Shane Beamer is proud of South Carolina for starting the season at 1-0 and encouraged his player to celebrate an ugly win over Old Dominion. Angry Gamecocks supporters may not be thrilled to hear about the postgame party but the fourth-year head coach does not care what they think!
Most of the fans completely abandoned their team during the second half anyway…
South Carolina narrowly escaped a demoralizing loss on Saturday. The Monarchs, a 6-7 team last season, actually took a three-point lead with nine minutes and 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, their college football upset bid fell short. The home team answered back with a touchdown. It proceeded to close things out when it mattered most by forcing a fumble, a punt and an interception.
A win is a win is a win is a win, but Beamer looked stressed.
How I feel in my soul when I tell people “I’d rather win ugly than lose pretty” but deep down I know it’s gonna be a long year….. pic.twitter.com/iMyCUICOt4
— Brent (@HJhughes79) September 1, 2024
Even though the Gamecocks almost lost a game that probably shouldn’t be close, they were focused only on the final result. The locker room was popping. Vibes were high.
Beamer does not care if his approach to victory might ruffle some feathers among the fanbase. Does a team that barely beat a Sun Belt opponent deserve to celebrate?
Regardless of how South Carolina fans feel, they lost their right to comment after leaving the team to fend for itself during the second half. The crowd completely cleared out during a tie game! There was a chance of inclement weather (that never came) so a mass exodus ensued.
It makes sense when fans don’t stay the whole game and head to the bars during a blowout win over an FCS program— but that was not the case on Saturday! Williams-Brice Stadium was only half full as the Gamecocks tried to grind out a victory in their season-opener.
The metaphorical “12th man” failed to bring their team home and left them to find their own juice instead of willing them to victory. What a shame!