We’re one day closer to the “Palmetto Bowl” on Saturday, and today was an opportunity to hear from both coaches. After Dabo Swinney’s press conference on Tuesday morning, Shane Beamer took to the podium in Columbia shortly after lunch to give us his thoughts on this year’s matchup between the Tigers and Gamecocks.
Beamer broke down the game from every conceivable angle, including what the rivalry means to our state and to his fan base. He also updated the injury status for USC, helped clarify the Monday night tweet from wide receiver Juice Wells, avoided a political debate when asked about former President Donald Trump’s plans to attend the game, and declared that the popular Thanksgiving side is called “dressing”, not “stuffing”.
Key Comments from Shane Beamer:
- “Love this week. If you love college athletics and college football, it’s the best week. Rivalries are what make college football special. In our state, everybody is either a Gamecock or a Tiger.”
- “Got a ton of respect for the opponent we are playing this week. Ton of respect for Dabo. They’ve done a great job this year of staying the course this year. Now, they are playing their best ball. They have an SEC defensive line. Carter and Trotter are lights out, probably the best linebacker tandem we’ve played all year.”
- “We need our crowd to really, really be a big factor. I would encourage our fans to be in their seats early to honor our seniors. We need that to be an electric environment throughout.”
- On the above tweet from Juice Wells, “I wouldn’t count on it (Wells playing against Clemson). I met with Juice a couple of times last week. The post he had on X didn’t surprise me, what he announced. If he decides he’s in the right frame of mind to play, great, but I don’t anticipate him playing.”
- “To me this is one of the greatest rivalries in college football. I think it’s unique because it’s year-round. Hopefully we can perform like Dawn’s team did last week. You want there to be that many eyes on it. It’s a great rivalry.”
- On former President Donald Trump’s plans to come to the game on Saturday. “We’re going to have 80,000 people in attendance, I don’t think I can comment on all 80,000 people that are going to be in the stadium. I think it’s a statement about the great things that are going on in Columbia, SC. I think it’s neat that there’s that much attention on the game.”
