Shane Beamer recalls most memorable plays as Georgia assistant, national championship loss

Shane Beamer hasn’t forgotten the call on Tyler Simmons in the 2017 national championship between Georgia and Alabama. Then a special teams coach for the Bulldogs, Beamer had worked tirelessly with Kirby Smart to devise a plan to block the Crimson Tide’s punts.

The idea worked to perfection when Simmons came blazing past Alabama’s blockers untouched and got a hand on the ball to set Georgia up in scoring position. However, referees called him offsides. The Crimson Tide got a second chance to punt and got it off this time, changing the course of the game.

Georgia was robbed of an opportunity to put points on the board and the contest later went to overtime as Alabama won 26-23.

Now the head coach at South Carolina, Beamer was asked about his most memorable moments at Georgia ahead of a Week 3 matchup against the Bulldogs. The would-be blocked punt from Simmons was the first one he brought up, adding that officials “blew the call” and cost Georgia could have won the game had it gone the other way.

“If you ask anybody in Athens what ‘Tyler Simmons was onside’ means, they know,” Beamer said. “Because in the national championship game, Alabama punted and Kirby had come up with a plan that ‘We’re gonna show this look when Alabama punts.’ Alabama’s protection scheme, we were gonna get a free rusher we felt like, and we did. Came completely clean. Blocked a punt just like we had designed it to do and unfortunately the officiating crew — not an SEC crew — absolutely blew the call.

“I don’t wanna say cost us a national championship, but that was a significant play in the game that potentially cost us a national championship game that night because that was the same game that Tua (Tagovailoa) threw the pass on second-and-26. That blocked punt happens in the second half, then there probably isn’t an overtime. That was Kirby. We had a whole month to work on it and he was exactly right what we needed to do.”

Although that play stands out because of the stage and its impact on the game, Beamer also had plenty of positive memories from his time at Georgia. He worked for two seasons in 2016 and 2017 as both the tight ends and special teams coach, getting the chance to work with some future NFL talent.

Beamer recalled just how stacked the Bulldogs’ special teams units were as they featured players such as Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Roquan Smith and Mecole Hardman. Although the blocked punt against Alabama didn’t count, Georgia also had a blocked field goal from Lorenzo Carter in the Rose Bowl. That play helped punch the Bulldogs’ ticket to the national championship with a 54-48 win.

“When you’ve got really good players, you’re gonna be really good in the kicking game,” Beamer said. “There were some good ones. A punt return for a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette and had some long returns against Tennessee in 2017. Rose Bowl we blocked a field goal in the second overtime against Oklahoma that sent us to the national championship game. So there were a lot of impactful plays on special teams that Kirby as the head coach and we all had a hand in as well.”

As Beamer prepares to face Georgia on Saturday, he’ll do so with the knowledge of just how talented the Bulldogs are in every phase of the game. He also knows he’ll have a challenge coaching against Smart, whom he came to learn a lot from during his time in Athens.

“I’m watching offense, defense and special teams and the very first thing I watch is all of the explosive plays that the offense has had for the other team,” he said. “It’s the sacks and turnovers that the defense has forced and then all the big, explosive plays that the special teams unit has had.

“Sitting there and watching Georgia’s special teams explosives for the past two years, it took forever to go through it because they’ve made so many impactful plays. Kirby’s involved, they’ve got great players and they’re really well-coached.”

Kickoff between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium in Athens.

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