Gamecocks Embracing New Challenge

South Carolina is no longer under the radar, but the Gamecocks are embracing their new status.

The general public overlooked South Carolina before this past weekend. The Gamecocks didn't have a Power-5 win and struggled to start the season, making it easy to write them off.

However, things changed following their win over Kentucky. The Wildcats were ranked No. 13 coming into action, and South Carolina's win was still impressive even though Kentucky was missing star quarterback Will Levis.

South Carolina now sits at 4-2 with a ranked in-conference win. They aren't under the radar anymore and will likely be betting favorites in their next three games. Everyone expects them to make noise in the SEC East, an uncharted domain for them.

Fortunately, the Gamecocks have head coach Shane Beamer at the helm. Beamer repeatedly emphasizes that they can be content with their progress but must push forward and achieve more.

That mindset has this team playing its best football. They haven't listened to outside noise this season, meaning nothing changes. South Carolina keeps everything in-house, from praise to corrections.

The national spotlight shouldn't affect a veteran-laden team; quarterback Spencer Rattler has played in many big games, as have several other key contributors. Both coordinators have coached bowl games, while Beamer grew accustomed to the spotlight at Georgia.

South Carolina is right where they want to be. High expectations mean that you've had past success and now get to defend that, and those situations often make for the best stories in sports.

They have a bye week to refocus and adjust to national perception. The players are off this weekend for fall break but come back Sunday with one thing on their minds: Texas A&M.

The SEC scheduled the A&M game as a 7:30 kickoff, marking another primetime appearance for the Gamecocks. They've grown in front of the nation's eyes, but this time carries different expectations.

You Might Also Like:

• Jovaughn Gwyn Named SEC Player Of The Week
• Shane Beamer Discusses Reaching The Halfway Point
• MarShawn Lloyd Is A Budding Star

Join the community:

Follow Evan Crowell on Twitter: @EvanVCrowell

Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @GamecocksDigest & follow us on Twitter at @GamecocksDigest.