While the second Aflac Kickoff Game may be billed as LaNorris Sellers vs. Kyron Drones, there is a lot more at play in this non-conference contest between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Virginia Tech Hokies. Shane Beamer's team will be going up his alma mater's program, one that his iconic father Frank Beamer built into a powerhouse in the 1990s and 2000s. All the pressure is on him here.
Heading into the standalone game on Sunday afternoon, South Carolina is a 6.5-point favorite over Virginia Tech on a neutral site. Not only that, but the Gamecocks have serious College Football Playoff aspirations. While Virginia Tech would love to be taking part in the playoff at some point, this year is all about taking the next step besides only getting to a bowl game under head coach Brent Pry's watch.
Furthermore, Beamer was only a freshman in high school the last time Virginia Tech played South Carolina in 1991. The Gamecocks may be riding a two-game winning streak in the all-time series, but it has been 34 years since these southeastern teams last played each other. The absolute last thing Beamer wants is to lose to the program he played for and his father built during his first opportunity.
It goes without saying that Pry and the Hokies are not facing anywhere near as much pressure here.
Virginia Tech's upset bid of South Carolina can ding Shane Beamer's rise
No, Beamer is not facing anywhere near the pressure Pry is this season as a whole. Virginia Tech may need to do more than dominate arch rival Virginia in Commonwealth at the end of the season to get another year on the job. He was hired away from Penn State to recruit the Tidewater Region and be the guy to fix all the problems Justin Fuente could not in a post-Frank Beamer world. The time is now!
However, we were not saying similar things about Beamer at South Carolina a season ago? He was on the hot seat coming into last year before completely blowing it out of the water in 2024. Admittedly, turning to Sellers at quarterback was a huge help, too. While Beamer did lose offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains to Appalachian State, Clayton White remains to run this vaunted defense for him.
Overall, what is the college football world going to say if South Carolina were to lose to Virginia Tech in a standalone stage like this? Surely, Virginia Tech will be praised for pulling off the upset bid. However, the amount of vitriol Pry has received at times could be thrust right back onto Beamer's plate. He is known as Cocky for a reason. While he is elite as a front-runner, what if he gets behind?
For a matchup some 34 years in the making, Beamer cannot overlook his alma mater in the slightest.