No. 24 Kentucky has its first AP Top 25 ranking since October 2023, and the challenge now is hanging onto it.
The Wildcats head to Columbia, S.C., on Saturday afternoon for a Southeastern Conference matchup with South Carolina, a game that will test whether Kentucky can keep building on the momentum that pushed it into the poll.
Kentucky is 3-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play after back-to-back wins, starting with a 31-21 road upset of then-No. 9 Texas A&M on Sept. 19 and followed by a 45-21 home victory over South Alabama last Saturday. The latest win came behind a dominant rushing performance that buried the Jaguars in the second half.
Against South Alabama, Kentucky rolled up 390 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. After trailing 21-14 late in the second quarter, the Wildcats closed the game on a 31-0 run. They finished with 567 total yards, their highest output against an FBS opponent since 2021.
Texas transfer CJ Baxter powered the attack with a career-best 149 rushing yards and a touchdown. Jason Patterson added 137 yards and three scores, while Jovantae Barnes delivered 100 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries. It marked only the second time Kentucky has had three 100-yard rushers in the same game.
Quarterback Kenny Minchey has also given Kentucky steady play through four games. He went 14 of 18 for 252 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M, then completed 19 of 25 passes for 177 yards and a score against South Alabama. On the season, he has eight touchdown passes and one interception.
Still, coach Will Stein isn’t spending much time on the ranking.
"What's going to mean more to me is how we play this Saturday in Columbia and continuing to improve," Stein said Tuesday. "That's the sign to me of a good football program, good football team. Do you get better each week?"
South Carolina comes home at 2-2 and 0-2 in the SEC, trying to recover after a rough stretch of conference play. The Gamecocks were beaten 49-18 at then-No. 8 Alabama on Saturday, but they did manage 419 total yards.
Matt Fuller ran for 112 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw for 185 yards and a score and added 72 rushing yards.
South Carolina will have to do without defensive end Dylan Stewart, who was suspended after an incident during the Alabama game. The SEC announced Monday that Stewart, a preseason All-American by multiple media outlets, will sit out one game for egregious contact with an Alabama player. The decision followed an indefinite suspension imposed by coach Shane Beamer.
"We have an accountability level that is demanding regardless of who you are," Beamer said Tuesday. "It can't be a pick-and-choose situation, and I conveyed that to Dylan. Saturday night was not acceptable, but he is a good kid and we are trying to help him."
Stewart has recorded 23.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 26 games with South Carolina.
The Gamecocks have lost seven straight SEC games dating back to last season. Their last league win came last Sept. 27, 2025, when they beat Kentucky 35-13 in Columbia. South Carolina has won four straight in the series and holds a 22-13-1 edge all-time.
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The SEC later confirmed the contact as egregious, adding another layer to a situation that is no longer just about one moment on the field. For South Carolina, the question now is not only when Stewart returns, but whether he can earn back the trust and meet the programs expectations before Beamer decides his future involvement. [Read more 🡒]
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Kentucky Faces An Early SEC Test That Could Reshape Its Ranking Push
South Carolinas SEC start has already put a little pressure on the season, with the Gamecocks dropping their first two conference games and now turning to a matchup at home against No. 24 Kentucky. LaNorris Sellers has had a rougher time in league play, and with the College Football Playoff picture still in view, this one carries a little extra weight for a team that cant afford many more stumbles in conference.
Kentucky arrives with a defense that has been strong by national standards, even as its offense has left some questions unanswered. Oddsmakers still see South Carolina as a 2.5-point favorite, a sign that the Gamecocks have a chance to steady things in a game that feels important well beyond one Saturday. [Read more 🡒]