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South Carolina makes a move clearly focused on beating Florida
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

South Carolina makes a move clearly focused on beating Florida

By Andrew Kulha  |  Last updated Oct 8, 2026 11:02 PM ET
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Earlier this week, South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer sounded like he may be deciding to play "hardball" with star pass-rusher Dylan Stewart.

Stewart was suspended jointly by South Carolina and the SEC for the Gamecocks' Week 5 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.

He had punched an Alabama player the weekend before, which is what got the SEC involved. In general, though, Stewart's actions and attitude against the Crimson Tide were subpar.

He got into multiple arguments with coaches on the sidelines, including Beamer, and the head coach made it sound like he might consider keeping Stewart for longer than just the one-game suspension.

"To answer your question and [a prior] question, his role or involvement on this team will be decided, you know, going forward, by me," Beamer had said of Stewart after the Alabama game.

This past Tuesday, Beamer told the media that Stewart was back with the team at practice but that his status for the Week 6 game against the No. 16 Florida Gators was still in question.

Again, it sounded as if he was playing hardball.

Two days later, it's being reported that Stewart is "on track" to play against the Gators.

Clearly, this is a football move from Beamer and his staff to try to right the ship after the disastrous overtime loss to Kentucky.

In fact, this whole season has been a disaster for South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 2-3 and 0-3 against SEC opponents.

They're in the basement of the conference at the moment, and having a player like Stewart back on the field could certainly help them climb back out.

Never mind the fact that he punched an opponent. 

Never mind the open disrespect he showed to the coaching staff.

If they were being honest, nobody on the South Carolina staff, from Beamer on down, has to be happy with letting Stewart back onto the field right now. 

This is purely a football move and if they weren't in a tailspin right now, you can bet the Gamecocks would have sat Stewart for at least one more game.

If coaches don't believe in anything else in this world, they believe in discipline as a way of instruction.

Keeping Stewart out for an additional game, apart from the suspension, would be a message not just to the player, but to the whole team.

Dylan Stewart is expected to return to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks

It doesn't matter your talent level. You can't act like this:

If you disrespect the coaching staff and can't "fall in line" even when you don't want to, you threaten to upset the whole order of things. 

Being a football player is often equated to being a soldier, and on a football team, just like in the military, the chain of command matters more than almost anything.

That's why Beamer was previously very clear about his expectations.

"There’s a standard of how we do things on and off the field in this program, and there is an accountability level that is demanded, regardless of who you are and how good a player you are," Beamer had said. 

That standard was easy enough to uphold against Kentucky. At least before the game, that appeared to be a winnable game for South Carolina.

Apparently it doesn't matter as much when a trip to Gainesville is up next on the schedule.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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