South Carolina coach Shane Beamer recaps Gamecocks' historic collapse at No. 3 Texas A&M: 'I wanted to puke'

Shane Beamer said he "wanted to puke" as he watched South Carolina squander a 27-point lead in Saturday's 31-30 loss to unbeaten and third-ranked Texas A&M. Unsure why his Gamecocks continue to falter in the fourth quarter of games this season, this latest setback was an all-timer, nullifying any remaining shot at bowl season and spiking unrest from one of the nation's most loyal fanbases.

From ranked No. 13 in the preseason to losing its seventh game by mid-November after an all-time collapse, this is not what Beamer or anyone associated with South Carolina football envisioned in Year 5

South Carolina now holds the dubious honor to be the SEC's first team since 2004 to be leading by 27 points and lose -- snapping a 286-game stretch. The Aggies' triumph at Kyle Field featured touchdowns on Texas A&M's first four possessions after intermission to lead 31-30 with 10:47 to play. 

Beamer nixed the idea that his team got conservative in the second half.

"You don't look at the scoreboard when you try to dominate something, you just keep going," Beamer said, when asked about his team's 30-3 halftime lead.

Aided by several unexplainable sacks taken by LaNorris Sellers after refusing to throw the ball away, South Carolina's final two drives were snuffed out for minimal yardage and the Aggies' comeback was complete, the biggest in program history and a pie-in-the-face for Beamer, who's team now takes the unwanted letdown throne.

Texas A&M had minus-9 yards rushing in the first half, went 0-for-6 on third down, turned it over three times, dropped a would-be touchdown reception in the end zone and missed a chip-shot field goal -- execution issues that were uncommon the first nine games of the campaign under Mike Elko.

And then? A second-half firestorm to remember for Texas A&M.

Reports surfaced before Saturday's game that Elko and the Aggies were in the final stages of a six-year contract extension that would make him one of the nation's highest-paid coaches. What transpired early was not indicative of what helped Elko land the offer from Texas A&M, but his team recovered and Beamer's did not despite holding a lead for the third time this season in the final quarter against a ranked opponent, only to fall.

Beamer, who was initially rumored to be among the candidates for the open Virginia Tech job, reaffirmed his commitment to South Carolina last month and called the Gamecocks his "dream job" before saying he planned on helping the program get things back on track.

Those words were three losses ago as South Carolina has faded deeper into irrelevancy and forced Beamer's hand at coaching staff changes. Signed through the 2030 season, Beamer's buyout is $27.9 million if fired without cause before Dec. 1.

South Carolina finishes 1-7 in the SEC for the first time since 2015 -- during which former coach Steve Spurrier quit midseason -- and will miss the postseason for the second time in Beamer's tenure.

CBS Sports spoke to a source close to Gamecocks athletic director Jeremiah Donati earlier this month following South Carolina's road loss to Ole Miss to gauge Beamer's potential future at the program. At the time, the belief was he would get the remainder of the season and the first half of the 2026 campaign before being evaluated.

Beamer said last month he felt "extremely supported" by Donati, who took over for Ray Tanner, who hired Beamer ahead of the 2021 season.

With four SEC jobs currently open as well as other Power Four conference vacancies, it's unlikely South Carolina will open this cycle. This is the type of loss, however, that turns up the heat considerably with home games remaining against Coastal Carolina and Clemson.