South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer argued against the notion that his team can overlook Virginia Tech and QB Kyron Drones next week.
During a radio appearance on 97.7 The Fan Upstate on Wednesday, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer made it clear that his team is not overlooking their week one opponent.
The Gamecocks will be taking on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, August 31st. Beamer, a Tech graduate, argued that his alma mater could be a better team than average fans may believe.
“I think people look at their record last year,” Beamer began. “Well, they should probably have beat Miami at Miami. They had a questionable officiating call on a replay review at the end of the game that cost them on that one,” he said. “The Clemson game, I think it was a one-score game going into the fourth quarter up in Blacksburg. Syracuse, they had them down 21-3.”
Beamer continued, “They played in a lot of close games…I think the average fan [thinks] they must not be very good. That’s a very short-sighted view on them when you look at their team, in my opinion.”
Beamer’s theory likely holds some merit. Virginia Tech lost five games by just one score in 2024, indicating that they may have been a little better than their 6-7 overall record shows. The ACC media also picked them to finish 11th in the conference this fall.
The South Carolina headman doesn’t think anyone should overlook VT quarterback Kyron Drones, either. In 2023, Drones logged nearly 3000 yards of offense with 22 total touchdowns and just three interceptions. Even during an injury-affected 2024, he had seven games with multiple touchdowns.
Beamer praised the Hokies’ signal-caller. “Drones is a really athletic player, a really productive guy,” he said. “He has been around college football for a while now.”
However, he believes seeing LaNorris Sellers at practice has helped prepare his defense for the dual-threat quarterback. “For our defense to be able to see LaNorris every day in practice, it certainly has done nothing but help as you prepare for a quarterback who can hurt you with his arm or his legs like Virginia Tech’s quarterback can.”
In a similar way, Drones and Columbia-area native AJ Brand (a true freshman from Irmo) have worked to simulate LaNorris Sellers for the Hokies defense, too.
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When game one comes around, the Gamecocks will be tested. Beamer insists his team will be ready for that test. He revealed during Tuesday’s press conference that USC had begun some Virginia Tech install ahead of the matchup.
BetMGM currently gives next weekend’s neutral-site affair a 7.5-point spread, in favor of South Carolina. That is down from the opening 8.5-point Gamecock advantage.
Kickoff is slated for 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 31st. ESPN will broadcast the contest, while the ESPN app makes it available via streaming.
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Category: General Sports
