Call it payback. A year ago, South Carolina narrowly escaped with a 34-30 shocker against Missouri. But this time, the Tigers closed the deal with a comfortable 29-20 win. Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer didn’t sugarcoat his team’s production. But he also gave a special mention to a Tigers’ LB, who also happened to be last year’s Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. West Virginia transfer Josiah Trotter has wasted no time making his mark in Columbia.

In just 3 games, he has piled up 5 TFLs. It was more than he managed in 12 games with the Mountaineers. Last night, he led the Tigers with 11 total tackles, flying to the ball like a heat-seeker. That’s why teammates call him a “human fastball.” For Missouri, Trotter gives a sense of comfort whenever he is on the field. But for opposing offenses, he’s pure chaos. In the postgame press conference, Beamer gave credit where it was due. “Give (Missouri) a little bit of credit, too,” he said. And then he explained why.

“I mean, Josiah Trotter is a really good player,” continued Beamer. “They spent a lot of money in the portal to get him there, and he was hard to block. There were times where he just recognized the play and got to the ball carrier before we could get there for sure.” In short, Beamer’s words, while praising Trotter’s impact on the field, also hint at the NIL factor behind landing him. But bringing him to Missouri wasn’t an easy feat.

Trotter had explored other options, including a visit to Washington and even a possible return to WVU. But at the end, Missouri succeeded to get him from the transfer portal in December 2024. Although the exact NIL deal hasn’t been disclosed, but with Missouri shelling out $31.7M last year, keeping a talent like Trotter clearly comes at a premium. It seems to be paying off. Trotter’s teammates, the seasoned veterans with far more experience than the sophomore, also recognized his impact on the field.

Trotter has started all 3 games this season and already leads Missouri with 15 total tackles, including nine solo. He opened the year against Central Arkansas with a season-high 8 tackles, including 1 for loss. Tigers center Connor Tollison said back on August 19, “Trotter’s a hitter, man. He’s got some weight on him.” Then against Kansas, he recorded five tackles, and two more TFLs in the win. While Shane Beamer acknowledges the Tigers’ strengths, the HC didn’t shy away from addressing the problems on his own squad.

Shane Beamer weighs in on upcoming challenges

Beamer knows where his team went wrong against Missouri, and he doesn’t shy away from taking responsibility. “The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again. When you have 14 penalties on the road, something’s got to change, starting with me,” he said. So, from pre-snap mistakes to penalties, Beamer was blunt about the self-inflicted wounds that hurt South Carolina. But some mistakes ended up being particularly costly.

A third-quarter holding penalty on Josiah Thompson pushed the Gamecocks out of range on a potential 33-yard pass touchdown. And it left them to settle for a field goal. Later, a 15-yard facemask on DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy extended Missouri’s drive. On top of that, Beamer also pointed to the ground game, stating, “When you get out-rushed 285 to minus-nine, you’re not going to win.” That means execution across all phases, offense, defense and special teams fell short. So looking ahead, Beamer knows the road won’t be easy.

“It’s a challenge, but that’s what we get paid to do. We got to look at everything: schematically, personnel, everything that we’re doing,” he said. With a 2-2 record through four games, he emphasized focus and accountability, saying, “We need to get better this week, and that’s all you can do… continue to attack that and work.” The Gamecocks are going to face Kentucky, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ole Miss. In that order. Beamer needs to take control of his team, or this season will turn into a letdown for the entire fanbase.