Shane Beamer made it clear this week that nobody on South Carolina’s roster should feel too comfortable heading into the next stretch of the schedule, not even Malik Orsan.
That message landed with the Gamecocks as they turned their attention to the road trip to Oklahoma, and it applies to the kicker who just delivered one of the biggest kicks of South Carolina’s season: a 48-yard field goal to beat Tennessee on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Orsan’s rise has been one of the more surprising developments in the program. He went from not playing as a freshman at Southeast Missouri State to becoming the most accurate source of points in the SEC’s conference games. Through five SEC games, he has hit 10 field goals, which puts him first in the league in makes and field goals made per game against conference opponents.
South Carolina’s path to getting him in the building involved some familiarity and a lot of questions. Special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley handled much of the work to bring Orsan in for a visit after he entered the portal this spring.
Beamer also already knew Orsan’s private kicking coach, Austin Seibert, from Seibert’s one season at Oklahoma when Beamer was an assistant there. Beamer noted that Seibert’s now wife babysat his kids.
"Certainly, I had a lot of questions: Why hadn't he kicked at the previous school that he was coming from, what's the story there," Beamer said.
Orsan and his father came to Columbia to meet with Beamer before South Carolina brought him into the program.
"Talked to him about his story and here's the situation here, here's what we can present you: An opportunity to come compete, nothing else," Beamer said.
The staff had already spent spring practice looking at Max Kelley and Upton Bellenfant, but Beamer said they still wanted another option in the mix.
"One, from a competition standpoint. And two, just from a leg standpoint," Beamer said.
Orsan has rewarded that decision since taking over as South Carolina’s place-kicker in the Mississippi State game. He is 10-for-12 on field goals, perfect on all 22 extra-point attempts since the start of the season, and leads the Gamecocks with 52 total points.
Still, Beamer isn’t handing out any permanent job security.
"We're competing every day," Beamer said. "If he goes out and he's 0-for-8, then probably not."
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South Carolinas Tennessee Breakthrough Now Carries One Huge Pressure
South Carolinas win over No. 11 Tennessee gave Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks a signature moment, but in the SEC, a breakthrough like that can quickly become a trap. Around the league, several teams have taken down ranked opponents only to stumble in the very next game, and that is the kind of swing Beamer knows can erase momentum fast. For a program trying to build something real, a victory that once felt like a turning point cant become the high point.
Now the challenge shifts to Oklahoma, where South Carolina has to prove the Tennessee result was a step forward and not just another example of the leagues so-called SEC Flu. Beamer has already acknowledged that danger, but his message is simple enough: enjoy the win, then move on. In a conference where every week seems to punish anyone who gets comfortable, the Gamecocks biggest test may be how well they handle the noise after their biggest recent breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Just Got Another Reason To Celebrate That Tennessee Win
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Hays work up front helped the Gamecocks put together 344 total yards and average 5.5 yards per play against one of the nations better defenses, the kind of efficiency that made the upset possible. It also marked the second time a South Carolina player has picked up the weekly honor, a small but meaningful sign that the performance in Knoxville resonated well beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Dawn Staley Finally Addressed The Geno Handshake Drama
Dawn Staley has had time to unpack the postgame handshake moment with Geno Auriemma from South Carolinas win in the 2026 Womens Final Four, and her comments put the episode in a different light than the one it briefly took on in the aftermath. Staley said she did not realize Auriemma was expecting a second pregame handshake, and she made clear the awkward exchange was about more than a single missed greeting.
The larger backdrop, of course, is the rivalry itself and South Carolinas recent run of success against UConn, which has only sharpened the edge between two of the sports most accomplished coaches. Staley also emphasized her respect for Auriemma, but her reflections suggested there were deeper tensions sitting underneath the public moment, which is what made the whole scene resonate well beyond one game. [Read more 🡒]