COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a tough loss at home to Missouri, South Carolina (6-3, 3-3 SEC) was able to achieve a major goal by defeating Vanderbilt and becoming bowl eligible.
But with three games left in the regular season, including a pair of conference contests, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer likes the demeanor of his team as it gets ready for a road trip to Gainesville to face Florida.
“By no means are we satisfied. Certainly, we are very proud to be bowl-eligible,” Beamer said. There are a lot of teams across the country right now that are sitting there with either three wins, four wins, or five wins that are fighting like crazy to get bowl eligible. Storied programs in college football. So, I don’t take for granted being bowl eligible.”
“It is a hell of an accomplishment in year two after nine games. We can be happy about it, but we better not be satisfied,” he added. “We better still be hungry. There is a lot left to accomplish.”
Beamer said that he had spoken with the team that very morning.
“The guys that came back this year for another year when they didn’t have to – Zacch Pickens, Jovaughn Gwyn, whoever – I don’t think they came back just to go to a bowl,” he said. “I think they had higher expectations than that and let’s try to be better than we were last year.”
The previous year’s regular season record was six wins and six losses, he said.
“We surely like to be better than that this year, Beamer added. “It is going to take a lot of work. The way that we practiced today, looked like a team that was not satisfied with just having six wins.”