BREAKING NEWS : GAMECOCK head coach SHANE BEAMER life is on peril and threatens to leave this season…

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer injured himself in frustration after his team’s home loss to Florida on Saturday.

The Gamecocks led 37-27 after scoring with 9:11 to go but allowed two touchdowns during the final five minutes to lose 41-39 to the Gators. On Tuesday, Beamer was asked about his limp entering his weekly news conference and revealed that he kicked something out of frustration in the minutes after the loss and broke a bone in his foot.

“I broke my foot on Saturday, so I’d rather just get it out there and say it and not have you all speculating and then after the game on Saturday in Missouri you ask,” Beamer said with a smile. “I called [athletic director Ray Tanner], told him, made sure he was OK with it and he died laughing when I told him so obviously there’s not a lot of empathy from him.”

“It was after the game and certainly that was a gut-wrenching, emotional loss and I was frustrated and kicked something I shouldn’t have kicked and thought I was OK but the adrenaline from the game wore off and before anyone starts the narrative like, ‘the head football coach is frustrated and lost his poise and all that.’ No, I care. And I care about these kids and I was really upset on Saturday night because I didn’t do enough to help them get over the hump and win the football game. Don’t think I have to have surgery but there is a broken bone in my foot, it hurts like you-know-what but I’ve got to show toughness and fight through it. Been one of those years.”

The loss dropped South Carolina to 2-4 ahead of its Week 8 game against No. 20 Missouri. The Gamecocks were one of the surprises of the SEC in 2022 as they beat Tennessee and Clemson to finish the season at 8-4.

This season, South Carolina has struggled keeping opposing teams out of the end zone. The Gamecocks are 109th in the country in scoring defense and have given up at least 30 points to four of the five FBS opponents they’ve faced. Missouri enters Saturday’s game averaging 34 points per game.

Beamer also joked that he’ll have to make sure he’s not taking any pain medication on game day to prevent an inexplicable special teams call.

“The problem will be not being on any kind of pain medication — we’ll be like faking punts from the 2-yard-line on fourth-and-30 because I’ll be loopy if I’m on pain medicine so we’ve got to make sure that I fight through with no pain medicine and can make calls,” Beamer said.

Optimism is high that a new quarterback, a more experienced offensive line and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly the Buckeyes will allow the Buckeyes to return to their prolific ways this season.

The focus this spring has been largely on the quarterbacks, and that position is certainly the most compelling one about Saturday’s spring game with a graduate transfer, a returning junior and a promising freshman all looking to make their mark.

QB Will Howard
Expectations are high for the Kansas State grad transfer to play at an elite level. Howard has the natural leadership skills and the mature demeanor needed to handle the pressure that accompanies being the Ohio State quarterback.

But he has to produce on the field, and as to be expected, there has been an adjustment period for Howard. He has been here three months compared to three years for Devin Brown.

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Day said halfway through the spring that he wanted Howard to make a jump in the final two weeks. Day said coaches have purposely put Howard in difficult down-and-distance situations to see how he’ll react and that he has responded well.

“He’s working really hard,” Day said. “He’s in the building early. He’s in the building late. He’s put in a lot of work, and I think the guys see that.

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“I think he’s done a really good job of trying to win (teammates) over. You see the experience, and you see the ability. I think every practice he’s learning the offensive and feeling more comfortable with it.”

QB Devin Brown
Brown’s audition in the Cotton Bowl to stake a claim for the starting job in 2024 didn’t go well. He was injured early in the 14-3 loss to Missouri. Many expected him to transfer when Howard arrived, but Brown has been steadfast in insisting that he is here for the long haul and isn’t conceding the job to anyone.

In practices that reporters were allowed to watch, Brown looked good, especially the one two weeks before the spring game.

“He’s now into Year 3 and a lot of the things we’re doing we’ve done in the past so he probably feels the most comfortable with the offense, and you see that. The big thing with him is being as consistent as he possibly can to keep the offense moving because he certainly has the ability and definitely flashes.”

QB Julian Sayin
Yes, another quarterback. Sayin joined the 2024 OSU recruiting class late after briefly enrolling at Alabama. When Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired, Sayin transferred to Ohio State.

It would be stunning if a true freshman won the quarterback job, but Day said Sayin has earned his way into the mix. He earned the removal of his black helmet stripe after only nine practices, signifying full-fledged status on the team. Day said Sayin has gained 15 pounds of muscle since his arrival in January.

“He has a good plan when he gets out there,” Day said. “He doesn’t want his hand held. I’ve been impressed with his approach. He’s got a really, really bright future. How fast he gets on the field will be up to him.”

WR Jeremiah Smith
Ohio State has had a remarkable run of receivers in recent years. But not even Marvin Harrison Jr., nor Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson before him, started as a freshman.

Smith could. In fact, it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t become one this season. He was the No. 1 overall recruit nationally in the 2024 class and has done nothing to dispel the belief he is a generational talent.

Ohio State recently posted a video of Smith making a one-handed touchdown catch with a defender draped on him.

Two weeks ago, Day wasn’t ready to declare that Smith would be a starter, but it wasn’t hard to read between the lines.

“I’m going to be careful what I say, but he’s certainly been a pleasure to watch, and we’re very excited about his future,” Day said. “If he continues on the path that he’s on, he’s going to play a lot of football and certainly would have a chance to start.”

RG Luke Montgomery
The sophomore from Findlay appears to have the inside track to start this year, but he has to fend off a challenge from Tegra Tshabola. Montgomery was a blue-chip recruit and is projected to play tackle eventually. But it has been common practice for OSU linemen to start at guard before moving to tackle or center.

If Montgomery can show Saturday that he’s up to the challenge, he could help solidify the offensive line by allowing Josh Fryar to remain at right tackle