’s next opponent is the already-bowl-eligible Vanderbilt Commodores. The Gamecocks will travel to Nashville for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff. SEC Network and the ESPN app will air the game.
