It was all smiles for Shane Beamer and the South Carolina faithful on Saturday night, as the Gamecocks started their season — and Beamer’s tenure — with a 46-0 victory over visiting Eastern Illinois that, while sloppy at times, was still an enjoyably dominant showing.
The Gamecocks opened the game with a not-so-inspiring three-and-out, which I’m sure plenty of folks handled well, but the South Carolina defense turned the crowd’s frown upside down when Jaylan Foster immediately picked off Eastern Illinois on the Panthers’ first snap after a tipped pass popped up for grabs. South Carolina cashed in, with Noland squeezing in a tight 4-yard touchdown strike to Nick Muse — followed by a surprising and successful 2-point swinging gate conversion — to put the Gamecocks up 8-0.