It's been a good weekend for South Carolina football fans. The Gamecocks went into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, and upset the No. 16 Florida Gators 38-19. In what was a dominating game from start to finish, head coach Shane Beamer's seat gets a big cool-down as the Gamecocks enter a bye week.
Although Beamer entered this season squarely on the hot seat, his win over Florida officially puts him in similar territory as another SEC head coach, LSU's Lane Kiffin. Kiffin's Tiger team lost on the road 35-34 to Kentucky in overtime, and dropped LSU to 0-2 in SEC and Top-25 road games this season.
With both South Carolina and LSU's results, Beamer and Kiffin both have the same number of Top-25 road wins, each with four a-piece.
Beamer's South Carolina team defeated No. 13 Kentucky and No. 7 Clemson in 2022. In 2024, Beamer-coached teams defeated ranked teams in No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 12 Clemson, both on the road.
Even though Kentucky was not ranked, the stat is pretty jarring. In Kiffin road games against Top-25 road games, Kiffin also has four victories. Going back to his time as a head coach at USC, he earned road victories over ranked teams in No. 18 Arizona during his first season at USC in 2010. His next season with the Trojans in 2011, USC defeated then-No. 4 Oregon 38-35. At Ole Miss, his Rebels beat a No. 24-ranked Tulane team in 2023. Last year, Ole Miss defeated No. 13 Oklahoma 34-26.
Beamer beating Florida gives him his eight overall victory over a Top 25 opponent. Depending on if Oklahoma gets ranked later this season, he could get a ninth one. The Gamecocks play the Sooners in Norman on Oct. 31.
South Carolina's lone remaining road opponents after that game are Arkansas and Clemson. The Razorbacks are 2-4 and unlikely to be ranked this season. There's a chance that Clemson could be, as the Tigers are 3-23 so far this season.
As for Beamer, it's pretty remarkable what a big win like this can do for his fate in Columbia. After opening the season 0-3 in SEC play with losses to Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky, it appeared as though his days were numbered, despite reports that his buyout for South Carolina was too hefty.
But with the upset win over Florida, it looks plausible that if the Gamecocks play like they did on Saturday, making a bowl is a definite possibility. South Carolina has a great chance to beat Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Arkansas, which would put the Gamecocks at six wins and bowl eligible.
Anything more than that, and Beamer would officially overachieve. Of course, anything can happen during the course of the season. But Beamer has put himself in a great spot as South Carolina enters its bye week.
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