The Verdict: This team has the right mentality

South Carolina football superfan Chris Paschal writes a weekly column during the season for GamecockCentral called “The Verdict.” Chris is a lawyer at Goings Law Firm in Columbia.

“The mentality of guys at South Carolina, man, we’re some dogs. We don’t play pretty boy football, we don’t play any type of football other than get down and dirty type of football.” – Mazeo Bennett, speaking on Gamecocks+

A couple of weeks ago, after a frustrating loss to LSU and a head-scratching defeat to Ole Miss, I wrote that the Gamecocks were knocking on the door. We had been knocking on the door for a while.

After another close, but hard-fought loss two weeks ago at the hands of Alabama, the Gamecocks administered a beatdown against the Oklahoma Sooners many didn’t see coming. Head coach Shane Beamer said in his postgame press conference that “we had been banging on the door and it [was] time to kick the door down.” 

That quote, along with Bennett’s, speaks to the mindset of South Carolina football through the first two months of the season. It’s the same mindset of Carolina teams that routinely won 11 games in the early 2010s. South Carolina is nowhere close to being confused with SEC Royalty. Whereas some blueblood programs get the benefit of the doubt from SEC referees, media talking heads, and conference officials in Birmingham, it feels like Carolina is always up against some narrative that may be easy but is certainly not fair.

[Join GamecockCentral for great coverage, great community]

I still remember when Carolina hired Beamer listening to Paul Finebaum lament that the Gamecocks hired a nobody coach. Radio Station 680 “The Fan”, based out of Atlanta, had hosts comparing what they deemed to be a lackluster hire by the Gamecocks to the fantastic hire by Auburn. (That hire by Auburn was Bryan Harsin.) And of course, who could forget Dennis Dodd of CBS ranking Shane Beamer as the worst coach in the SEC heading into the 2021 season. 

And then how about Gamecock football recruiting? The utter shock by opposing fanbases (and some national pundits) whenever Carolina lands an elite recruit is always comical. I remember Nick Roush from Kentucky Sports Radio going on an all-time epic rant when Carolina landed the commitment of Dylan Stewart. 

The external doubt of this Beamer-led Carolina program has emboldened and empowered those within the program. This program has had some great moments in the past few years, but it was clear this was not going to be a quick fix. This is not Ohio State. This is not Alabama. When you step into a restaurant like Rama Jama’s in Tuscaloosa, the entire inside is covered in articles, artifacts, and memorabilia celebrating Iron Bowl victories, SEC Championships, National Titles, Heisman Trophy Winners, and historic moments. If you have ever been to the Pawley’s Island Tavern, think that only instead of dollar bills it’s front-page headlines from the Tuscaloosa News and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

That isn’t us. We can’t point to a shiny trophy case and say, “come here, it’s almost guaranteed you will be a part of a championship game.” Much like the program building of Steve Spurrier from 2005-2009, and much like the program building of Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, this program must be built with guys who not only love football, but love playing physical football.

It was not easy for Spurrier or Frank Beamer. To build a program from the ground up, you must get guys (coaches, analysts, support staff, players, etc.) who are ok grinding their way to the top. You can’t skip corners when building this program. Everything must be done the right way. And one of the most important steps is establishing an identity.

The additions to this Carolina roster have to not only be talented, but very intentional. Demetrius Knight has immense talent, but he also is a grown man who is playing for not only himself and his team, but his wife and children. His leadership and his want-to are infectious. Kyle Kennard flashed at Georgia Tech and was yearning to be taught by one of the best pass rushing coaches in the country to take his game to the next level. He came here with one purpose and that was to be the best version of himself that he could be. That level of dedication is infectious. The same can be said for Rocket Sanders. And then how about all the South Carolinians that are on this roster who are playing not only for the name on the front, but the name on the back that represents families and hometowns scattered all throughout the Palmetto State. 

This 2024 team has the right mindset. This team is a beautiful blend of older leadership, second chances, and homegrown attitude. And it flashed the past two weeks. Following an embarrassing loss to Ole Miss, many expected Carolina to roll over and play dead in Bryant Denny Stadium. Alabama themselves was coming off a loss and all anyone wanted to talk about was how Alabama was going to be mad, determined, and out for blood. The Tide was favored by over three touchdowns. And while we may have lost, I left Tuscaloosa Sunday morning a wiser man. This program was not built to give up, and this team was out for blood, as well. 

I, like many of you, was confident this past Saturday that Carolina was going to get over the hump. But I didn’t expect them to be crazed mad men. What we saw in Tuscaloosa and Norman is all I needed to see to know this program is not only trending in the right direction, but it is getting close. The players on this roster can sense it. Recruits in the 2025 and 2026 classes can sense it. I think some fans that allow themselves to be vulnerable and to believe, can sense it, as well. This is a tough rebuild. But the culture is starting to be engrained. 

This team plays hard. It may not always be pretty, but this team plays a brand of football South Carolinians can be proud of.

Frank Beamer got his culture right before his program took off. Steve Spurrier did, as well.

Of course, I could be wrong, and we could be staring at a heartbreaking November. But I don’t think I am wrong. And I don’t think Mazeo Bennett is wrong, either.  

Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!