Kentucky’s week on the road opens with a familiar wrinkle: a matchup against South Carolina that comes with a couple of ex-Cats on the other side.
The Wildcats, 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, are trying to end a four-game skid against the Gamecocks on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. EDT at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. It will also be the first coaching meeting between Kentucky’s Will Stein and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, with the game set for the SEC Network.
South Carolina’s roster includes two former Kentucky players who will line up against their old team. Tomiwa Durojaiye spent three games at UK in 2022 before moving on to West Virginia, Florida State and Illinois, and now South Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 291-pound defensive tackle has settled in as the Gamecocks’ starter at right defensive tackle and has 13 tackles and two sacks.
Quay’sheed Scott is also back in the picture, this time in South Carolina colors. Scott started last season at nickelback for Kentucky, where he totaled 39 tackles and an interception. The 5-11, 208-pound Marion, South Carolina, product is starting at the same spot for the Gamecocks and has five tackles and three passes successfully defended this season.
One former Kentucky quarterback is also headed into a key conference test. After Arizona State’s open date last week, Cutter Boley will start for the Sun Devils against Baylor in a Big 12 matchup.
Arizona State is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in league play, while Baylor is 3-1 and 1-0. Boley has completed 63.1% of his passes for 736 yards with a 9/2 touchdown/interception ratio.
That game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
There’s also a Kentucky connection on the coaching side across the country. Jon Sumrall, the former UK linebacker and assistant coach, takes his No.
8 Florida team to No. 25 Missouri after the Gators’ 52-28 rout of then-No.
4 Ole Miss. Florida is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC, while Missouri is 3-1 and 0-1.
That one is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Neal Brown and North Texas begin American Conference play at Tulsa on Saturday night. Brown, a former Kentucky wide receiver and offensive coordinator, leads a Mean Green team that is 2-2 overall.
Tulsa is 3-1. Kickoff is 9 p.m.
EDT on ESPN.
Gerad Parker’s Troy squad also opens league play, though not until Tuesday night, Oct. 6.
The Trojans, 2-2 overall, visit Southern Mississippi, which is 1-3. Parker, a former Kentucky wideout and graduate assistant, will be on the sideline for an 8 p.m.
EDT kickoff on ESPN2.
Around the SEC and beyond, two of Kentucky’s biggest rivals are both coming off losses they’d rather forget. Louisville was upset 30-27 at home by Wake Forest, dropping the Cardinals from No. 16 to unranked.
They head to North Carolina State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network.
Tennessee, meanwhile, fell 20-17 at home to No. 1 Texas and now hosts Auburn at 3:30 p.m.
EDT on ESPN. The Volunteers are No. 17, 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the SEC, while Auburn is 3-1 and 1-1.
One of the weekend’s biggest national games has Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor in the spotlight. The No.
16 Bulldogs are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC, and they host No. 7 Alabama, also 4-0 and 2-0, at noon EDT on ABC.
Another heavyweight showdown features No. 14 Iowa against No.
5 Ohio State. Iowa is coming off its win over Michigan in Ann Arbor and is 4-0 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State is 3-1 and 1-0. That one kicks at 3:30 p.m.
EDT on CBS.
The nightcap in the national spotlight sends No. 4 Miami to Clemson.
The Hurricanes are 4-0 and 2-0 in the ACC, while Clemson is 3-1 and 2-0. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
EDT on ABC.
Kentucky’s other Division I programs are also getting into conference play. Western Kentucky, 1-3 overall, opens C-USA action at New Mexico State on Saturday at 8 p.m.
EDT on CBS Sports Network. Eastern Kentucky, also 1-3, hosts North Alabama at 6 p.m.
EDT on ESPN+. Murray State, 1-4, travels to No.
7 North Dakota for a 2 p.m. EDT kickoff on ESPN+.
Morehead State, 1-3, opens Pioneer League play against Valparaiso at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN+.
In the small-college ranks, a few games carry real weight. NAIA No.
9 Campbellsville, 4-0 overall, visits No. 12 Lindsey Wilson, 4-1, in a Mid-South Conference opener at 2:30 p.m.
EDT at Parnell Family Stadium in Columbia. No.
24 Georgetown College, 2-2, opens conference play at No. 25 Cumberland (Tennessee) at 2:30 p.m.
EDT. And Kentucky State, 4-1 and 3-0 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, visits Edward Waters, also 4-1 and 3-0, in a battle for first place at 2 p.m.
EDT.
In Other News...
Kentuckys Offense May Hinge On One Thing Fans Arent Watching Yet
Mark Pope sounds encouraged about where Kentuckys offense could be headed in 2026-27, and the reason is pretty easy to understand. The Wildcats should have a group with real shooting punch, led by Milan Momcilovic and other capable perimeter threats, which gives Pope a foundation to build around as he shapes the next version of the roster. From a talent standpoint, the spacing potential is there, and that alone should matter to anyone trying to project how this team will score.
Still, Popes focus goes beyond just making shots. He has also pointed to cutting as a major part of the offense, which suggests Kentucky wants to create easier looks and keep defenses moving even on nights when the ball may not be flying in from deep. The shot-making will draw the headlines, but the way the Wildcats combine that shooting with disciplined movement could end up telling the bigger story of how effective this offense really becomes. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into South Carolina With Receiver Uncertainty And Thin Depth
Kentuckys trip to South Carolina comes with a little more uncertainty than Mark Stoops would probably like this early in SEC play, especially at receiver. The conferences first availability report for Week 5 put Grant Grayton out, while DJ Miller and Cole Marszalek were listed doubtful and Jay Clark questionable, leaving the Wildcats to sort through a thin group as they prepare for a road test that could demand more from the passing game.
There was at least one small positive on the report, with Tavion Gadson not listed, a sign he may be available. South Carolina, meanwhile, is dealing with its own personnel questions, as Stewart is suspended and Brownlow-Dindy remains uncertain after sitting out the previous game, so both sides head into the matchup without a full picture of who will actually be on the field when kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys South Carolina Prep Suddenly Has A Receiver Concern
Kentuckys first SEC availability report ahead of Saturdays trip to South Carolina brought the kind of news that always gets attention this time of week, with the Wildcats sorting through a few injury designations before hitting the road. The report also surfaced an out status in the secondary, adding another layer of uncertainty as the team continues its preparation for an important conference matchup.
The bigger concern on offense, though, is the receiver group, where the Wildcats now have to account for a potential absence that could affect how they plan the passing game. With a busy Kentucky sports weekend ahead and basketball-related events also on the calendar, the football staff will keep its focus on cleaning up the picture before kickoff and waiting for the next update on who will be available. [Read more 🡒]