When Mark Stoops arrived in Lexington in 2013, the Kentucky Wildcats had lost 12 of the last 13 matchups against South Carolina, including 10 straight from 2000-09.

In just his second year, he coached the Wildcats to a comeback victory over the Gamecocks, leading to fans storming the field.

That win was one Stoops used to help build the program, but it also started a rivalry. Stoops has refused to call it as such, but the numbers say otherwise.

During his tenure at Kentucky, eight of the 11 meetings between the two schools have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Kentucky has won seven of those meetings, but they have lost two straight.

Moreover, the rivalry has been amplified in recent years thanks to Stoops’ sunglasses comments about South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, his response, and the subtle shots since.

The Wildcats are looking to redeem themselves as the series returns to Kroger Field and SEC Nation comes to town this Saturday. After Week 1, Kentucky certainly looks like the stronger team, but looks can be deceiving this early in the season.

Kentucky and South Carolina both played bottom-tier Sun Belt teams this past weekend at home. The former won 31-0 over Southern Miss in a lighting-shortened game, while the latter narrowly escaped with a win against Old Dominion.

Through one week, the Wildcats certainly appear to be the superior team. However, this matchup has been weird in recent years, and the better team has not always come out on top.

Here’s what to watch for in Game 2.

Big Blue Wall

Two bright spots in South Carolina’s otherwise disappointing performance were edge rushers Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart. The duo totaled four sacks and six tackles for loss, earning them Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The Kentucky offensive line, which has not met the standard of the Big Blue Wall since 2021, is tasked with containing them. However, they come into this season as the second-most experienced group in the SEC and have been preparing all season against one of the SEC’s best defensive fronts, Kentucky’s own, which features Deone Walker and JJ Weaver.

In Week 1, the Wildcats looked good against Southern Miss’s solid defensive line. They opened running lanes, totaling nearly 150 yards on 6.2 yards per carry, and did not give up a sack despite several pressures.

That said, South Carolina will be a massive jump up in competition. How well the Big Blue Wall does in this game could determine the victory.

Run Defense

South Carolina ran the ball 56 times in their season opener. For context, that is the third-most attempts by a team in a single game this season. This means that the Kentucky defense should expect a heavy dose of the run on Saturday.

Fortunately, run defense is a strength of Kentucky’s, as this year’s front seven may be the best of the Mark Stoops era. In Week 1, they allowed the fewest rushing yards of any defense, a mere five yards.

The Gamecocks brought in former First-Team All-SEC running back Rocket Sanders from Arkansas, who will be more difficult to defend. However, coming off an injury-riddled 2023, highlighted by a torn labrum, Sanders did look like his pre-injury self in Week 1.

A poor showing from the South Carolina O-line did not help matters.

Limit Turnovers and Penalties

When you have more talent than an opposing team, the one thing you cannot do is give them extra opportunities. That is exactly what Kentucky did last season against South Carolina, turning the ball over three times while forcing none.

The Gamecock’s offense struggled mightily against Old Dominion last week, and if Kentucky’s defensive unit comes prepared, it should be the better unit.

That said, the Wildcat offense will need to take care of the ball and stay disciplined on the line.

Bush Hamdan’s Chance to Shine

Since Liam Coen’s first season in 2021, the offensive coordinator and the offensive players have not consistently been on the same page, whether it be due to injuries, complicated schemes, or just a general disconnect.

With a new quarterback and offensive coordinator, it could also take some time to build that in-game connection and communication this season. But with the pressure on the Kentucky offense to produce this weekend, this is an opportunity for Hamdan to prove himself as an SEC play-caller.

If the offense struggles, it could be another weird/close game in the series.

Kentucky Wildcats (1-0) vs. South Carolina (1-0)

Date: September 7th, 2024
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: ABC will have TV coverage.
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 | SC
Stats To Know: UK | SC
Advanced Stats
Weather.com forecast

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky listed as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 42.5. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Cats a 69.7% chance of victory.

Predictions: TeamRankings has Kentucky coming away with a 28-17 win, while OddsShark has the home team winning 31-25. DRatings.com picks the Cats to win 28-21. While a 10.5-point spread is a lot for an SEC contest, I am taking the Cats to win 31-20.