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Arkansas defeated the No. 17 Gamecocks 34-6 to secure the victory and put an end to South Carolina’s playoff hopes.
Following the contest, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer addressed the media to break down the lopsided defeat and the factors leading to the team’s struggles.
“Really disappointing night to say the least. Credit to Arkansas. That has been a team that has been knocking on the door all year,” Beamer said.
“They played well tonight and found a way. This was a game that we helped them in a lot of ways and made way too many mistakes as a football team,” Beamer said.
Sellers Missed Game with Ankle Injury
The Gamecocks played without starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who missed his first game of the season due to an ankle injury sustained during the previous week’s win against Texas A&M according to official records. Despite the injury, Sellers was not listed on the final official Southeastern Conference availability report prior to kickoff, and Cutter Woods received the start under center.
“He was available tonight. He was questionable like we said mid-week and probable at the end of the week and available tonight,” Beamer said of Sellers.
“We just thought from a physical standpoint he wasn’t able to move like he wanted to move to get himself out of trouble in the pocket and run the football, which is a big part of his game. He did everything in his power to be 100 percent. He got a little bit better each day, but he wasn’t to the point where we felt like he gave us the best chance,” Beamer said.
Before the game, Sellers took repetitions with the first-team offense during warmups while testing his mobility. However, Beamer had already informed Woods on Friday night that he would get the start.
“He was trying to test it out. I didn’t want it to be a game-time decision, to be fair to Cutter. Cutter needed to know he was starting, so we told him last night after dinner before the team meeting. The team was excited and ready to rally around Cutter,” Beamer said.
“We also told LaNorris he had to be ready. Cutter was going to start it, but don’t be shocked if we go to you. He was preparing to help us. But we felt throughout the night that Cutter from a mobility standpoint gave us the best option out there,” Beamer said.
Beamer Blames Red Zone Execution and Turnovers
When asked if he considered inserting Sellers into the game as offensive momentum stalled, Beamer said that the passing game was moving the ball, but execution inside the red zone proved fatal.
“Not really. We were moving the ball. The bigger issue is, we were in the red zone five times and got six points,” Beamer said.
“We got destroyed in the turnover battle. Cutter was trying to make some plays there. The bigger issue is the five times we moved the ball down the field and Cutter was making some plays, and to come away with six points on five trips to the red zone is mind-boggling,” Beamer said.
Frustrations also boiled over late in the contest when defensive end Dylan Stewart was called for a personal foul that extended an Arkansas drive. He then was captured on TV kicking a chair on the sidelines. This wasn’t Stewart’s first incident this year. He was suspended a game for his outburst against Alabama.
“I have seen a lot of worse things than kicking a chair,” Beamer said.
“He was frustrated. He felt he was getting held throughout the game, which he probably was in a lot of ways. On that play, he was double-teamed and drove down the field. Credit to them. Last week against Texas A&M, he had a play where a guy stood over him and taunted him. He didn’t retaliate and we got a penalty called on Texas A&M. Tonight, he got frustrated and threw a guy to the ground because he thought he was holding him after the play,” Beamer said.
“I understand his frustration, but we can’t make a play worse. We really made a nice play on the third down and were going to be in a good position. Disappointing for what he has been through. But we’ve got to be better,” Beamer said.
