'We're here and we're here to stay': Gamecocks talk narrative changing win over Clemson
South Carolina beat No. 8 Clemson Saturday, breaking a streak that for the last eight years seemed impossible to break.
The win over the Gamecocks’ in-state archrival puts the proverbial cherry on top of a phenomenal regular season for Shane Beamer and company.
With an eight-win season in the bag, Beamer has now totaled more wins in his two years as head coach than South Carolina had totaled in the last three seasons before he took over.
Back-to-back wins over top-10 teams has essentially given South Carolina control of its bowl destiny and the narrative around the program.
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“We were the feel-good story in college football last week, but nobody thought we were good enough to win this game,” Beamer said. “We were the team that just kind of caught lightning in a Bottle last week and ‘no way they can come back and do it again.’”
After the Gamecocks lost to Florida two weeks ago, Beamer said he told the team it had two more opportunities to turn everything around. And they did just that.
“You have a chance these next two weeks to completely change everything with this program, the entire trajectory of this program and the outside narrative – and damn if they didn’t,” Beamer said. “When we took care of business last week, it wasn’t just ‘okay, we did it, great,’ – no, we planned on doing it two in a row and we did.”
Win a framed print of ‘The Taunt’ (D.J. Swearinger)
Nate Adkins has only been a Gamecock for a year, but even he said he could feel the change that came with the win over Clemson.
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“We’re here and we’re here to stay,” Adkins said. “I’m glad I was part of this and glad I could come over here and help out as much as possible and make memories like this. These are memories that me, and all my teammates, and all the coaches and all the staff, are going to remember for the rest of our lives.”
Marcellas Dial said the win over Clemson takes the program to a “whole other level” and added that the win should legitimize the Gamecocks’ talent in the eyes of their opponents.
“(It) definitely changed the whole narrative of the program,” Dial said. “…I feel like everybody knows that whenever they play us, they better come with everything they got. Because we’re coming with everything we got every time.”
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The win helps send likely-NFL draft pick Zacch Pickens out in style. The senior has been with the program through all of its and downs in the last four years.
“We’ve been doubted our whole season and we’re just proving people wrong – that’s all we do,” Pickens said. “We love proving people wrong, a lot of people doubt us (and) we always come out with a different punch and that’s what we did tonight. We showed them what we can do.”
