Tag: Gamecocks

Dec 31, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Zakhari Franklin (4) dives after the catch for the touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

No. 20 Illinois holds off No. 15 South Carolina for rare 10th win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Josh McCray rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 7:29 left, to lead No. 20 Illinois to a 21-17 Citrus Bowl victory over No. 15 South Carolina Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

Luke Altmyer completed 13 of 22 passes for 174 yards with one score and one interception, while Gabe Jacas racked up three tackles for loss as Illinois (10-3) earned its first 10-win season since 2001.

LaNorris Sellers hit on 24 of 34 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown for South Carolina (9-4), which had its six-game winning streak snapped. Oscar Adaway rushed for 69 yards and one touchdown and caught seven passes for 37 yards.

After Illinois went backward on the game’s first possession, South Carolina used favorable field position to set up Alex Herrera’s 29-yard field goal at 7:24 of the first quarter.

Illinois responded with a 59-yard crossing pattern from Altmyer to Hank Beatty that got the Illini inside South Carolina’s 1-yard line, but Debo Williams was credited with a forced fumble on the next snap – a McCray plunge – that Dylan Stewart recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

On the final play of the first quarter, Illinois capped a 76-yard drive with its first score. Altmyer scrambled and found Zakhari Franklin for a 15-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead.

South Carolina squandered a scoring chance midway through the second quarter when it ran an unsuccessful trick play on fourth-and-7 from Illinois’ 13. The Gamecocks came up empty again on the half’s final play when Herrera doinked a 41-yard attempt off the upright.

South Carolina seized a 10-7 lead in the third quarter when Adaway broke through the middle on fourth-and-1 and sprinted 36 yards down the right sideline for a score. Illinois regained a 14-10 lead with 2:23 to go in the third on McCray’s 3-yard blast up the middle.

The Gamecocks forged the third lead change of the second half on the first snap of the fourth quarter. Sellers faked a handoff and lobbed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Simon for a 17-14 edge.

Illinois answered with McCray’s 7-yard touchdown run on a misdirection pitch to the left. South Carolina had a chance to retake the lead, but Sellers threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-4 inside Illinois’ 10 with 3:08 left.

McCray’s 60-yard rush on the ensuing drive allowed the Illini to run out the clock.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scrambles against the Wofford Terriers in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

No. 15 South Carolina, No. 20 Illinois vie for 10th win at Citrus Bowl

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South Carolina’s best defensive player — actually, the nation’s best defensive player — won’t play in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Illinois won’t have its all-Big Ten receiver.

But aside from the Gamecocks’ Kyle Kennard and the Fighting Illini’s Pat Bryant opting out for NFL Draft purposes, both No. 15 South Carolina and No. 20 Illinois will be loaded and eager to battle for a coveted 10th win Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

The Gamecocks (9-3) are riding a six-game winning streak — including three victories over Top 25 opponents — as they shoot for their first 10-win season since 2013. The Illini (9-3) have won three in a row as they vie for their first 10-win campaign since the 2001 Big Ten champions.

Of course, this clash to end 2024 is also about what can happen for both schools in 2025.

“We’re either the first- or second-youngest team coming back in Power 4 football,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We’re all juniors and sophomores.”

That includes junior quarterback Luke Altmyer, who publicly committed for the 2025 season when he addressed the sellout crowd at Illinois’ home basketball game versus top-ranked Tennessee on Dec. 14. Altmyer clicked on 60.9 percent of his passes during the regular season for 2,543 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

“In this crazy world that we’re in with the portal and the transfers, he’s the definition of what you’re looking for,” Bielema said.

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers has made a similar agreement to return to South Carolina, signing a deal with the school’s NIL collective. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound dual threat racked up 2,274 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air along with 655 yards and seven scores on the ground.

Sellers and the Gamecocks are working with a new offensive coordinator. Former Alabama head coach Mike Shula was upgraded from offensive analyst last week when offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains took the head coaching job at Appalachian State.

“I trust him,” Sellers said of Shula. “He’s coached a lot of guys, had a history with a lot of guys in the NFL.”

As prolific as Sellers has been, South Carolina’s defense has been the superior unit most of the year, allowing just 17.8 points per game.

The Gamecocks will miss Kennard, who led the Southeastern Conference with 11.5 sacks and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defensive player, but they still boast first-team All-American safety Nick Emmanwori. He led South Carolina with 83 tackles and returned two of his four picks for touchdowns.

Without Bryant (54 receptions, 984 yards, 10 TDs) to serve as Altmyer’s go-to guy, the Illini will rely on Zakhari Franklin (51 catches, 613 yards, three scores) to keep drives going. Illinois split its rushing workload between the speedy Aidan Laughery (522 yards, four TDs) and the stout Josh McCray (495 yards, eight scores).

South Carolina doesn’t expect to have its leading rusher available. Second-team all-SEC running back Raheim Sanders (881 yards, 11 TDs) announced on social media his intent to enter the NFL Draft.

That puts more on Sellers’ plate, but he’s facing an Illini defense that allowed 59 points across its season-ending wins at Rutgers and against Northwestern. Illinois also surrendered 35 points in the first half against top-ranked Oregon during its visit to the West Coast on Oct. 26.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway (91) tackles Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) during the first half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

South Carolina’s defense scores 2 TDs in rout of Oklahoma

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Nick Emmanwori had two first-quarter interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, as South Carolina used an early defensive barrage to Oklahoma 35-9 on Saturday in Southeastern Conference action at Norman, Okla.

LaNorris Sellers threw for 175 yards and a touchdown as the Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3 SEC) snapped a two-game losing streak.

Just 5:20 into the game, South Carolina led 21-0 with two defensive touchdowns in the first meeting between the teams.

Emmanwori picked off Michael Hawkins Jr.’s pass on the first play of the game, giving the Gamecocks the ball in Oklahoma territory, leading to Raheim Sanders’ 3-yard touchdown run.

Moments later, Demetrius Knight Hr. sacked Hawkins, knocking the ball free into the hands of Tonka Hemingway, who returned it 36 yards for a touchdown.

Then on third down on the next drive, Emmanwori picked off Hawkins once again, this time returning it 65 yards for a touchdown to put the Gamecocks up by three touchdowns.

That’s when the Sooners changed quarterbacks, going back to Jackson Arnold.

Arnold started the season’s first four games before being replaced by Hawkins just before halftime of Oklahoma’s Sept. 21 loss to Tennessee.

By playing on Saturday in his fifth game, Arnold can’t take a redshirt this season and is left with two years of eligibility after the 2024 season, according to NCAA rules.

The offense didn’t fare much better initially under Arnold, though at least the Sooners avoided further turnovers until the fourth quarter.

Arnold, a former five-star prospect, finished 18 of 36 for 225 yards and a touchdown for Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3). He threw a 54-yard scoring pass to Brenen Thompson in the third quarter.

The Sooners outgained the Gamecocks 291-254.

Nine South Carolina players each had one sack. The teams combined for 15 sacks.

After the initial outburst, South Carolins added a pair of field goals by Alex Herrera (39 and 33 yards) and a 33-yard touchdown pass from Sellers to Joshua Simon.

The Gamecocks led 32-3 at halftime after a successful two-point conversion following Simon’s touchdown with less than two minutes left in the first half.

The 29-point halftime deficit was the Sooners’ biggest at home since 1997.

It was the first time this season Oklahoma’s defense failed to force a turnover.

The game was a return to Norman for fourth-year South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, who spent three seasons as an offensive assistant for the Sooners under coach Lincoln Riley before being hired by the Gamecocks.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin gives direction during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Coming off rough loss, No. 12 Ole Miss not overlooking resurgent South Carolina

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An early-season setback has put No. 12 Ole Miss in a precarious position here in Week 6.

Following a loss last weekend to open Southeastern Conference play, the Rebels will face South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.

After a weak nonconference schedule that included just one Power Four opponent (Wake Forest), the Rebels (4-1, 0-1 SEC) know that serious business is ahead — starting SEC play with two losses would hinder their chances at a postseason berth.

Things went poorly for them last Saturday on their home field against Kentucky, which entered its first road matchup of the season at 2-2 with the most memorable moment being a one-point loss, 13-12, to then-No. 1 Georgia.

The Ole Miss defense could not get off the field against the Wildcats, who shortened the game by holding a 39:43-20:17 advantage in time of possession.

Making matters worse, the home side had the game in hand until Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff converted a fourth-and-7 from his own 20 with 4:02 left, lobbing a 63-yard pass to Barion Brown for the Wildcats’ longest play this season.

A fluke Kentucky touchdown on a fumble, and Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis’ miss of a potential game-tying 48-yard field goal in the final minute, left the Rebels with a 20-17 loss.

Despite being favored by more than two touchdowns, Mississippi lost at home to Kentucky for the first time since 1978.

On Monday, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said South Carolina presents a different defensive structure than the one Wildcats coach Mark Stoops fielded.

“Very different player types than last week. Polar opposites and very different schemes,” Kiffin said. “Kentucky is ultra sound, keeping things in front of you with really big bodies. … These guys (the Gamecocks) are built on speed and twitch. Both present problems.”

For South Carolina (3-1, 1-1), it expects the return of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has battled an ankle injury suffered in a 36-33 loss to then-No. 16 LSU on Sept. 14.

Sellers, a redshirt freshman, completed 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards with an interception against the Tigers. He also rushed 10 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard scoring scamper for the program’s longest TD run ever by a quarterback.

However, Sellers left the game in the second quarter, and LSU outscored the Gamecocks 20-9 in the second half.

Picked to finish 13th in the 16-team SEC, South Carolina rebounded with a 50-7 nonconference win over Akron behind a three-TD showing by Sellers’ backup, Robby Ashford.

Top running back Raheim Sanders left the Akron game with a foot injury, but he and Sellers should be fine for Saturday.

“These guys have good weapons and present a challenge with the ability to escape,” Kiffin said of Ashford and Sellers. “Robby is an elite runner and issues that come with that. So it is going to be a really big challenge for us.”

Ashford passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a game-best 133 yards and one score against Akron.

“Been through a lot of ups and downs in my career,” said Ashford, who played two seasons at Auburn. “It’s taught me a lot and I wouldn’t change (it) for anything. … The road’s been tricky, but at the end of the day, it shaped me into who I am today.”

Ole Miss leads the all-time series with South Carolina 9-8. The teams’ last meeting resulted in a 59-42 Rebels win in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Mar 5, 2023; Greenville, SC, USA; Athletic director Ray Tanner congratulates South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley after the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner stepping down

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South Carolina will launch a search for a new athletic director after Ray Tanner announced Friday that he is stepping down.

Tanner, 66, has guided the Gamecocks’ athletic department since 2012 and will stay on until a replacement is hired. The national search for a new AD is set to begin at the end of the fall semester.

He was South Carolina’s baseball coach from 1997-2012, winning College World Series titles in 2010 and 2011.

“For a while now, I have thought there’s going to come a time for Carolina to get a new athletics director, and the president and I have had those conversations,” Tanner said in a statement released by the school. “There was interest for me to remain at the university. I agreed to stay in a new role because of my passion for this university, this city and this state.

“I loved my experience as a baseball coach and as an administrator. I’m grateful to have been able to work here for such a long time.”

Tanner will transition into a new role as senior adviser to school president Michael Amiridis. Tanner’s contract as AD was set to run through June 2026 and his new position as adviser will run through June 2028, according to the school.

Some high-profile hires during Tanner’s tenure included football coaches Shane Beamer and Will Muschamp and men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris.

South Carolina celebrated national championships in women’s basketball under head coach Dawn Staley in 2017, 2022 and 2024. The Gamecocks were undefeated (38-0) in 2023-24.

Tanner was also the baseball coach at his alma mater North Carolina State from 1988-96 and finished with a career record of 1,133-489-3.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) calls for the ball against the Nicholls State Colonels during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

No. 16 LSU aims to make it eight straight over South Carolina

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LSU lost its season opener and wasn’t overly impressive even as the Tigers won their second game against an outmanned opponent.

South Carolina nearly lost to an outmanned opponent in its opener, then had an impressive road victory last week.

Both teams are still figuring some things out as the No. 16 Tigers (1-1) and the Gamecocks (2-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) meet in a league game on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.

LSU lost to Southern California 27-20 in Las Vegas on Sept. 1 before defeating FCS opponent Nicholls 44-21 in its home opener six days later. The Tigers scored the final 21 points after leading by just two points in the third quarter.

Now they play their first true road game.

“There are a lot of guys that have played on the road and know what it takes to win on the road,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “It requires a focus and an understanding that you are in it every single play. I am not dealing with a group of players that will be surprised, but it will take a group of guys that will be playing their best when their best is needed.”

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who will be making his fourth career start and first on an opponent’s home field, is tied for first in the nation with eight touchdown passes, six of which came against Nicholls.

“If people want to keep playing us the way they are (focusing on the run),” Kelly said, “(Nussmeier) is a very good passer and we have a lot of receivers.”

One of those receivers is Kyren Lacy, who is among three players who lead the country with four touchdown receptions.

The game against Nicholls allowed Kelly to give additional playing time to a bunch of inexperienced players.

“We had a number of first-time players step and play really good football for us,” Kelly said.

South Carolina, which has lost its last seven meetings with LSU, held on to edge visiting Old Dominion 23-19 in its opener before opening SEC play with an eye-opening 31-6 victory at Kentucky last Saturday.

“It’s not about worrying about what anybody’s saying,” Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer said. “Last week it was, ‘What the heck’s wrong with ya’ll?’ Whereas this week it’s, ‘Man, ya’ll are the greatest.’

“We just have to continue to work and continue to get better — just worry about what we can control.”

ESPN’s Gameday program will be on hand for Saturday’s game.

“The key for us Saturday is we have to handle success the right way,” Beamer said. “There’s a lot going on this week that we didn’t get to deal with last week. We need to get used to it, but we need to make sure that we’re handling the distractions the right way and not get caught up in being in the national spotlight and the hoopla.”

–Field Level Media

Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) runs down the field during their game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky.

No. 22 Louisville runs all over Jacksonville State

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Five different players rushed for a touchdown and Tyler Shough threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns as No. 22 Louisville cruised to a 49-14 win over visiting Jacksonville State on Saturday.

Maurice Turner, Don Chaney Jr., Keyjuan Brown, Duke Watson and Duane Martin all scored rushing touchdowns for the Cardinals (2-0).

Turner led the Cardinals with 12 carries for 60 yards. Louisville rushed 36 times for 233 yards.

Shough, a seventh-year transfer from Texas Tech, finished 21-of-33 passing after throwing four touchdowns in the first half last week against Austin Peay.

Louisville finished with 610 yards of total offense, while Jacksonville State had 199 of its 290 total yards of offense in the first half. The Cardinals held the Gamecocks to 2-of-12 on third downs and Quincy Riley had an interception — the only turnover of the game.

Shough gave way to backup Harrison Bailey for the final half of the fourth quarter.

Chaney scored on the opening drive with a 10-yard run on a nine-play, 62-yard drive. On the third possession, Keyjuan Brown scampered 22 yards for a 14-0 lead.

Turner made it 21-7 with a 1-yard plunge to cap a nine-play, 70-yard drive early in the second quarter and Duane Martin’s 2-yard run made it 28-7. The Gamecocks had 130 total yards in the second quarter and cut it to 28-14 at the half.

But the Cardinals held them to three-and-out on the first possession of the second half and the offense did the rest. Shough hit Chris Bell on a 48-yard TD pass to make it 35-14 before tight end Mark Redman capped an 11-play, 96-yard drive with a 12-yard TD catch.

On that drive, Cataurus Hicks had a 51-yard catch.

Watson ended the scoring with a 40-yard TD run late in the fourth to make it 49-14.

The Gamecocks (0-2) were led by quarterback Tyler Huff, who ran 18 times for 101 yards and one TD and completed 17 of 27 passes for 160 yards and one TD.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Robby Ashford (1) carries the ball through Kentucky Wildcats defenders during the second quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

South Carolina notches efficient win over Kentucky

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LaNorris Sellers threw two touchdown passes and South Carolina made good use of limited offensive spurts to pull away and defeat host Kentucky 31-6 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday in Lexington, Ky.

The Gamecocks were stout defensively, even scoring off a turnover on Nick Emmanwori’s 24-yard interception return on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Sellers completed 11 of 15 passes for 159 yards with an interception in his first career road start.

Kentucky’s passing attack produced only 44 yards on 6-for-17 success. Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye gained 70 yards on 17 carries for the Wildcats (1-1), who were 3-for-14 on third-down conversions and 0-for-2 on fourth downs.

South Carolina (2-0) managed only 86 rushing yards, led by Raheim Sanders’ 54 yards. That low production from the offense didn’t matter because the Gamecocks had things locked down on defense.

Sellers threw 16 yards to Joshua Simon for a third-quarter touchdown as the Gamecocks stretched their lead to 17-6. Sanders’ 6-yard run in the final minute of the third quarter pushed the margin to 24-6.

South Carolina, which struggled a week earlier to dispatch visiting Old Dominion, turned a close game into a decisive victory.

South Carolina led 10-6 at halftime despite managing only four first downs and 101 yards of offense.

Sellers connected with Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a 24-yard scoring play for the game’s first points. That came as part of a four-play, 61-yard possession.

Alex Herrera’s 29-yard field goal made it 10-0 midway through the second quarter after the Gamecocks were gifted stellar field position by stopping Kentucky’s fourth-and-one play at the Wildcats’ 31.

Kentucky got on the board with two field goals in the final two minutes of the first half as Alex Raynor connected from 32 and 39 yards. The Wildcats used 12 plays to go 57 yards to set up the first scoring chance.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) runs the ball against Old Dominion Monarchs safety Patrick Smith-Young (2) in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina expects better performance in clash vs. Kentucky

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It’s probably more glaring for South Carolina regarding what the Gamecocks need to work on in advance of their next game than it is for Kentucky.

The Southeastern Conference schedule is bringing these teams together for their league opener Saturday in Lexington, Ky.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said contests with the Gamecocks are “always a good game, always evenly matched.”

Last week, Kentucky handled Southern Mississippi in a 31-0 season-opening victory. South Carolina produced a 23-19 survival against visiting Old Dominion to begin its slate.

The benefit for the Gamecocks might be that they didn’t showcase much of their good stuff.

“I think we got a really good football team,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said, though he didn’t sound fully convinced. “Awful performance. We made enough mistakes for an entire season.”

Still, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has the Wildcats’ attention even after an uneven outing in the Old Dominion game.

“Every game, every rep, he’ll improve,” Stoops said. “A pretty good physical guy with a lot of attributes. He can run, he can throw, he seems like a very mature young man.”

Kentucky’s defense might be primed for an impactful season. More will be known after an SEC game.

“I’m not ready to anoint them yet,” Stoops said. “I don’t want any of that. There’s things that we need to improve on a great deal.”

Brock Vandagriff had a sturdy outing in his first game as Kentucky’s starting quarterback. He’s bound to encounter some different challenges from South Carolina’s active defensive front. Gamecocks teammates Kyle Kennard and Dylan Steward shared SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.

“We’re certainly not going to be as comfortable this week with South Carolina’s defensive front and the way they can pressure the quarterback, so we got to make sure we have a very good plan for that,” Stoops said.

Beamer said he’s emphasizing the opportunity for rapid improvements for a team lacking experience in some areas.

“We’re going to have to go through some growing pains,” Beamer said. “I expect us to be much better … up in Lexington.”

Stoops said he liked the atmosphere in the home stadium for the season opener and figures that could be heightened in Week 2.

“Call on that home crowd to once again show up like they did last week and make a difference,” he said.

Kentucky won six of seven from South Carolina from 2014-21 before the Gamecocks won the last two meetings, including 17-14 at home last year. South Carolina leads the all-time series 20-14-1, including 10-6-1 in Columbia and 10-8 in Lexington.

–Field Level Media

Oct 14, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer directs his team against the Florida Gators in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer broke foot after loss to Florida

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Add South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer to the injury report for the Gamecocks’ game Saturday at No. 20 Missouri.

Beamer acknowledged after limping into his press conference Tuesday that he had broken a bone in his right foot after kicking an inanimate object following the team’s 41-39 home loss to Florida last Saturday in Columbia.

The Gators rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win the Southeastern Conference contest.

“It was after the game, and certainly that was a gut-wrenching and emotional loss,” Beamer told reporters Tuesday. “I was frustrated and kicked something that I shouldn’t have kicked and thought I was OK, but then the adrenaline of the game wore off.”

South Carolina is 2-4, 1-3 in the SEC — a slow start for the third-year coach now 17-15 overall, 8-12 in conference since his arrival. Wasting a 37-27 lead with 9:11 remaining set Beamer off — at himself.

“Before anybody starts the narrative like the head football coach is frustrated and lost his poise and all that — no, I care,” Beamer said. “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.

“It hurts like you-know-what, but I’ve got to show toughness and fight through it. Been one of those years.”

He informed athletic director Ray Tanner of the off-field injury to keep him ahead of the news.

“(Tanner) died laughing when I told him,” Beamer said. “Obviously, there’s not a lot of empathy from him.”

He also was transparent with his players and his family.

“It’s like I told the players. I don’t condone it and not saying it’s OK to kick things after the game,” Beamer said. “I feel bad as a dad. My kids saw me, and they were like, ‘What the heck?’ So, lesson learned. Stupid on my part.”

Beamer, the son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, played as a wide receiver and long snapper for his father at Virginia Tech from 1995-99 and served on his coaching staff from 2011-15.

The former player, now 46, joked that he was “very probable” to coach Saturday against Missouri (6-1, 2-1).

“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,” Beamer quipped, “so we’ve got to make sure that I fight through with no pain medicine and can make calls.”

–Field Level Media