Talking Tuesday: Shane Beamer looking forward to SEC opener against Mississippi State, calls the Bulldogs a much improved team on both sides of the ball (AUDIO)

After rolling over two lower-level programs to open the season, South Carolina steps up in class this Saturday by hosting SEC rival Mississippi State. The Gamecocks have some gaudy statistics to lean on after two games, but they will be tested on both sides of the line by a much improved Bulldog team coming off an impressive road win at Minnesota.

At his Tuesday press conference, Gamecock coach Shane Beamer had lots of praise for State and the job head coach Jeff Lebby is doing in Starkville. Now in his third season, Lebby improved the Bulldogs to five wins last season after winning two games in year one. They are off to a 2-0 start this season.

Beamer said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen all over the field with the Bulldogs. Their quarterback, Kamario Taylor, has played great, has a big running back and fast receivers, and an offensive line that has protected him.

On defense, coordinator Zack Arnett comes at you with multiple schemes and personnel groupings, and he will bring the heat with his linebackers on a regular basis.

This will be more than a football game on Saturday between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. This will be a family feud. Beamer’s wife is from Starkville, and her family members have been Bulldog supporters. And Lebby is the brother-in-law of Gamecock offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.

The Gamecocks have won eight of the last nine meetings with the Bulldogs, and are 6-3 against State in Columbia. Overall, the Gamecocks lead the series 10-7.

Some Key Comments From Beamer:

• No update on injuries, and will have that Wednesday night in SEC injury report.
• PK Ethan Sanchez is not available to play right now, still working through things from an eligibility standpoint.
• Lebby has done a great job rebuilding the Mississippi State offense. Quarterback playing at high level, big, strong running back, fast receivers, and the defense is much improved, lots of veterans on defense.
• Talked to team today about SEC play being different, knows it will be different this Saturday compared to the last two weeks.
• Mississippi State shows a lot of different looks on defense, works in a lot of different personnel, multiple fronts, and lots of different pressures.
• Doesn’t like the way the offense has started in either game.
• Taylor can make all the throws, when he runs, he’s hard to bring down, and the people around him very good, four receivers are like track stars, and the OL has done great job protecting him.
• Addressed the situation with the team today, turning it over too much and not creating enough turnovers, which has been the opposite how things generally are with them.

Shane Beamer Press Conference Previewing Mississippi State Game