Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] On this episode of Cox talking Gamecocks, basketball media days are just around the corner, and the football team looks to have a good showing against the Crimson Tide. Okay, here we go.
[00:00:54] Okay. Welcome to episode 265 of Cox talking Gamecocks. I am your host, Tim Cox, where I will keep every episode from 1801 to 2001, and I hope everyone had a lovely, relaxing, calm week. I hope that whatever you did, you were able to stay safe, happy, healthy, maybe had a few laughs, maybe got together with friends, family, went out to dinner, something nice, because Gamecock Nation certainly deserves it. Let me just tell you, it has been an absolute bloodbath on social media. It's been a restless week and I'm going to get into this in a little bit. But it has been a. A week of, shall we say, reflection or so, for lack of a better word, for the fan base and just taking a good look in the mirror at ourselves. And you're thinking about football and you're thinking about, you know, the team and the league and maybe the rest of the season. We're coming up on the halfway point, which is depressing in its own right.
[00:02:03] But yeah, I hope everyone had a good week outside of that and hopefully y'all aren't as locked into the Internet as I am and are able to look away from social media and things like that. But I've said it once, I'll say it again. I'd rather be part of a crazy yet passionate fan base than an apathetic one. You know what I mean? Like, I'd rather be part of a fan base with sky high expectations and having a set of standards and all these things that I don't think are really too much to ask then a team or a fan base, rather that it's just like you kind of throw your hands up in the air and you say, well, it is what it is type of deal. So love us. It's not for the faint of heart, though, that is for sure.
[00:02:50] Let's get into things here. Obviously going to spend most of my time talking about the upcoming game this Saturday, but wanted to look at some news and notes from the week here. I have no midweek scores to report. Kind of a slow week around the other sports busy weekend though. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So next episode I'll be able to bring you all up to speed on all those, but got some fun news from both basketball teams here. Media days SEC media days is right around the corner corner coming up next week. And that's even crazy because just to think that in just a couple of weeks, we're going to be talking about basketball here and talking games and both teams with a lot of momentum and a lot of excitement, obviously goes without saying. The women looking to defend as national champs and the guys looking to see if they can repeat and get back to the tournament. But you have Lamont Paris bringing Colin Murray Boyles and Nick Pringle to SEC media days. They are slated to speak Tuesday, I believe, in the morning. So that's Tuesday the 15th. And then on the women's side of things, Dawn Staley is bringing Saniya Fagan and Raven Johnson. They will be speaking to the media Wednesday the 16th. I believe that is the afternoon timeframe. So going to be very exciting to listen to both coaches and both sets of players and just hear about some of the progress that they've made respectfully in each offseason. Right. Like you have one program that's saying, okay, how can we even elevate ourselves? We're already at the top. And how do we continue to elevate and continue to separate ourselves from the rest of our competition in the country? And then you have another one where you're saying, okay, well, we have this group of guys that did something really special last season and was able to get back to the tournament and I reward the university and bring us something that we haven't had in seven years or so, whatever it was. But we got a couple of new faces, we got a couple of young stud talents we're looking to bring along. We have a transfer and Nick Pringle, but then we have this core led by Colin Murray Boyle. So it'll be interesting to listen to what both coaches have to say. And I'm very much looking forward to basketball season as well. It's going to be a very, very busy and I fun winter across Gamecock Nation. And then I do have a piece of news from the football team right before we get into things here. Linebacker Bengali Camara is no longer with the team. Little bit of a shocking news here. He transferred in this past season, was part of the linebacker revamp, if you will. He saw some action this year and in fact had a season high of snaps last week against Ole Miss.
[00:05:40] Don't really know exactly what happened here, but based on what Shane Beamer said, based on what you've seen out there and articles and things like that, it seems like he tried to pull the move that you're seeing now in college football of wanting to red shirt and preserving that year of eligibility, ultimately to transfer, I'm assuming, or maybe just red shirt, period, and then just kind of come back next year. I don't know what his end goal was, but he approached Shane Beamer trying to redshirt and I think Shane Beamer said, that's not really how this goes. You're going to be a part of the team here. We have plans to play you and if you don't want to be part of that, here's the door. And I don't mind that, you know, I think you have to have a set of standards and we're part of a team here. You know, if you go into the year and the coaches are telling you like, hey, we're going to play you, here's the plan. They brought him in because we lost a couple of linebackers in pup and Stone and they wanted his speed on the field. He played a lot against Ole Miss. It's a long season in the SEC. Their guys are going to get bumps and bruises. You're going to get your playing time. So I'm not really know what this is all about. So I. I do stand by Shane Beamer in this call. I think it also sends a message to some of the other guys on the team that like, hey, if you're trying to pull this stunt that we're seeing across college football, just know, like, it's not going to end well for you in terms of staying on the team or staying around the facilities. And I think you have to draw a line somewhere and you're part of a team, you make a commitment to the team and that's that. So. Yeah.
[00:07:26] Bengali Kamara, we'll see you later, I guess. Thanks for the couple of games. I don't know. But speaking of football, we find our team sitting at a little bit of an inflection point and I talked about this last episode and we don't want to open up old wounds and things like that here, but I really just have been thinking about it all week and as I said before, people on social media are talking about it nonstop, really. And we're sitting at the precipice of the 6th game. You're sitting at the halfway point.
[00:08:03] You had a really good feeling in the building. You started off really well. You had a good September.
[00:08:10] And this loss really just kind of brought the program and the fan base and everybody kind of crashing back down to reality a bit. And I think what it's boiled down to in my mind here is it's a bit of an identity crisis from the standpoint of the team is not playing complimentary football.
[00:08:37] When you looked at the Kentucky game, when you look at the Akron game, right, like that is complimentary football. And we can really focus on the Kentucky game here because we're talking about an SEC opponent. Like you have the defense playing out of their mind, handing over good field position to the offense and the offense taking proper care of that and taking care of business and doing their job. And if they couldn't score, they were able to pin the other team deep and then the defense took over and did their thing again. Defense was able to contribute points in that game, but you just had moving the ball and things like that. It was a balanced relationship.
[00:09:16] The Ole Miss game, it just showed that things are off. And you know, there was the line that Beamer and Dawah Loggins talked about of they were able to cross the 57 times and got no points out of it. I don't think that line was to say that's our benchmark of we crossed the 50, pat us on the back. I think it was a self criticism to say how in the hell do we get to the other side of the field and not come away with points multiple times? It's an identity crisis. What do we do in those situations on third down? Why are we so bad in third down situations? It's putting our defense in a bad position because you're not able to move the ball and get better field position. You're putting strain on the defense constantly, so you can't ask the defense to do all the heavy lifting this year, especially in these tight games, you know, you need them to be fresh.
[00:10:20] So the team is sitting at an inflection point and Shane Beamer has to be feeling that where you're in this tough stretch of the season, right? Like you have to find a way to navigate yourself out of this because it's not getting any easier.
[00:10:39] And you need to use these couple of weeks to figure out what are you going to do for the home stretch because you can't hit your head against the wall for the next seven weeks, basically, and expect different results. If you want to use these next two weeks as a litmus test to maybe make a drastic change in the next buy in a couple of weeks, okay, maybe. But I think it's time to tweak some things about our approach, our preparation and our game planning, and see if maybe those small tweaks actually make big differences on the field and then we can reevaluate things in the buy.
[00:11:18] But with all that being said, the football schedule waits for no man and teams do not get a break. So, as we are in the middle of the gauntlet that the Gamecocks are headed to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in what has been and will be a very, very challenging October here.
[00:11:40] Alabama was a team that was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons last weekend. If you're a tide fan, obviously being knocked off by Vanderbilt on the road in Nashville, number one team in the nation, coming off of an incredible win against Georgia, going to Vanderbilt, who, yes, they've looked better than in years past, but it's Vanderbilt and they struggle against Georgia State and you lose. So all the wrong reasons. You're in the headlines. An incredible moment for the SEC and for Vanderbilt and for college football. But if you're a Gamecocks fan, you probably don't love that we have to play them the week after being embarrassed, right? Like, we couldn't be the ones to be unranked and beat them. Like, it had to be freaking Vanderbilt. And now we got to play them at home. Just a tough, tough, tough draw there. But such is life as a Gamecock fan. So what are the Gamecocks looking at in the tide? Obviously, any college football fan knows this is their first year under Kalyn DeBoer. He is a very good coach. He has won everywhere that he has been, always has his games ready, or, excuse me, always has his teams ready for the big game. Maybe not the small ones as displayed by Vanderbilt, but they are currently ranked 7th in the country, sitting at four and one again with that surprising one and one in conference, thanks to Vandy. Currently, the Gamecocks are sitting at 21 point underdogs. But, you know, when you think about Alabama, the first name that comes to mind is Jalen Milro. He's the quarterback and he's a quarterback that can do it all. And I'd bet money that by the end of the year, he's at least going to be in the mix for the Heisman discussion. Might not win it, but he's going to be in the mix there. He can run it, he can throw it. I think he's only gotten better from last year. The tide are led in receiving by freshman sensation Ryan Williams. It's actually kind of funny that when you think about it, you'll have both teams in this matchup, South Carolina and Bama, who are being led in receiving by true freshmen Maisie O'Bennett and Ryan Williams. So that's pretty neat. Defensively, you look at Alabama, they might have let up a good amount of points these last two weeks. But they are talented across the board. I think it'd be premature to say that this defense might be suspect. They went up against Georgia and gave up some points. Vanderbilt played the game of a lifetime and they got some points on them. So talented across the board. Can't sleep on it. This game will be the 6th game that South Carolina will play as I alluded to a second ago. So kind of just like a football team here. Football game rather. We are getting ready to end the first half. And I look at this at really how this team decides to end that first half will say a lot about this team moving forward. So that brings me to my crows, to the game here. Starting with the whole team.
[00:14:54] Just take everything one possession at a time. And this goes for Shane Beamer too, right? You're not going to win the game trying to be a hero early on. Everyone just needs to come in ready to play and do their job and not overextend.
[00:15:12] Line up, execute and play.
[00:15:16] If you can hang with them early, you never know what can happen in the second half. But you don't have to be a hero. Just do your job. Be normal. Shane Beamer defense my first crow keep up with mill Row in the off season. Beamer and his staff did make it a point to improve the speed in that linebacker room. Even without Camara, it is a more improved group to replace him. You have Mo Kaba and Fred junior Johnson. They're going to step up. D night has been very solid this year, as has Debo. You have Bamart and Scott as well. There are faster, strong guys in that group. Keep a spy on him. Keep up with him. If he tucks and runs, try not to let him beat you with your legs.
[00:16:02] My second crow is be ready to play on an island.
[00:16:06] This is O'Donnell, Fortune, Jalen Kilgore, Judge Collier. All of them are going to be put to the limit and Clayton White has to be able to rely on these guys to play on an island. Can't be given too much help in that backfield on offense. My first crow to the game score more than three points.
[00:16:27] My second crow to the game, Rocket needs to break off an explosive play. Okay? A good chunk run, preferably in the first half, right? That would put the defense on their heels a little bit and might open things up for a one on one opportunity with a receiver like Amazio Bennett, maybe like a Campbell, you know, a bigger body guy. Nick harbor got into more things last game. Maybe he continues to come along. He's big, he's strong, you never know.
[00:16:59] And my third crow to the game here on offense is find the end zone in the first half. This needs to happen for morale more than anything. But if you can score early, it just might give Alabama some PTSD from that van e game. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of doubt creeps into their mind. This game is early. This game is in central time, 11:00 a.m. it's noon eastern. Kickoff. Maybe the crowd's a little, you know, sleepy. Maybe the crowd's a little disappointed after being spoiled for so long only to then lose to Vanderbilt. Maybe, just maybe, an early score by staying within the game plan, not freaking out and do anything crazy.
[00:17:49] Maybe, just maybe, you can take the crowd out of it and jump on Bama a little bit. Remember, what was it year, year or two ago? Yeah, last year when, you know, you were toe to toe with Georgia, you jumped on him early. If you can do that same thing, you just might be able to hang with these guys. But overall, for the game, we really do know how challenging it will be. You know, this whole stretch in October, again, is just a gauntlet, really. And like I said earlier, how this team performs in this game, I think will have ripple effects down the line.
[00:18:29] Do we see a team that comes out ready for the challenge and puts their best foot forward?
[00:18:35] If so, that could pay dividends against Oklahoma and beyond. Really.
[00:18:42] If we see a team that looks defeated and down after a tough game and comes in unprepared, that could show up later, too, right? Like, you have to find a way to get a little bit of momentum back in your corner here. And so what I'm hoping to see is exactly that, right? Like, I want to see a team that puts their best foot forward in this game. I want to see an improved offensive attack, something that shows us that Shane Beamer is set to correct the wrongs that we saw against Ole Miss.
[00:19:16] I want to see good coaching decisions. I want to see good offensive game planning. I'd love to see less penalties, these little things, and let's just see the team put their best foot forward and hopefully be able to build off of that. But let's root the boys in. Root the boys in. We're halfway through the year now, not take it for granted, and let's see what happens here and real quick now, I'll give y'all my six pack of picks and then I will get y'all out of here. Great slate of football this weekend. Fantastic slate. October 12 was circled preseason as a day that could have some fantastic matchups. And boy, does it.
[00:19:54] My card here does not necessarily reflect all of those games because I'm trying to win money. But in the ACC, give me Notre Dame -23 versus Stanford. In the big twelve, give me Arizona and BYU. Over 48 and a half in the Big ten going Penn State and Southern California. That's a big matchup. Over 51 in the SEC, two picks in the SEC, I'm going Mizzou -27 against UMass. I think they bounced back. And then Ole Miss versus LSU, another good matchup. I'm going LSU plus three and a half, thinking it's going to be a close game. And then group of five, I'm going North Texas versus Florida. Atlantic overdose 58 and a half. But with that, y'all. That wraps up this episode. Please follow me on social media Twitter X is Cox Gamecocks. Instagram is just the name of the show, Cox talking Gamecocks. And please, like, subscribe and review the podcast. I appreciate all y'all. Go Cox.
