Shane Beamer Looks Back On Biggest Issues In 2023, Ahead Toward Future

South Carolina Football coach Shane Beamer discussed the biggest issues for the team this Fall and the state of the program moving forward.

Whenever you go 5-7 in college football, no matter what your conference affiliation or extenuating circumstances are, something or some things went wrong for your football team. For Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2023 season, you could point to a couple of issues that popped up at different points.

In the aftermath of a gut-wrenching 16-7 loss to their archrivals in the Clemson Tigers on Saturday night, Beamer was asked if there one was reoccurring problem that hurt this team more than anything this season, and there were two aspects that immediately came to mind; pass protection and forced turnovers.

"When you look at statistics nationally, we were one of the worst teams in the country at protecting the quarterback, and that's not all on the offensive line, Shane lamented. "The month of October, when we didn't win a football game, we didn't create a turnover, and when you don't create takeaways defensively, it's gonna be hard to win, and when you don't protect the quarterback, it's gonna be hard to win."

Shane Beamer pleading his case to the ref about a call (25th Nov., 2023) / Jeff Blake | USA Today Network

The Gamecocks gave up a total of 41 sacks to the opposition this Fall, which, without a full update across the country, is tied for the eighth-worst mark in all of college football. Their seven turnovers forced in their first eight games of the season also ranked among the worst in the country.

Later in his postgame presser, Beamer was asked about the state of the program, which he believes hasn't wavered in terms of its strength and will get better when a particular group of prospects comes to campus. 

"If you want the state of the program, I'll tell ya it's the strongest it's ever been, in my opinion. We got a hell of a recruiting class coming in here and we just started five true freshmen this year throughout the season. I don't know if you saw before the game, the committed prospects that were out at midfield with me. It's a pretty freakin big-time group of players that are coming in here next season," Beamer said.

While this incoming group will certainly help South Carolina get back to the success it saw in 2021 and 2022, the head man understands that plenty of components must improve in his program moving forward.

"We've certainly gotta be better. Coaches and players in all three phases. We're getting back to work on recruiting and how to get better because we gotta be better."

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