Getty Image
Shane Beamer is being blasted for his postgame interview following a brutal Gamecocks loss against Florida. The head coach was heard deflecting blame for his team’s fourth quarter meltdown that allowed the Gators to overcome a late double-digit deficit.
Florida players and coaches celebrated fittingly in the locker room at Williams-Brice Stadium, blasting “Sandstorm” to troll their SEC foe.
South Carolina held a 10-point advantage in the final period of a must-win matchup. After a 33-yard Joshua Simon touchdown reception, the Gamecocks appeared to put the game on ice.
View this post on Instagram
Florida signal caller Graham Mertz had different plans, though, leading the Gators down the field for touchdowns on their final two possessions. A 21-yard pass to Ricky Pearsall gave the Gators the lead for good with just 47 seconds remaining on the clock.
On those two final drives, Florida converted three fourth downs, marching 75 yards to paydirt on each series.
View this post on Instagram
Mertz threw for 423 yards and three scores as he picked apart the Gamecocks’ secondary. It was the second consecutive home game where South Carolina allowed more than 400 yards through the air.
The defensive issues have haunted South Carolina this season, as they’ve given up an average of 33.4 points per game in their five contests against Power Five opponents.
Cracks in the defensive backfield were evident from the start, but it seemed coaches were unable to make the necessary adjustments to bottle up the Gator receivers.
Florida won almost every one-on-one matchup, yet the staff continued to put defensive backs on an island. Safety Nick Emmanwori, in particular, was beaten twice by the Gators’ top target Pearsall, once on a crucial fourth down to keep the game-winning drive alive, and then again on the final touchdown.
After the game, Shane Beamer was asked about the struggles. Many believe he pushed blame on the players as opposed to the coaching staff for not putting them in favorable positions.
@mattdowelltv ♬ original sound – Matt Dowell
Beamer rattled off a number of mistakes made by the players, suggesting they were in position to make the necessary plays, but didn’t execute. Very little was said about the gameplan.
Fans immediately ripped the head coach.
“Nothing is his fault, is it?” this follower asked. “What a joke.”
“It’s all on the players. We coached a perfect game everybody,” someone else sarcastically wrote.
Former Gamecock DJ Swearinger even commented on the defensive strategy, saying “So, I need to go be the DC at South Carolina huh?! Obviously!! This is with no disrespect because I’m behind [safeties] Nick Emmanwori & DQ Smith 1000 percent… But these guys should be in better positions to show their skills at SAFETY. They shouldn’t be in coverage on the slot every other snap. Change it up, please.”
Many are asking for accountability, some going as far as to call for the jobs of coaches on staff.
While Beamer was placing blame on others, Florida was celebrating.
Gators troll Gamecocks with postgame celebration.
GO GATORS 🐊 pic.twitter.com/HEw24iWO6A
— RYAN O’HARA (@CoachRyanO) October 15, 2023
Offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara posted a video of Gators players trolling the Gamecocks after the win, dancing to “Sandstorm” in the road locker room.
Florida added insult to injury in what was a brutal loss for South Carolina in a game that was theirs for the taking. The Gamecocks are now 2-4 on the season, and there are a lot of angry fans in Columbia.