It was 251 days ago when South Carolina walked off the field at Williams-Brice Stadium for the final time in 2025. It was not like the Gamecocks left that cool November afternoon in Columbia, S.C., on a high note.
They had just lost to bitter rival Clemson, thanks in large part to a pick-six from safety Ricardo Jones, who intercepted LaNorris Sellers’ pass that bounced off receiver Nyck Harbor. Jones returned the prize 12 yards for a TD, clinching the Tigers’ 28-14 victory.
“We walked off the field last November, in our last home game, that was literally 250 days ago today,” head coach Shane Beamer said on Thursday. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re a better football team 250 days later than what we were that day. When you talk about the staff, the personnel, as Coach Spurrier used to call it, talking season is finally over.”
Beamer says there has been a lot of talk since last January, but now it time for them to do what they love to do. “And that’s practice football and start playing football in four weeks from Saturday. We’re fired up to get on the field with the guys.”
The Gamecocks hit the practice fields in Columbia on Friday morning, as they prepare for the 2026 season, which begins with Kent State on Sept. 5.
The last 250 days have not been easy for the Gamecocks. As Beamer mentioned, there has been a lot of changes to both the coaching staff and the roster. However, there is still a good core left when it would have been easy for them to go elsewhere.
“And they all chose to come back,” Beamer said. “I love this quote. I’ve said it with you guys before, but ‘Your investment level equals your expectation level.’ And we have a group of guys that went through some really, really hard stuff in 2025.”
USC’s head coach, however, believes the Gamecocks are better because of last year’s 4-8 record, which included six losses in their last seven games.
“We’ve grown because of what we went through and because of their investment level, the years they’ve been in this program, what we went through this past season,” Beamer said. “There’s a high expectation level, too. I mean, those guys, they love Columbia and they love being a part of this program, but that ain’t the only reason they came back. They came back because I believe they know we can have a really good football team.
“And that’s what I’ve seen since January is just the work that they’ve put in. The experience that we have. You know, you look at us, I know y’all love depth charts, but if you look at the depth chart last season, there were four seniors that started for us. Nick Barrett…DQ Smith, and Brian Thomas on defense. And I guess just Rasul at running back, four seniors. And then if you look at, we don’t have depth charts, we’re competing, but if you look at what, there’s a likelihood of potentially being, you’re looking at triple that this year, the number of seniors that are starting for us. And when you got that kind of experience and that many guys that have played a lot of football, that gives you a lot of hope for what’s to come.”
Do not worry, Beamer knows they have not won anything on Aug. 7. There is plenty of work to do between now and the season opener.
“We’re a long way away from where we need to be, but yes, there’s zero doubt in my mind that that we’re better with the guys that have coming back and the additions from the transfer portal,” he said. “This freshman class has got some real dudes in it. Character-wise and physically as players and then the new coaching staff and the additions we’ve made there.
“I get it. We haven’t played any games. We’re undefeated right now, but I’m really excited about this overall group.”