There’s only so many true ways to really judge a football team. That’s through wins and losses and the product shown on the field.

But there are also other opportunities, not only limited to game action, where teams can show what they’re about.

After a 5-7 season last year, not everyone is super high on South Carolina in 2024. Not as much as they were heading into last season after the Gamecocks won eight games in 2022. The media picked them to finish 13th in the SEC standings for this upcoming season.

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From his vantage point, Shane Beamer knows last year was a disappointment. But more than a week removed from speaking at SEC Media Days in Dallas, he hopes people can see the potential in what the Gamecocks can bring to the table.

“I would hope that the message that came out from myself and the three players that were with me in Dallas last week is just the confidence we have right now in this team, the hunger that this team has, the joy that a lot of these guys have about being a part of this program, and how eager we are to get started,” said the fourth-year head coach at his annual Birdies with Beamer event on Thursday.

While in Dallas last week, Beamer fielded many questions about what’s going to change this year. He recognized why some aren’t bought into South Carolina in 2024. But that doesn’t really impact his thinking on what his team could do.

“I think that event’s always tough because I see you guys pretty much every week,” Beamer said. “But there’s a lot of guys that have not heard a thing that I’ve said since January, or really probably since November in a lot of ways. So it’s more of just kind of an update and here’s what’s going on in Columbia.”

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For 2024, Las Vegas has set the over/under for South Carolina wins at 5.5. The schedule is certainly tough, but it always is, especially in the SEC and with Oklahoma and Texas joining the conference.

Regardless of how anyone views South Carolina, Beamer still believes he has the team in place to get the job done. He harped on this last week in Dallas and continues to do so as the season approaches.

“We don’t base our decisions and our narrative based on what anyone on the outside thinks,” Beamer said. “There’s a confidence and hunger in our building. I think our guys are very eager to get to work and get out there and start competing on Aug. 1.”

It’s almost that time of year again when 77,000 fans pack into Williams-Brice Stadium to watch the Gamecocks play under the Saturday night lights. Yes, football is just around the corner, and it’s officially 35 days until the Gamecocks face off against Old Dominion. This year, they’ll do so sporting a new look for the 2024 football season.

This past weekend, the Gamecocks held their team media days, where the creative team captured a slew of content from the players—photos, videos, and headshots for use in the stadium, on graphics, and by websites like ESPN. It’s common to see players filling your timeline with pictures from this event, but this year, something almost slipped by unnoticed due to its subtlety.

The Gamecocks have made a few tweaks to their uniforms by using a new template from Under Armour, a change that had been rumored earlier this offseason. The most noticeable updates include extended and enlarged side stripes on the jerseys, giving them a cleaner look. The numbers on the jerseys also appear slightly bigger and seem to reflect light more effectively—at least from the studio images compared to last year. Additionally, the stripes on the collar have been updated, now cut off at the top of the neckline, a nod to the old school uniforms from the 2010s, but with a modern twist.

Another detail is a new Under Armour logo. This logo has a sticker-like look on the garnet uniforms, featuring a white Under Armour logo atop what appears to be garnet plastic, giving it a bit of pop.

As for the helmets, it’s possible that the garnet on the facemasks is a slightly new shade, though this hasn’t been confirmed yet. It could be due to the studio lighting. The Gamecocks will sport a more modern look on Under Armour’s version of the 1980 uniforms, which Coach Shane Beamer kept around after they released the “Black Magic” uniforms just a year before he accepted the job.

The tweaks may be minor, but they contribute to a refreshed and distinctive look for the Gamecocks. It’s a new season with new beginnings, and the Gamecocks are ready to take the field in style.

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“We are cooperating fully with government authorities and conducting our own investigation into this incident,” the Sarasota-based meats company said in a statement.

The listeria outbreak was first reported last week.

Since late May, 34 people were sickened across 13 states, with all but one hospitalized. Two people died — in Illinois and New Jersey. It can take weeks for symptoms to develop, so there might be more cases, officials said.

People most commonly reported eating deli-sliced turkey, liverwurst and ham, officials said.

Listeria can contaminate food and sicken people who eat it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. It can be treated with antibiotics, but it is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

An estimated 1,600 people get listeria food poisoning each year and about 260 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Boar’s Head recall of over 200,000 pounds shipped nationwide applies to meats sliced at a deli counter, not prepackaged meats.

It includes a number of multi-pound packages stamped with an Aug. 10 sell-by date, including bologna, garlic bologna, beef bologna, beef salami, Italian Cappy-style ham and Extra Hot Italian Cappy-style ham. Also included is Steakhouse Roasted Bacon Heat and Eat, with a sell-by date of Aug. 15.

The company said customers should throw away the recalled products, or return them to the store for a refund. Health officials said refrigerators should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent contamination of other foods.

Post and Courier Reporter David Ferrara in Greenville contributed to this report.