South Carolina’s Coach Beamer Prepares for Battle with Missouri’s Drew Pyne
South Carolina’s head coach Shane Beamer is gearing up for an exciting game against the Missouri Tigers this weekend. Beamer, who is familiar with Missouri’s backup quarterback Drew Pyne, expects to see him on the field as Missouri takes on South Carolina.
Missouri, currently ranked 24th with a record of 7-2, is looking to secure a win against No. 23 South Carolina, which holds a record of 6-3. Pyne will step in as the starter due to the injury of Missouri’s first-string quarterback, Brady Cook.
Beamer remembers watching Pyne during his recruitment when he was an assistant coach at Oklahoma. He recalled his first recruiting trip to New Canaan, Connecticut, to scout Pyne, who was considered one of the top quarterback prospects at the time.
“Oklahoma was really interested in him,” Beamer said, adding that the team lost out to Notre Dame, where Pyne started ten games last season before moving to Arizona State and finally landing with Missouri.
Cook injured his shoulder during a game against Alabama two weeks ago, and his status for this matchup is uncertain. However, Missouri’s coach Eli Drinkwitz is preparing for Pyne to take the reins again. Although Pyne faced challenges in a previous outing against Alabama, where he threw three interceptions in a tough loss, Drinkwitz believes that with more practice, Pyne will show progress.
“He’s becoming more comfortable with the plays,” Drinkwitz explained. “The more he practices, the easier it will get.”
As South Carolina looks forward to this matchup, Beamer is aware of Missouri’s strong receiving corps, including players like Luther Burden III and Theo Wease. He noted that no matter who is leading the offense, they will rely on these talented receivers.
In an exciting recent moment, Missouri made headlines by defeating Oklahoma with a remarkable late-game touchdown set up by a fumble recovery. Zion Young scored a touchdown just seconds before the end, marking a thrilling finish.
Both teams are striving to maintain good positions in their conferences, with South Carolina recently ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in two years and Missouri aiming to regain momentum after previously slipping out of the top rankings.
Historically, Missouri has had the upper hand in this rivalry, having won the last five meetings, and they compete for the Mayor’s Cup—a trophy awarded to the winner as both schools are located in Columbia.
As the game approaches, South Carolina is excited about its recent performance, especially with tailback Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who has been a key contributor in their last three wins. His health and ability to run effectively have given the Gamecocks a significant boost.
In close games this season, Missouri has shown resilience, winning four out of four one-score games. Coach Drinkwitz emphasizes teamwork in their strategy, knowing that each game requires collaboration across all aspects to come out on top.
As Saturday’s kickoff nears, fans are eager to see how this exciting matchup unfolds.
