Tennessee should use recent quote from Shane Beamer as motivation for looming matchup against South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer made a declaration on Tuesday that the Tennessee Vols should use as motivation/bulletin board material for their matchup with SC in Neyland Stadium later this month. While speaking with the media on Tuesday, Beamer fielded several questions about South Carolina's offensive line. The Gamecocks lost their season-opener to […]
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer made a declaration on Tuesday that the Tennessee Vols should use as motivation/bulletin board material for their matchup with SC in Neyland Stadium later this month.
While speaking with the media on Tuesday, Beamer fielded several questions about South Carolina's offensive line.
The Gamecocks lost their season-opener to the North Carolina Tar Heels in Uptown Charlotte this past weekend, falling 31-17 at Bank of America Stadium.
Perhaps the biggest reason for South Carolina's loss was the poor play of the offensive line. Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler played well, completing 30-of-39 passes for 353 yards.
When Rattler wasn't completing passes, he was running for his life. The Tar Heels sacked Rattler nine times (UNC also had 16 tackles for loss). It's tough for any program to win a game when a quarterback is on the ground that often.
Beamer, however, isn't losing confidence in South Carolina's offensive line. In fact, he's encouraging critics to get their shots in now.
"Those guys will be fine, I have total confidence in them," said Beamer while discussing the Gamecocks' offensive line. "Total confidence in our offensive line's coaching, everything. I know they are the easy targets to criticize, the offensive line. Well get your shots in now is what I would tell people. When they start playing their ass off as the year goes throughout the season, make sure you are giving them credit then, too, as the year goes on."
Beamer suggested that a lack of fundamentals, which isn't uncommon during the first game of the season, was the reason for the tough night for the offensive line.
"We have to be better technique-wise," explained Beamer. "We have to be better fundamentally wise offensively, all across the board. There is not question about it. We have good players on that offensive line, veteran guys and younger guys, as well."
Beamer is probably right that South Carolina's offensive line will play better as the season goes along. It's usually not wise to judge a program based on the first week of the season. And after the way South Carolina improved down the stretch last season, it's especially important to not take away too much from the Gamecocks' season-opening loss to the Tar Heels.
Still, the Vols would be wise to use Beamer's comments about South Carolina's offensive line as motivation. And not because there's anything wrong with what Beamer said — it's exactly what any head coach should say — but because it's a great reminder for Tennessee that nothing comes easy in the SEC.
The Vols' defensive front can't walk into that game against South Carolina and expect it to be easy just because North Carolina totaled nine sacks against the Gamecocks.
Thinking it would be easy is the mistake that Tennessee made against South Carolina last season.
Beamer and his staff are going to work hard to correct the issues from the UNC game (which was their first game with a new offensive coordinator). They won't be the same team on September 30 in Knoxville that they were against North Carolina.
That's not to say that South Carolina is going to beat Tennessee — the Vols should win that game by a couple of scores if they're hitting on all cylinders — but it won't be easy just because the Gamecocks struggled against the Tar Heels.
Tennessee needs to be ready for a fight against South Carolina. And they should use Beamer's words to remind them of that as they get closer to a huge rematch with the Gamecocks.
Feature image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
