What is Beamer Ball? Shane Beamer's special teams mantra continues to bring South Carolina success
"Beamer Ball" made its way into South Carolina football's game against No. 17 LSU on Saturday.
The brand of football, synonymous with Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer's last name, led to a 10-yard rushing touchdown a play after South Carolina blocked an LSU punt.
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Shane Beamer's father, Frank Beamer, was the longtime coach Virginia Tech, spending 1987-2015 in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was there Frank Beamer created the brand of football that puts an emphasis on special teams play and aggression.
"Beamer Ball" has been a major part of South Carolina's approach since Frank's son Shane joined the program in 2021. It has led to 11 blocked punts, the most in FBS since Beamer's hiring.
Here's an explanation of "Beamer Ball":
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What is Beamer Ball?
The term "Beamer Ball" was coined during Frank Beamer's tenure at Virginia Tech, as his teams were known for their aggressive style of play and always strong special teams. That mantra has carried over to Shane Beamer's teams, and Shane Beamer was even a special teams coordinator during his coaching career.
Shane Beamer, who was the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Oklahoma before taking the South Carolina job in 2021, explained "Beamer Ball" in 2023.
“In my mind, Beamer Ball is an attacking style of play that you feel like no matter which unit is on the field, whether it be offense, defense or special teams, you have the ability to score,” Beamer said on The Millers' Edge in 2023. “That’s kind of how I see it. And we’ve done that. We’ve scored two defensive touchdowns in the bowl game, interception returns for touchdowns and a kickoff rerun for a touchdown against Texas A&M. To me, it’s just impactful plays.
"Everybody thinks of it from a special teams standpoint and I believe that’s where it starts absolutely when you talk about Beamer Ball, but to me, it’s just overall the way you play football and the attacking way you want to play.”
The term "Beamer Ball" was especially prevalent on Saturday, as the Gamecocks blocked an LSU punt that led to a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Rocket Sanders a play later in the second quarter.
Is Shane Beamer related to Frank Beamer?
Yes, Shane Beamer is the son of legendary former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, who retired in 2015.
Frank Beamer coached the Hokies from 1987-2015, and his teams coined the term "Beamer Ball."
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What is Beamer Ball? Mantra appears in South Carolina's game vs LSU
