What South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer said after upset win over Tennessee

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer had a little time to compose his thoughts before speaking to ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the Gamecocks’ stunning 63-38 victory over No. 5 Tennessee on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Gamecocks led all game and led by multiple scores throughout the final quarter. This wasn’t a nerve-racking victory, one that would have forced Beamer to grind through the final minutes. At one point, South Carolina was doubling up the fifth-ranked Vols. A stunning result, sure, but not a surprising one by those who watched on Saturday night.

Beamer was calm but wore the happiness on his face as he began the interview with Rowe.

“We’ve got a resilient bunch. I love these kids. They work their butt off,” Beamer said to ESPN. “And no matter what happens every Saturday, they come back to work every Sunday and have a better week of practice than they had the week before. I’m so happy for them, and I’m so happy for our seniors. I’ve been telling people, ‘We’ve got a good football team.’ And we sure as hell showed it tonight.”

Nov 19, 2022; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer congratulates his team after a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

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The fans on the field chanted “Beamer Ball!” behind the Gamecocks coach as Rowe asked Beamer about the offense, which scored nine touchdowns in 11 drives and totaled 606 yards. Beamer’s answer turned into something of a mission statement for the night at the end.

“We’ve got a tough bunch, and I love coaching them,” Beamer said. “We told them before the game, ‘This game is about competition. There’s going to be a bunch of 1-on-1 battles all over the field and we have to win our share.’ And they did. Spencer Rattler, unbelievable, so happy for him. I told Kirk (Herbstreit) and Chris (Fowler, both of whom called the game on ESPN) yesterday, the last time I was in this stadium with them was when we beat Alabama when they were No. 1 in the country in 2010. So y’all have to keep coming back.

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“This is what this place can be, and we’re just getting started here in Carolina.”

And with that, Beamer was off to celebrate with the thousands on the Williams-Brice Stadium field after the Gamecocks’ best win in a decade.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer said after Tennessee win