Coach Beamer recaps Gamecocks first spring scrimmage
April 06, 2022
The Gamecock football team went through their first major scrimmage of the spring last Saturday inside Williams-Brice Stadium. Tuesday coach Shane Beamer met with the media for the first time since that practice and gave some details about what went on behind the closed gates of the stadium. In his mind, the defense won the day, and the offense was too loose with the football. The Gamecocks practiced Tuesday morning. They will practice again Thursday morning and then have their second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday.
Scrimmage notes
Beamer had high praise for Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler’s day at the scrimmage. All eyes and attention have been on Rattler since he arrived in January, and Beamer liked what he saw from the QB in game situations last week. Rattler wasn’t live, meaning he wasn’t allowed to be hit by the defense, but he showed signs of why Gamecocks brought him in to lead the offense.
“I thought he was great,” Beamer said. “He didn’t look like a guy that was lost out there by any stretch of the imagination. Certainly, there were some plays he would have liked to have back. And we’ve got to continue to make sure guys he is throwing to make plays as well. But I thought he did a good job commanding the offense and operating. ... It was a good learning experience for all of us in scrimmage number one.” Luke Doty, who entered the 2021 season as USC’s quarterback, also saw action in the scrimmage.
The Myrtle Beach product is coming off football surgery last year. Beamer said redshirt freshman Colten Gauthier and freshman Braden Davis also got QB snaps in the scrimmage and live, meaning they were allowed to get tackled by the defense to help them better acclimate to things. “We made them live and they did a nice job,” Beamer said. “They are competitors, and any time I blow the whistle in practice they think they didn’t get tackled or made the guy miss. They wanted to be live and it is great for their development knowing they can’t sit back in the pocket and hold the ball day with the pass rush coming.
The defense was the real winner during the scrimmage, Beamer said. He praised performances of defensive linemen Jordan Burch and Jordan Strachan and continued to be impressed with former Marion High standout T.J. Sanders. “We led the SEC in takeaways last year and they did that and then some on Saturday,” Beamer said. “I thought we really tackled well. A lot of times early on you see missed tackles and sloppy play, but we didn’t have that. … It was a solid first scrimmage and I guess the defense, if you look at it, got the upper hand.
Several regulars didn’t take part in the scrimmage, including Jaheim Bell; receivers Xavier Legette, Dakereon Joyner, EJ Jenkins; running back Juju McDowell; and defensive backs Tyrese Ross and Darius Rush. Bell has been injured much of the spring, and Beamer wasn’t sure if he will play during the spring game.
The battle to replace all-time leading scorer and kicker Parker White continues. Mitch Jeter and former Spring Valley kicker Alex Herrera are competing for the job. Jeter handled the bulk of kickoff duties last season for the Gamecocks, while Herrera appeared in four games on kickoffs.
Beamer hopes for big crowd during the spring game and recalled his first spring game as an assistant at Georgia and how Kirby Smart challenged the fans to come out “They packed it out and had a sold-out Sanford Stadium,” Beamer said. “What an amazing experience it was for so many people that day, especially a lot of the recruits that were there that day that led to what that program is doing right now.