Shane Beamer Praises Clemson Tigers’ Late-Season Surge Before Palmetto Bowl Rivalry Game

While records may not show it, the Palmetto Bowl matchup between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers still holds value for the state, as Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer puts it.

Beamer spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon, discussing his initial thoughts about Clemson coming into Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday, looking to pick up back-to-back wins against his in-state opponent.

A coach who has been a part of many different rivalries, Beamer believes that the Palmetto Bowl is one of the best in the country, saying, “it’s right there at the top.”

“Just what it means to this state, what it means to both fan bases, it’s an awesome rivalry,” he said on Tuesday. “Not just in football, as you guys know, but I think what makes this thing unique is the rivalry in all the sports that, no matter what sport we’re playing, Clemson in, it’s a big deal to South Carolina fans and Clemson fans, both of our fan bases.”

Beamer calls head coach Dabo Swinney “a friend”, echoing the statement that the Clemson head coach has made throughout the season about missed opportunities. While the Tigers are 6-5, the South Carolina head coach says his upcoming opponent could be a contenting College Football Playoff team if the cards were played right.

“They’re a team, I think, seasons are very similar in a lot of ways,” Beamer said. “As you look at their schedule, there are three or four games on that schedule that you look at that easily could have gone the other way. It’s a play here, a play there in three or four different games, and they’re a nine, 10-win team in the mix for the ACC Championship, again.”

The 48-year-old gives credit to Clemson for its adversity, saying that the Tigers are playing their best football coming off a three-game win streak. During Clemson’s Friday night win against Louisville two weekends ago, Beamer was watching the game with his son, Hunter, and was “so impressed” with how the team responded.

“It’s a testament to their program and the young men that they have in that program,” Beamer said. “A lot of respect for them, for sure, and they’re playing their best ball right now, they’re on a three-game winning streak and have looked good doing it in all three phases.”

He gives a lot of credit to the Tigers’ defense as well, who continuously give the Gamecocks issues each season, especially the last two seasons, combining for only 24 points.

“Every year, they’re good on defense,” Beamer said. “I mean, we know that we’ve struggled to score points on these guys, particularly the last couple of seasons, and they’re extremely talented this year, like always.”

While South Carolina is 4-7 and out of luck for bowl eligibility, Beamer says that there is a “different feeling in the building” this week. Saying that he wants to win at home to send the senior class out “the right way”, the Gamecocks are looking to finish the season strong with no better way to do it than their in-state opponent.

“Our guys are really looking forward to the opportunity to go compete,” Beamer said. “We all feel very blessed to be a part of this rivalry. Need Saturday in Williams-Brice to be unlike, I told our players that we’ve had some great environments this year for home games, but none of them will compare to what we’re going to see on Saturday. I guess it’ll be the biggest crowd that Clemson’s played in front of all season, so we need that place rocking.”

While there isn’t much national coverage on this game compared to last season, Beamer says that the game is still important for the state of South Carolina, like how it is every season in the Palmetto State.

“There may not be national implications this year, but there’s a whole lot of South Carolina implications for both teams,” he said, “and we’re excited to go compete.”

Kickoff is set for noon from Williams-Brice Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.