Shane Beamer made sure he, his quarterback and his offensive coordinator were on the same page in the final seconds of South Carolina’s 29-22 defeat to No. 4 Alabama. The Gamecocks coach said his defenders were told to let Alabama score if it got the first down, so they did.

Beamer logged two winning seasons in his first three years at South Carolina and peaked last year when he won nine games and knocked on the door of the CFP. The Gamecocks entered this year at No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25, but they are now on pace to finish under .500 after losing four of five games to start SEC play.

“We’re behind him 100 percent, and that’s just been my message to him,” Donati continued. “’Keep fighting the good fight every day.’ He’s a tremendous leader of young men. He’s got a great message, great energy. And we need that.”

Shane Beamer once bled crimson and cream. The current South Carolina head coach served as OU’s assistant head coach for offense, tight ends and halfbacks from 2018-20. Alongside former head coach Lincoln Riley,

There was a good portion of the Alabama fanbase worried over the offseason about whether Ty Simpson had what it takes to help the Crimson Tide compete for a national title. Flash forward to the present,

Shane Beamer and South Carolina went into the season with high hopes. College Football Playoff aspirations, even. After winning six straight games to end the regular season in 2024, the Gamecocks appeared to be figuring things out under Beamer.