Shane Beamer was proud of his team's response even after the loss to No. 7 Alabama

If South Carolina played against Ole Miss the way they played against Alabama this week, they could have upset the Rebels and come into this game against Alabama on a high note. However, head coach Shane Beamer said the way his team responded after the rough game against Ole Miss is something he is proud of.

"It says we had a bad day last week that we regrouped from because we got a bunch of fighters in that room that love to compete, love to work," Beamer said in his post-game press conference.

In the first quarter, and really up until the last few minutes left in the first half of the game, it seemed like the Gamecocks were going to suffer the same fate they did against Ole Miss. The offense wasn't able to make plays, and the defense had penalties that kept them on the field, and USC fell down 14-0.

However, with a few minutes left in the first half, the offense began to click and score to make the game 14-7. Then, because of solid defensive play, South Carolina got a safety and the ball back. However, a fumble gave the ball right back to the Crimson Tide, but again, the defense picked off Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and ran the ball back to get the Gamecocks in field goal position. The game was suddenly 14-12 heading into the half and South Carolina had all the momentum.

The defense was a big part of the game, with four sacks on Milroe and keeping the team in it the entire time. Even with a bit of a slow start to the game, the defense was able to make plays at the right time to continue to give the Gamecocks momentum when they needed it.

"One of the keys to the game for us was to affect the quarterback, to affect Milroe and we were, we had stopped the run," Beamer said. "We had sacked him four times, we had created, a had picked the ball, created a turnover as well. So thought they did enough for us to win."

Beamer didn't coach a perfect game. Actually, in the first half, X (formally known as Twitter) was going crazy, with "Fire Beamer" being a common theme among fans. After the game against Ole Miss, fans wanted to see the offense come out and put together a better performance, and in the first half, that didn't happen.

However, young quarterback LaNorris Sellers was able to settle down and truly lead the offense effectively and put this team in a position to win the game. Obviously, the turnovers need to be cleaned up, but some of the plays Sellers was able to make really gave the Gamecocks a chance in that game.

"I mean the go on the road, in front of 100,000, and basically execute two, two-minute drives right there at the end of the game," Beamer said. "We didn't finish the last one, I know, but to have the ball move in and operate efficiently, he continues to get better."

Even though the Gamecocks lost, Beamer said he was proud of his team and proud of their response during the game, especially when they were down early and late.

South Carolina will have to turn the page and turn their focus to the Oklahoma Sooners, who also suffered a loss against No. 1 Texas this weekend. The Gamecocks will travel to Norman and take on the newest SEC foe for the first time in program history.