Gamecocks grind to get going for game one

COLUMBIA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - South Carolina Football Head Coach Shane Beamer said he was very excited to finally be in the midst of a game week, and was mostly disappointed in his team’s intensity and urgency during the Tuesday’s practice.

FOX Carolina asked Beamer what psychological or motivational tactics he’d use to get his team ramped up for the opener Saturday.

“Nothing, hopefully they just know. You would hope that the leadership within the team understands exactly what I’m talking about,” Beamer said. “I’m not going to come into the team meeting tomorrow and all of a sudden start throwing chairs or show some cool motivational video and then all of the sudden think that everything’s cool now. They need me to give some Knute Rockne speech five minutes before kickoff in Charlotte, it’s too late at that point.”

The Gamecocks opener will have an incredible amount of attention when they travel to Charlotte to play #21 North Carolina. ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast its 440th road show while making its first visit to a South Carolina vs. North Carolina game.

Beamer said the big-time visit is a testament to what he and his staff have built since joining the Gamecocks two seasons ago.

“I’m not patting myself on the back but there’s a sense of excitement too because of what we’ve accomplished the last two years that College GameDay is coming to this game,” Beamer said.

The Gamecock’s last GameDay appearance was 2014, while the Tar Heels’ appeared in 2010. Beamer compared this season’s opener to his past two years and said he can feel the energy difference.

“I’d be sitting here lying to you if I told you it was the same as Georgia State last year or Eastern Illinois the year before,” Beamer said. “Just the attention on the outside. There’s a different feel, a different electricity.”

He said he can’t wait to see the Gamecocks fans turn out in Charlotte Saturday morning for College GameDay and 7:30 Saturday night for the primetime game in the ‘Battle of the Carolinas.’

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