South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was already having a bad day Saturday. The Gamecocks blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead at home against Florida in a 41-39 loss that dropped South Carolina to 2-4 (1-3 SEC) on the season.
But Beamer’s day took a weirder, worse turn following the loss.
“I broke my foot on Saturday,” Beamer said during his Tuesday press conference. “I’d rather just get it out there and say it and not have you all speculating and after the game on Saturday in Missouri you ask. … It was after the game, and certainly that was a gut wrenching emotional loss, and I was frustrated and kicked something that I shouldn’t have kicked.
Thought I was okay but adrenaline of the game wore off, and before anyone starts the narrative that the head football coach is frustrated and lost his poised— no, I care. I care about these kids and I was really upset on Saturday night because I didn’t do enough to help them get over the hump and win the football game. I don’t think I have to have surgery but there is a broke bone in my foot. It hurts like you know what but I have to show toughness and fight through it. It’s been one of those years.”
The Gamecocks loss against Florida was a demoralizing one. The divisional matchup was tight for the vast majority of the contest but South Carolina seemingly gained control when a Rattler 33-yard touchdown pass gave the Gamecocks a 37-27 lead with nine minutes to play.
More From RTI: Pair Of Tennessee Players Earn SEC Weekly Honors
But the Gators answered with a 4:30 touchdown drive which pulled them back within a field goal before taking the lead on 21-yard touchdown pass from Graham Mertz to Rickey Pearsall with 47 seconds to play.
The loss marked South Carolina’s second straight loss after falling to Tennessee 41-20 on the other side of its open date. Halfway through its 2023 slate, South Carolina is 2-4 (1-3 SEC) and is fighting an uphill battle to make a bowl game.
However, this season isn’t the first time Beamer and the Gamecocks have had their backs against the wall in his tenure. South Carolina started both the 2021 and 2022 seasons poorly before closing each year strong to make a bowl game.
The rest of South Carolina’s schedule is challenging but there is an attainable path to bowl eligibility. The Gamecocks travel to Missouri and Texas A&M the next two weeks before returning to Columbia for a four-game home stand against Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Clemson to end the regular season.
All six games are winnable and the Gamecocks need four wins to become bowl eligible for the third straight season.
