Coach Beamer gets mayonnaise bath as South Carolina wins Mayo Bowl

CHARLOTTE — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer anticipated getting a bucket of mayonnaise dumped over his head would be awful.

And yet, it was worse than he could have imagined.

Beamer got hit in the back of the head by the cooler before 4 1/2 gallons of mayo cascaded over his face and down his shirt, capping the Gamecocks’ celebration after their 38-21 victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Thursday.

“I got hammered in the back of the head from the cooler — and then came the mayo,” Beamer said. “I may have a concussion. It was awful.”

He changed his shirt for the postgame news conference, but joked, “I still have mayo in my pockets.”

But, for Beamer, it was all worth it to cap the season with a bowl win.

Jaheim Bell had five catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns for South Carolina (7-6), which rebounded nicely after it lost 30-0 to Clemson in its regular-season finale on Nov. 27. Kevin Harris added 169 yards rushing and a score.

Bell, a sophomore tight end, got free for a 69-yard touchdown reception from converted wide receiver Dakereon Joyner and hauled in a 66-yard TD catch from former graduate assistant coach Zeb Noland on South Carolina’s first two possessions. Juju McDowell added a 35-yard TD run in the second quarter as South Carolina averaged 11.6 yards per play while opening a 25-13 halftime lead.

“Everyone on offense was locked in and keyed into the details,” Bell said.

Sam Howell threw for 205 yards and a touchdown, and reserve running back British Brooks had a bowl record 63-yard touchdown run for the Tar Heels (6-7).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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