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Kentucky vs. South Carolina: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

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1 year ago

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South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer and Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops shake hands after a game at Kroger Field.

The good news is that Kentucky is bowl-eligible, the bad news is this season has been a disappointment. However, the Wildcats could still reach the expectations of an eight or nine-win season based on the final two regular season games and the bowl game.

The first step in doing that is defeating a South Carolina team that is in a must-win to keep their bowl hopes alive on the road. The Gamecocks are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but that is not impressive when you consider those wins came against Jackson State and Vanderbilt.

Let’s take a look at the matchup and see what it will take to get Shane Beamer to complain in a losing press conference.

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Take Advantage of Poor Defense

Statistically, South Carolina is the third-worst defense in the SEC, giving up an average of 413 yards per game. However, the Wildcat offense has only gone over the 400-yard mark three times this season and only once since September. So which side will give?

In the three weeks since the Kentucky Wildcats’ bye week, they have only run for 100 yards once, after doing so in six of the first seven games, with the exception being Georgia. What’s even more interesting is during that time, the pass and rushing attempts have practically been equal.

Given that and the fact that South Carolina’s secondary is vulnerable, giving up 350+ yards against Jackson State and Vanderbilt, Kentucky’s best opportunities are going to come through the air. Fortunately, while still not perfect, that part of the offense has been much more effective of late. Since the bye week, the Wildcats have converted 63 percent of their passes, compared to just 54 percent prior.

Secondary and Pass Coverage

While Kentucky will look to find offensive success with the pass, they will look to have defensive success with defending the pass. That said, stopping the pass has been something that Kentucky has struggled with for much of the season.

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South Carolina is a pass-heavy team, in fact, with a 56.3 pass-play percentage, they lead the SEC. Due to a poor offensive line, they like to get the ball out quickly. Meaning the large majority of their passes are short passes, putting the ball in the hands of their talented receivers and letting them make plays.

Brad White has worked miracles with the secondary over the last few seasons and must use pull from that on this matchup.

Win the Trenches, Get Some Pressure

Winning an SEC game takes physicality, and that is what Mark Stoops expressed this Kentucky team would return to this season. Yet, that has been inconsistent and has lacked discipline.

The key is going to be being the more physical team in the trenches. South Carolina is in a similar position that Kentucky was in last season, their offensive line is terrible. That is the reason Spencer Rattler is one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the country. That said, Brad White is going to have to do something he doesn’t like to do, and put some pressure on Rattler.

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Kentucky Wildcats (6-4, 3-4 SEC) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (4-6, 2-5 SEC)

  • Time/Date: 7:30 pm ET on November 18th, 2023
  • Location: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC
  • TV Channel: SEC Network
  • Announcers: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic
  • Online Stream: WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
  • Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
  • Satellite Radio: XM Channel 203, Sirius Channel 98, Internet Channel 966
  • Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
  • Rosters: UK | SCAR
  • Stats To Know: UK | SCAR
  • Advanced Stats
  • Covers.com Weather Forecast
  • Odds: DraftKings Sportsbook has Kentucky as a 2-point underdog. ESPN’s matchup predictor has Kentucky as the underdog, giving them a 42 percent chance at victory.
  • Predictions: TeamRankings has South Carolina coming away with a narrow 27-26 win, with DRatings.com also picking the Gamecocks in a 27-24 victory. Losing to South Carolina last season was bad, but they went on to beat Clemson and Tennessee. That said, losing to an under .500 South Carolina this season would certainly be a blow. For that reason, I am choosing Kentucky to win 28-24.

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Football

Kentucky Athletic Collectives Rank 11th of 16 Teams in SEC, Bring in over $11 Million

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2 weeks ago

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December 10, 2024

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Kentucky ranks 11th of 16 SEC teams in collective fundraising.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

For better or for worse of college sports, NIL is here to stay and it certainly gives an advantage to schools with more money. Just looking at the SEC alone, collectives raised more than $200 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Unfortunately, Kentucky is ranked in the lower half of that.

According to documents from the House v. NCAA proposed settlement, Kentucky raised $11,254,204 from athletics collectives for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That ranks 11th of the 15 public universities in the SEC and is just more than half of the top collective, Texas who raised over $22 million.

Full Rankings

Rank
School NameCollective Funding
1Texas22,272,474
2LSU20,137,141
3Georgia18,326,566
4Texas A&M17,228,714
5Alabama15,995,406
6Florida15,802,237
7Oklahoma14,817,595
8Tennessee11,602,164
9Auburn11,588,953
10Arkansas11,544,039
11Kentucky11,254,204
12S. Carolina9,554,700
13Ole Miss8,872,378
14Missouri7,146,859
15Mississippi St.6,467,166
NRVanderbiltNot Available (Private School)

While collective funding is low, Kentucky has been a top 20 athletic program in total revenue, partly thanks to being a school that profits from its basketball program. Looking ahead to 2025, Kentucky is expected to stay in the top 20 nationally in athletic revenue, fifth in the SEC by bringing in an estimated 131,139,792. Ahead of programs like Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee.

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With revenue sharing coming in the near future, even more money is going to be involved in roster and program building. Schools in the Big Ten and SEC have an even bigger advantage due to their new TV deals, giving them up to an extra $70 million or more.

A new era of college sports is here. It’s time to prepare and embrace it.

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Kentucky Wide Receiver Calls for “A Lot” More Leadership and Accountability from Staff

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

A poor offensive line. Inconsistent quarterback play. A lot of things led to Kentucky football’s abysmal 2024 season. However, they had the talent to finish better than 4-8, only defeating one power opponent this season. So what could have helped?

Kentucky wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin was asked that question after the Wildcats’ loss to Louisville on Saturday. To his credit, he answered honestly and professionally.

“A lot more leadership,” Maclin said. “Holding guys accountable for things. A lot more discipline for all the guys… All around, players and coaches. We’re still a team, I don’t want to point at any one person or specific group. All around we need better leadership.”

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Maclin is a junior and could return for another season. Despite talking about Kentucky taking the next step, he has not made his decision and will be returning home to talk to his family to do so. If Maclin does return, it sounds like Kentucky will have a leader in the receiving room.

Despite being a 1,000-yard receiver at North Texas, Maclin was not targeted often. However, on his 13 receptions, he caught four for touchdowns, the most of any receiver on the team.

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Kentucky Player Seen At Concession Stand During Kentucky’s 41-14 Loss to Louisville

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 2, 2024

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A Kentucky football player was seen at buying food from the concession stand in Kentucky's 41-14 loss to Louisville.

Kentucky’s on-field product against Louisville was poor to say the least, sending 99% of Wildcat fans home early. It even sent an injured player from the sideline to get a snack…

Yes, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey, one of Kentucky’s most expensive transfer portal additions, was seen at one of the concession stands at Kroger Field during Kentucky’s 41-14 defeat.

Watching a 4-8 team is bad, but even worse to do on an empty stomach.

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Mincey is a senior and will not be returning next season, but it is nice to see him reinvesting some money back into the program.

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