South Carolina is winding up their regular season in style! After falling 5-7 last year, 2024 wasn’t a particularly bad season for Shane Beamer. He was able to lead the Gamecocks to a 9-3 record. And no shame in losing to LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama, to be honest. There’s one final game to be played, but before that comes the white Christmas break. Well, everyone’s prone to lose their focus during the holidays. But Beamer knows just the right person to keep the Gamecocks motivated. And it’s none other than their very own 3X national championship coach, Dawn Staley.
What’s that message that Shane Beamer liked so much he wanted his players to hear? He shared the video of the same when Dawn Staley was asked how she keeps her team focused and motivated during the holiday season. South Carolina was set to play against Charleston Southern after a 10-day break in between games. The former 6X WNBA All-star couldn’t have been more honest when she revealed her secret to keeping her team focused. “You threaten them,” the basketball prodigy said.
The Gamecocks crushed Charleston Southern 82-46 after their 10-day break on December 19! They didn’t miss a beat! Shane Beamer’s team better adopt the disciplined mentality if they want to make a statement in their bowl game.
This New Year’s Eve presents an exciting matchup between No. 15 South Carolina and No. 20 Illinois. Both teams are entering with 9-3 records each and are seeking their 10th win. Being hyped as a 9.5-point favorite over Illinois in the Citrus Bowl isn’t enough. Rather, it means more pressure for Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks to win the game.
South Carolina places their hope on LaNorris Sellers, who has been a force this season. The freshman QB threw for 2,274 yards and rushed for 655 yards while recording 24 total touchdowns. But Illinois isn’t short on talent with Luke Altmyr at the helm. Still, a bad prognosis for the Fighting Illini is that Pat Bryant won’t be available for the bowl game.
But this is a volatile game. Anything could happen. Can Shane Beamer and his team put their minds to the game during the holidays? That’s something Camping World Stadium will have to reveal heading into the new year.
